My son in law & daughter are wheat farmers on a very large scale. The wheat they planted won't be producing. In fact, they've already filed insurance claims. It's devastating.

I don't eat that much wheat, and so even if the price doubles, I will still be able to afford it. I store whole wheat flour in the freezer for making bread, but I have very limited freezer space.

I do think bread is already expensive, but I can get bread for free whenever I want at a bakery for which I made tablecloths for their farmer's market tables - seven of them. Here are a couple of them in Santa Monica:

Two weeks ago I paid $2.99 for jumbo eggs that are cage-free.

Right now my local Walmart has boxes of 60 large eggs for $6.02.

I purchased 3 dozen eggs last week, $2 a dozen! Yesterday I purchased imported from Italy, dry penne, 16 bags for $1 ea. Store was having a big sale and I have braces on my teeth. A limited amount of things I can eat. Thanks chisue for letting me know....a wheat shortage....hhhmmmm.....

I did read an article about which grocery items are expected to be in short supply this summer - besides wheat, strawberries and rice were also on the list

How terrible, pudgeter. I am so sorry that happened to your family. There is so much suffering in the world already from the knock on effects from the Ukraine situation. Adding crop trouble here, I can't imagine.

How terrible, pudgeter. I am so sorry that happened to your family. There is so much suffering in the world already from the knock on effects from the belligerent situation in Europe. Adding crop trouble here, I can't imagine.

PS Not trying to be coy or cute. Just not allowed to post the name of the conflict causing a shortage of wheat.

Farm prices up and down the food chain (how's that for a clever use of the cliche) are always subject to weather, market forces, geopolitics, and the like. Farmers may be at the end of the whip when it cracks but they all know that, it's part of their world. Especially those in places where harvests are heavily dependent on rainfall and so are variable and crop failures are normal from time to time.

Major dislocations can cause more dramatic consequences but given that wheat is a dietary staple in the developed world and elsewhere, prices will rise but I think it's unlikely any of us will unwillingly be forced to eat keto diets because of the unavailability of bread and other wheat products.

At a local grocery store, they are selling extra-large eggs at $1 a dozen.

I saw eggs at Dollar General this morning for $1.25/dozen.

pudgeder -- How does this drought figure in all the years wheat has been a crop in their area? Also, when I read a report about farming, it makes it sound as though there are a lot of individual *farmers* -- AKA 'family farms' -- and I wonder how many of these are left? Are there mostly big conglomerates in farming, and do they decide what gets planted and where?

Very sorry for your family's loss of crop. Will they plant other crops this year, or is the whole season shot?

I bought rice the other day. There was less variety on the shelves than usual. I had to buy a different brand. I won't miss the wheat. We've been cutting it out of the diet. I should probably freeze some of this so it doesn't go bad on me.

Thank you Zalco.

chisue, NW Oklahoma has been in drought for about 2.5 years. The panhandle is starting to resemble the Dust bowl days. Huge cracks in the ground, dust piling up against fence rows and roads. It's frightening! Kansas is experiencing the same.

My SIL is the 4th generation of family farmers. They decide what they plant. I haven't clue how they come to this decision. He & DD recently bought out his Dad on the family farm. Now it's all on his shoulders.

What is disturbing is that anytime land goes up for sale in that area -- usually by auction, the amount it sells for is unrealistically high and not purchased by locals. My kids have been able to purchase more land, but it's through private sales, the owners sell out because their kids don't want to farm. and because the owners don't want the conglomerates buying it. Farming ain't for the faint of heart, nor for sissies.

Harvest is next month. The state has gotten a lot of rain the last 2 weeks. Their area hasn't gotten quite as much. Any wheat that survives will be stunted and not the best grade.

While many of the fields are a total loss, there are a couple that may have some yield. SIL purchases crop insurance. It'll pay out -- at least enough to where they break even. There are some farmers that don't buy insurance, and they'll loose out completely.

Probably more info than you wanted... LOL

My kids live in the red area at the top of the state.

I would love for eggs to cost less. A dozen eggs in this area is $3.49

Eggs are a low-cost and affordable source of high quality nutrition when compared to alternatives. This was true even when shortages some time back led to higher prices.

Later edit to respond to comment below (can't seem to post a new one)

One dozen eggs provides more individual serving portions than a pound of chicken breasts, the prices aren't directly comparable.

Eggs are cheaper per meal serving than chicken breasts, no?

pedgeder -- Not at all TMI. I'm happy to know some family farms continue to exist. Drives me wild to think of the enormous subsidy checks going to conglomerates NOT to plant crops. A once-necessary idea (price supports) -- needs to END.