The Washington Post reports that "meat prices have continued to rise even as other costs have come down. Overall meat and poultry prices have risen 11 percent from a year ago, while the cost of chicken has gone up nearly 18 percent, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bacon costs 12 percent more than it did last summer."
The response by a growing number of Americans? Buy meat in bulk, directly from farms - half cows, entire pigs and chickens, in a way that saves them money.
According to the story, "The number of Americans buying meat directly from farms in bulk, though still low, is higher than it was before the pandemic … Early covid-related shutdowns and shortages prompted many Americans to look for more direct, local sources of meat. But more recently, sticker shock at the supermarket is prompting a specific type of family — with the money and space needed — to buy and store hundreds of pounds of beef, pork or chicken at once.
"In interviews, cattle farmers across the country said they were fielding more requests for direct orders. Some were reconfiguring their businesses altogether to accommodate half- and quarter-cow purchases."
