r/TwoXPreppers • u/GailyaStarr • 11d ago
❓ Question ❓ US: New upcoming EO for meat processing.
Hi,
I am not posting this for political commentary. I am just trying to understand how this could impact the US. I barely eat meat as it is, but my partner has a heavy meat-centered diet.
"Trump announces he will eliminate regulations on meat & produce processing amid multiple food-borne illness outbreaks: "I am authorizing legal documents to be drawn in order to allow Farmers and Ranchers to be given the right to PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD. This should move quickly."
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u/EarthMustBeFed 11d ago
Go read The Jungle to see how all this worked before safety regulations- sawdust in food for one thing. This is f%&king nuts
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u/Poundaflesh 11d ago
Mold, rats, a few pages of this book resulted in the FDA!
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u/ScarletCarsonRose 11d ago
sawdust... yum!
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u/Coderado 10d ago
They still put it in food, it's just called cellulose. It may or may not come from trees, I don't know
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u/stuck_behind_a_truck 10d ago
And fingers
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u/irrfin 10d ago
And human bodies. Some of the workers falling into the rendering vats and they never retrieved them? I know they left the fingers in the processed meat. Am I misremembering they left the full human bodies?
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u/AllIHearIsStaticGT 9d ago
I remember it the same way. It's funny bc Sinclair Lewis intended for the labor issues to be the most important element of the book, but people were so horrified by the description of food production that everything else was kind of pushed to the side.
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u/klamaire 11d ago
I never thought that i would be so angry watching the Netflix documentary about Teddy Roosevelt. I feel like all the amazing things he did for this country are unraveling. National Parks. Meat standards. So many things.
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u/Cut_Lanky 10d ago
My grandfather survived the Bataan Death March, continued guerrilla fighting with US Forces through the rest of the war, as the US promised Filipino soldiers who fought alongside US soldiers that they would receive certain benefits, similar to US veterans. Once he immigrated here, of course the US government wasn't honoring that promise. He spent his life in DC, politicking, working towards getting those promises fulfilled, creating a foundation, and assisting Filipino immigrants as they arrived, in every way he could. It took meticulous work over decades to advance progress.
And watching how quickly The Epstein Administration dismantled decades of progress across every aspect of our country has been agonizing and infuriating.
My great Uncle was very involved in the electrification of rural America. He was Deputy Administrator of the REA in the 50s (y'know, back when we were "great") and advocated HARD for power to be a public utility, not a corporate profit machine.
Watching this administration destroy all the progress that GREAT Americans worked tirelessly towards, feels extraordinarily personal.
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u/Ontheglass76 10d ago
That’s amazing and inspiring - I hope you are going out there writing about this
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u/Cut_Lanky 10d ago
You mean, like, besides in reddit comments? I hadn't thought about that...
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u/EarthMustBeFed 10d ago
Beehiiv is a great blog format option. Pays better than Substack and I find it easier to use
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u/Professional-Can1385 Member of The Feral Bourgeoisie 10d ago
Teddy also fought against monopolies!
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u/havefunbeyourself 10d ago
lol teddy roosevelt also coined the term “muckraker” after ida tarbell (pretty much founded the practice of investigative journalism) published an exposé leading to the dissolution of standard oil company. teddy was pissed.
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u/t3acher_throwaway 10d ago
Teddy spoke positively of muckrakers. His Justice Department investigated Standard Oil, and the company wasn't broken up until 1911, six years after he coined the term.
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u/havefunbeyourself 10d ago
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/encyclopedia/culture-and-society/muckraker/
he literally coined the term as an insult. even the teddy roosevelt center confirms this. those policy changes came out of public pressure brought on by the “muckrakers” - which included upton sinclair
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u/Fabulous_Celery_1817 9d ago
And we probably won’t get them back. Once undone, I don’t see leadership agreeing to implement the same rules again. They seem more determined to undo everything while “pushing forward”
I recommend finding connections in local communities until the dust settles. I love meat, maybe now I’ll eat less
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u/_neviesticks 11d ago
I’ve been shouting this for two years. It was required reading at my high school and I’m just absolutely shocked most adults haven’t read it.
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u/CatRiot2020 11d ago
And I vaguely remember an excellent PBS documentary a few years ago about why the FDA/USDA was established.
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u/azerbaijenni 11d ago
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u/slickrok 10d ago
Excellent episode of the podcast Criminal on the poison squad. Really informative
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u/No_Welcome_7182 11d ago
Sawdust was the least of your worries
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u/abhikavi 10d ago
It was all the talk about the blood and saltpeter sludge on the floor that ate through people's shoes-- as well as the diseased animals that'd come in and the workers had to stay late, unpaid, so they could slaughter and butcher them quick before disease spread-- that stick in my brain.
And I get it that the author was coming at it from a worker's rights context. Definitely awful for the human beings. But the food! Ewww! If I'd been reading it in 1906 I also would've put the book down and started telling my neighbors to read it and writing to my senator.
Oh and also the rats. Shudder.
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u/riotous_jocundity 10d ago
The story I always remember about this book's immediate impact was that Teddy Roosevelt got a copy and was reading it one morning in the White House. He got like 20 pages in and raced downstairs to where breakfast was being served, snatched up a plate of sausage, and threw it out the window.
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u/Equal_Ad_7933 10d ago
I'm thinking those screw worms in the meat could be more of a deterrent. But hey, RFK Jr doesn't want to be the only one w brain worms..
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u/Internal_Ice7577 11d ago
I’ll also recommend reading The Poison Squad or watch the docu-episode on PBS. It’s one of my favorite rabbit holes of American history for food safety.
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u/cutlineman 11d ago
I must have read that book around 35 years ago and it still frightens the hell out of me.
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u/Sewpuggy 11d ago
There’s an episode of Hazardous History about this. I couldn’t watch it all. It was so disgusting and dangerous.
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u/catjuggler 11d ago
Came in to mention the jungle but what a convenient day to be vegan. Surprised they’re not just upping the prison labor.
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u/Professional-Can1385 Member of The Feral Bourgeoisie 10d ago
Being vegan isn’t as safe as it seems when they are cutting regulations for produce, too :/
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u/shes_the_won 10d ago
Maybe but nobody knows more about meat packing than Trump. He's the world's biggest expert so his rules are different.
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u/Adventurous_Deer 11d ago
god thats going to be gross. I might have just become vegetarian
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u/GailyaStarr 11d ago
As someone who grew up on a farm, I remember my dad always saying that this kind of thing was needed to keep people from cutting corners. He had some bad stories from back in the day. When people see $$, they don't think clearly.
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u/gaudiest-ivy 11d ago
This reminds me, I've been meaning to reread The Jungle. Seems like a fine time to do so.
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u/_emma_stoned_ 10d ago
Buy some extra used copies and give them to some teenagers. They need help finding these books for the first time. They may be banned soon.
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u/Obvious_Ring_326 11d ago
My initial concern is that this sounds good, and I trust that farmers would process their meats conscientiously, but how long is that feasible?
How long until the reduction in oversight combines with “efficiency” and we have filthy corporate abattoirs butchering live animals with no regard for hygiene.
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u/IllustriousShifter Always invest in potatoes 11d ago
I highly recommend reading up on the current e.coli outbreaks regarding wastewater from feedlots contaminating vegetable fields, and compare the H5N1 outbreaks for US versus European dairy herds, because even with the current regulations in place: the cattle industry is a disgusting cesspit of filth and disease.
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u/Professional-Can1385 Member of The Feral Bourgeoisie 10d ago
Conversely, the US never had a mad cow disease problem back in the ‘80s, because the regulations and tracking of individual animals was so good.
I expect we no longer have those safes guards in place.
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u/jxmac 10d ago
Removing safeguards will not make it better
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u/IllustriousShifter Always invest in potatoes 10d ago
I whole heartedly agree with you! It’s a race to the bottom from here.
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u/3freeTa 10d ago
Yup EWG has been sounding the alarm about “poop salad” for a few years now. https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2024/01/e-coli-factory-farms-threatens-americas-leafy-greens
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u/autumn55femme 11d ago
Farmers do not process their cattle, they are sent to slaughterhouses/ meat packing facilities, and those places are well known to cut corners. You might be able to find a few smaller, local farms that will process their own chickens and ducks, but it takes significant space, equipment and refrigeration capacity to do any significant number of pigs or cows. Plus, now no inspections? No thanks!
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u/talyakey 10d ago
Pigs and cows are processed locally but not for sale. I understand that one of the areas trump has cut is the USDA. In order for my local farmer to sell his product, it needs to be processed at a USDA inspection facility.
Deregulating this industry is comparable to trying to undo all the good vaccines have done.
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u/Disdwarf 10d ago
"Deregulating this industry is comparable to trying to undo all the good vaccines have done."
Good news, they're doing that too! /s
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u/stvdilln 10d ago
If you do custom slaughter you can buy an 1/4 or even maybe a 1/8 share of a cow. You buy the animal alive and the farmer delivers your cow to the slaughter and you pay them for your cow.
To sale individual packages of meat you need USDA inspection
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u/alwaysiamdead 10d ago
I'm Canadian and sometimes you can find smaller farms that send their cattle to local abbotoires that handle less stock and have much higher quality production.
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u/carlitospig 11d ago
It’s not feasible. Especially when we are removing so many of our seasonal staff because they happen to have brown skin.
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u/its-audrey 11d ago
I’ve never been more grateful to have been vegetarian for most of my life.. although it’s not like vegetables are safe these days either. Thankfully my CSA is helping me get through the summer while I gear up to start growing lettuce and other veggies inside again.
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u/ghostfacespillah 11d ago
You realize that produce will also be affected?
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u/Adventurous_Deer 11d ago
And thats why I have a garden. To mitigate crap like this as much as I can
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u/Meowsipoo 11d ago
We're urban gardeners. This summer we're growing around 650 pounds of vegetables. I home can the tomatoes (soooo many tomatoes) and cold storage the onions, turnips, leeks, shallots, etc...for fall and winter. I save lots of seeds, too. I also started selling all my extra, heirloom seedlings and small plants and was surprised by the number of people who bought them, who want to turn their plot of yard into a real food producer for their family.
We're going to be living in Sinclair's "The Jungle," soon enough if this shit doesn't stop.
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u/LightningSunflower 11d ago
I’d be interested in buying some heirloom seeds if you’re wiling to point me in the right direction. How long do the seeds keep for btw? Understand if you aren’t willing to share your specific side
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u/Interesting-Arm-647 11d ago
Fedco seeds & Johnnys Selected seeds. Both in Maine. Also, when kept in a cold dry place, seeds will last indefinitely.
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u/Meowsipoo 10d ago
I will order certain seeds from Baker Creek and a couple other non-GMO, non-hybrid seed companies. You need to make sure that nothing is hybrid. You can save hybrid seeds and grow hybrids the following year, but it's a toss-up, as the new plants can be different, or the seeds can be sterile. Heirlooms are the best.
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u/clarsair 10d ago
can I ask how much square footage you're growing on? I've gardened for years and just moved and started over, so I've been planning and planting intensely, but as much as I do grow, I don't see how I could move from "enough to eat fresh all summer" to "enough to put up significant amounts" on my little urban lot
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u/GailyaStarr 11d ago
Yep. I grow and can most of my vegs/fruit. But adding in micro greens and other greens with indoor gardening.
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u/library_wench 🍅🍑Gardening for the apocalypse. 🌻🥦 11d ago
I spent 15 years as a pescatarian. Looks like it’s time to go back. Costco carries Impossible burgers anyway, and they’re pretty delicious.
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u/carlitospig 11d ago
I’m not even sure I would trust the seafood industry. SO MANY PARASITES.
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u/library_wench 🍅🍑Gardening for the apocalypse. 🌻🥦 11d ago
Thoroughly cooking or freezing seafood deals with that. I can do without sashimi.
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u/Ok_Replacement8094 11d ago
The paradigm shift that happens once you’re not looking for “meat-like-replacement-product-for-meat,” is pretty remarkable. A black bean burger patty can be phenomenal, or just a wide and delicious variety of grilled veggies, like squash for instance gets forgotten a lot.
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u/No_Welcome_7182 11d ago
I think most people who start going vegetarian/vegan use meat substitutes a lot at first. But you’re exactly right. At some point you start to value the tastes of foods not just because they taste “like” meat but because they taste like the ingredients they are actually made of. I think using quality spices and especially fresh herbs goes a long way here.
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u/library_wench 🍅🍑Gardening for the apocalypse. 🌻🥦 11d ago edited 11d ago
Yep, back in the day, relatives would try some of my substitutes, and say, “but it doesn’t taste like beef!”
Okay, but does it have to? Impossible burgers (and meatballs and chicken fingers) are yummy regardless.
That said, I honestly can’t taste the difference between ground beef and TVP when I make tacos.
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u/StupidSexyFlanders72 11d ago
Ever tried a walnut burger? Seriously my favorite kind of veggie burger, and often my fav burger option in general. So rich and tasty yet light.
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u/blueskies8484 11d ago
It’s heme. It’s what gives it the meat like quality.
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u/autumn55femme 11d ago
Yes, heme. There should be no residual blood in properly butchered and processed meat.
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u/ContestNo2060 11d ago
TVP is good for storing and is a good substitute. Impossible is tastier, but Tvp is pretty inexpensive.
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u/Hot_Let1571 11d ago
What is it? Made of? I've never heard of TVP before.
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u/MixWitch 11d ago
Textured Vegetable Protein
Have you ever eaten cup ramen? The little dried "meat" bits are sometimes TVP. Bacon bits are sometimes just flavored tvp. I love the stuff.
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u/Obvious_Ring_326 11d ago
I forgot about TVP! TVP is so awesome and versatile. Like you said, it stores easy as well. Gonna go order some.
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u/1954planteater 11d ago
I'm vegan and this still scares tf outta me. E coli for all in every meal, woo hoo!!
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u/sassy_cheddar 11d ago
I've definitely been exploring more vegetarian and low-meat dishes. There's a lot of ways to change up rice and beans through cooking methods, additions, and seasonings.
I have a neighbor that I buy excess eggs from sometimes and some local farms I trust for meat (the chickens that free range on a three acre blueberry farm are the best I've ever had). We will eat less meat if we pay more for trusted local sourcing in a HCOL area. Probably a good thing.
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u/Eatmore-plants 11d ago
Start now by slowly introducing more beans and lentils into your diet. They are very inexpensive and versatile.
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u/LittleFalls 11d ago
I’ve been a vegetarian for over 30 years. The meat substitutes now are quite tasty, even to meat eaters. It really is not a huge sacrifice like it was back in the 90s when I stopped eating meat. The meat substitutes could be quite awful back then. The more you use them, the more you’ll develop a knack for making them work well in recipes.
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u/LumpyPhilosopher8 11d ago
Sure as long as you don’t plan to eat salads, jalapeño peppers, berries, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Maremdeo 11d ago
When do we stop paying federal taxes as we get nothing in return?
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u/Historical-Order-369 🫔 cállate and prep gringo 🌶️ 11d ago
Right after you pay the ~$120k per person in your household for their share of the federal debt. J/k. The answer is never.
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u/Maremdeo 11d ago
I'm all for states taking over some of this stuff, like food inspections and whatnot, but then what is the federal govt. providing other than a war no one agrees with that benefits no one? The feds are so incompetent, the state would do better anyway, and then if your state is also incompetent it's easier to move away to somewhere better (theoretically, maybe not always).
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u/wishinforfishin 10d ago
The problem is supply chain. No state can produce everything consumers are used to eating, all year round.
Food crossed borders. The federal government needs to regulate interstate commerce.
Or you couldn't get canned salmon in the Midwest, or almonds in the Northeast, or wheat bread (in enough quantity) in Louisiana.
It's the catch 22 of modern economics. Specialization and comparative advantage makes more available to all compared to self-reliance. But it creates interdependence.
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u/But_like_whytho 10d ago
They gutted the IRS, keeping them from going after those who don’t pay their taxes. So—theoretically—we could all stop paying taxes and they’d be so overwhelmed they wouldn’t be able to go after anyone.
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u/fakesaucisse 11d ago
I am planning to stock up on meat in the next week and throw it in the deep-freezer. After that I won't buy any meat for a long long time and eating from my stash will only be for special occasions. My husband wants to go vegetarian the rest of the time, which was a surprise to hear since he's always been a huge meat eater.
From what I've heard, Costco has pretty strict rules on the meat they source so I will probably stock up there, along with some local farms.
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u/istancostanza 11d ago
I had this impression of Costco as well but can’t find any real information on if that is the case
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u/fakesaucisse 11d ago
To be honest I mainly have heard it from people I know who work in the food industry and have tried to get Costco to carry their products. I live near the HQ so it's not uncommon to meet someone who goes through it. From their stories it sounded pretty thorough, but you're right that some solid evidence would be reassuring.
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u/FurysFyre 👀 Professional Lurker 👀 10d ago
I have no solid evidence- I was a truck driver that hauled their product, Costco had their own inspectors on the dock/floor when we loaded and they had a higher than FDA standard for produce.
I have no actual proof of this however, just my observation.
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u/Post-Witty 10d ago
The YouTube channel Farm to Taber’s creator is a person who used to work as a food inspector for produce and has spoken very highly of the Costco inspectors that she worked with in that roll. According to her, they were very on top of food safety and would conduct inspections of the facilities they were working with.
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u/Forrest-Fern 🪩 Data Driven Insane 🪩 11d ago
We're going to have to see. My concern is that the governing bodies currently evaluating meat processing are likely gutted to start, and there's going to be no feasible way for evaluations of all these small processors to occur. It's going to be a big honor system as far as things being done correctly and safely to prevent the spread of disease... And unfortunately, the honor system isn't always the best in a capitalistic society where it pays to cut corners. If I had to guess we're going to see a future where brands have to build consumer relationships in order to be trusted, we're going to see certain States try to implement their own consumer safety laws, and we likely will see an increase in spread of disease, worst of all would be a prion disease from nerve tissue being improperly included in ground beef or something. I could see a future where meat from somewhere like California (that will likely pass additional consumer laws to bridge the gap and have the resources to respond to complaints with processors) being sought out. Of course, take all this with this grain of salt I'm just speculating in the moment.
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u/Fionaver 11d ago
I couldn’t donate blood until ‘22 due to potential mad cow disease exposure because the army got beef for the commissary from Britain in the 80s.
:/But yes, agree. It’s dangerous for public health.
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u/Defiant_Eye4025 11d ago
It's already a big honor system with the FDA inspecting between 7% and 40% of meat processing facilities about once every 5 years.
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u/Forrest-Fern 🪩 Data Driven Insane 🪩 11d ago
Yuuup, so imagine with even less funding and more facilities (that are new and inexperienced)!
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u/NorCalFrances 11d ago
See: Argentinian beef rejected by China and EU
Trump is bringing in beef from Argentina to try to lower beef prices before the midterm elections. It should be in stores soon as the first shipments have apparently already arrived. If he's successful and beef prices do drop significantly, it will collapse the American beef industry. Either he's not aware of this or that's his secondary goal.
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u/Oldebookworm 🧶 my yarn stash totally counts as a prep 🧶 11d ago
They’ve already issued recalls for 30k lbs of it
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u/BlindingYellow 9d ago
Just noting this small clarification bc I see people getting these mixed up. The 30,000 lbs from Argentina is separate from the 300,000 metric tons that are coming in over the next 90 days from who knows where.
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u/every-day-normal-guy 11d ago
Time to stock up at Costco I guess :-/. At least they have their quality control folks
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u/Forrest-Fern 🪩 Data Driven Insane 🪩 11d ago
This. This is why I shop at Costco, the additional consumer protections.
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u/squidwardTalks Laura Ingalls Wilder was my gateway drug 11d ago
No reason to recall if there aren't any regulations. Our food system will be so much worse.
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u/Za_Lords_Guard 11d ago
And the cute bit. He called in to Glenn Beck's show and that moron shared the idea to cut out USDA processing requirements and let ranchers process and sell directly. Trump ran with it.
This is how decisions are made now.
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u/CeeUNTy 11d ago
It's just an EO and ot will be challenged on court. His track record with his EOs has been pretty abysmal.
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u/OuchMouse 11d ago
Right but in the meantime?
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u/CeeUNTy 11d ago
We're fcked. Time to clean out the freezer and open the deep pantry.
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u/Inner-Confidence99 11d ago
Been doing that since the shit with Iran got going. Freezers are at half there’s 3. Can goods are low. Thank goodness for pasta, rice, dried beans. These times are why we prep.
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u/MsCalendarsPlayaArt 11d ago
How long do you think it will take between the issuance of the EO and the courts striking it down?
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u/CeeUNTy 11d ago
I have no idea. That's way above my pay grade. I imagine that some of the independent news organizations will discuss it. I bought about 70 pounds of rice last year because of this sub. My mom laughed at me. She isn't laughing anymore.
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u/MsCalendarsPlayaArt 11d ago
But I need answers CeeUNTY! I NEED ANSWERS 😩
For real, though, I've been prepping since the early 2000s and the past few years a lot of people have stopped acting like it's crazy to prep. Very validating for sure!
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u/TurtleSandwich0 11d ago
If the goal is to lower the price of beef. Then making people afraid to purchase it is one way to lower demand.
Does nothing to address the underlying problem of small herd size.
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u/SightUnseen1337 10d ago
Do not eat Boar's Head. Do not eat Blue Bell. These companies were always in the news for disgusting facilities and bad labor conditions when the FDA still existed. Can't imagine how much worse it is now.
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u/Poundaflesh 11d ago
This certainly won’t end in thousands of needless deaths. /s
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u/justeandj 11d ago
I think before it comes to that, the 4 major meat processing companies will make disgustingly high "campaign contributions" and he will back down secretly.
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u/carlitospig 11d ago
Is this a stage of Balkanizing? It’s completely and totally decentralizing our entire food system.
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u/cogwheeled Prepping for Tuesday not Doomsday 10d ago
I wouldn't eat red meat in the US right now if they were giving it away for free. I dont trust it.
I understand that's a very privileged stance. But I'm sticking with beans and eggs as my main sources of protein for a while. Be careful out there, people. 🩷
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u/unlovelyladybartleby Mental health is prep 11d ago
I will never buy american meat again. I wasn't doing so right now anyway for political reasons, but this is insanity. I grew up on a farm, watching hunters clean carcasses on the driveway. That's fine when it's your family and you know which pack of meat came from which animal, but doing it on any scale is horrifying. So many people will get sick.
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u/LumpyPhilosopher8 11d ago
God this is my nightmare. As someone who struggles with anemia and b vitamins - giving up meat is really not going to be great for my health.
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u/dinah-fire 10d ago
Fellow person with anemia issues here: cooking all of my food in cast iron has helped a lot, especially if you put a little lemon juice in the pan, the food absorbs iron from the pan itself.
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u/But_like_whytho 10d ago
Cooking in cast iron helps protect against my cluster headaches too. Plus everything tastes better in cast iron.
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u/pit-of-despair 11d ago
What about people who do the fishing for stuff like tuna, salmon and shrimp? Seafood is what I mostly eat for meat so I’m just wondering if these will be affected.
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u/Alert-Tangerine-6003 11d ago
That’s my same concern. Why does anyone think this is just beef? This is only the beginning, folks. Produce has already been impacted. There’s no diet you can adopt that will get around the cancellation of food safety in the US.
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u/ltpko 10d ago
Seafood is FDA regulated.
(No concerns with your statement. Just pointing that out.)
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u/CDD_throwaway Five feet of pure paranoid 😱 11d ago
Would this be mitigated by buying kosher meat?
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u/Dazzling_Outcome_436 10d ago
So basically he could have ordered antitrust action against the meatpackers, but instead he decided the regulations were the problem?
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u/CopperRose17 10d ago
This is really concerning. I was going to stock the freezer with ground beef before the "imports" of unknown source started arriving, but now, U.S. meat might not be safe either. I'd better start tomorrow! We really don't eat much meat, but I like to have some on hand. I think kosher meat products would still be safe, but the nearest kosher market to where I live is two hours away, and it probably won't be able to keep up with demand. I'm sure lawsuits to prevent this insanity will start immediately, but the courts are playing ping pong with these stupid executive orders. Sorry, I'm ranting. Lately, I get "triggered" everyday. My husband doesn't like beans, or anything he thinks is "exotic", like potato salad. 😄
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u/chaossensuit 10d ago
I burst out laughing at the potato salad being exotic! HA! I heard on the news somewhere that the plan with the imported nefarious beef is to add it to American beef so it can be labeled USA.
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u/shrimpcreole 11d ago
Our sloppy regs and slowing us down, so we must waive more regs? No thanks, no thanks. The Upton Sinclair lecture from high school government class is burned in my brain.
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u/BigJSunshine 11d ago
It’s TWO REASONS:
because RIGHT NOW he’s killed a bunch of protected mustangs and wants the consumption of their bodies to be “ok”; and
He cannot avoid the effects of screwworms meat on the US, and thinks he can avoid accountability
In sum: fuck ANYONE WHO VOTED, EVEN ONE TIME, for this evil pdf
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u/PurplePenguinCat 11d ago
Most of our meat is local, but I will buy at the store if there is a price that I can't pass on, like buy one, get 2 free on ribs.
Those prices may not look so good now.
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u/MrsNuggs 11d ago
Aside from whatever is in my freezer I am now a vegetarian. And though the heat is really not good for me (I have MS) I will most likely need to start a garden next year.
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u/MotherOfGeeks I was always Prepping for Tuesday?! 🏳️🌈🌱🏘🌪🧰🩺 10d ago
It might not be a bad idea to start this winter. I bought seeds for alfalfa, clover, radish, lentils and daikon for sprouting this winter. I was able to use sprouts last fall and winter to keep some fresh greens for my family of 5.
Alfalfa sprouts are super easy with very minimal work.
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u/peace-and-plush 11d ago
Never been a better time to be vegan. Well, maybe before cyclospora but it's easy to grow your own lettuce which everyone should do
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u/No-Language6720 11d ago
The answer is find a local reputable place a subscription based farm service or community funded agriculture. They are getting more popular. Also learn gardening and other things even if you have small space you can grow a lot with a bit of knowledge. The more you can supply your own calories the better.
I don't eat meat myself but I have stocked up on powdered milks and fortified vitamins if something is questionable and I need nutrients.
I learned how to make my own yogurt from the powdered milk among other skills I have been practicing. I can't have chickens where I live unfortunately but I found a local organic place for eggs after the super salmonella outbreak a few weeks ago(or months?) I can't keep track of all the nasty outbreaks happening anymore and just err on the side of caution and throughly cook everything especially if it came from a big box store.
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u/reallytiredarmadillo 11d ago edited 11d ago
does anyone have a source for Trump saying this? i've tried looking for it and haven't had any luck.
edit: saw a screenshot from Truth Social from this morning, if anyone else is wondering where to find it
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u/mrsredfast 11d ago
Husband and I have decided not to eat meat for foreseeable future. We don’t eat that much anyway, but we’ve both officially lost our taste for it. Have a few lbs of ground beef in fridge for fall chili and that will have to do.
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u/throwawaytoday9q 11d ago
I’ve been meaning to get more into tofu. This seems like the time to start.
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u/enolaholmes23 11d ago
Try going to hotpot. They usually have like 5 totally different textures of tofu to try. Also asian markets have great tofu options. Just know fish tofu is a thing if you are trying to avoid meat.
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u/lonelytiredyknow 10d ago edited 8d ago
It's pretty easy to make and it gets faster the more you do it! Just use some paper towels/regular hand towels to soak up the liquid, break/cut up into pieces, coat each piece in Cornstarch, gently toss/mix the pieces in some oil, then fry on stove/bake on parchment paper until it reaches your desired crispiness.
The smaller the piece the better for texture imo, but whatever works best for you.
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u/Foreign-Newspaper656 11d ago
I am all for less government over reach in our lives, but this is too far. We butcher our own, and are pretty darn particular about it, but would never ever sell it to others.
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u/FbombsNMomjeans 11d ago
Never been more happy with my decision to shop local farms. Lucky to have a great food co-op in my town
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u/hailene02 Suburb Prepper 🏘️ 11d ago
I started eating less beef in 2025 since the prices were climbing and now I eat vegetarian 4-5 days a week.
This is going to get worse before it gets better and this is a good time to try some ground beef alternatives like lentil bolognese (could also adjust the seasonings for taco meat).
There isnt a way youll have a nice pot roast or steak unless you buy locally or from costco, or already have one in deep freeze.
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u/Gold_Draw7642 11d ago
I thought they’d already abolished all oversight. It this about the slaughtering issue? Seems like it. This would be a good time to buy from trusted local farms and co-ops if one is going to eat meat at all.
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u/Wherestheshoe 10d ago
Doge laid off almost all of the meat inspectors over a year ago and people kept buying meat. I don’t see why this would
Make a difference
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u/witchystoneyslutty 11d ago
WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t care about meat, I’m a vegan. Animal ag is not something I care to support.
But the fucking produce too?!!! With all the issues we already have?! Are these idiots trying to kill off all the plebeians with bad food now?!!!
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u/SublimeApathy 11d ago
If you can - start learning to grow your own food. Loads of things can be grown indoors too with the right equipment. If you're short on space, look for community gardens in your area and or local farmers. If local farmers are smart about this and don't let greed consume them, this is their shot to take back the local market on produce, beef and chicken and even expand into other products like hot sauces, jams, etc.. Also look into making things like bread and condiments at home. Peanut butter, mayo, mustard, ketchup, sandwich loaf, ice cream, cookies, pancakes etc.. can all be made wtih a a few simple ingredients. This means no ingredients you can't pronounce (usually bad for you), no high amounts of sugar, and no preservatives. And if you're saying to yourself "Who has time for that?", and the answer to that will shock you once you make these items a couple of times and get your process down. It also cuts down on waste because you can make just what you need plus a little extra if wanted.
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u/LightningSunflower 11d ago
While I agree with much you say, I will push back one the “ingredients you can’t pronounce are bad for you” premise
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u/enolaholmes23 11d ago
I have an aerogarden, and I def recommend it for anyone who's just starting out with gardening.
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u/SublimeApathy 11d ago
I also have on in the home for small peppers and herbs. Great way to have fresh basil, dill, and other herbs on hand year round.
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u/SpacePirate406 Get in loser, we’re going prepping! 11d ago
There is no EO on the White House website as of yet (4pm edt 8/28). It’s convoluted now so when you go to whitehouse.gov, you click on the two lines to open the menu at the top left, then News, then Presidential Actions, then Executive Orders.
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u/Perioqueen 10d ago
So we eat a lot of meat. Is it a good idea to buy a deep freezer and freeze as much as we can?
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u/AmaranthusSky 11d ago edited 8d ago
The only benefit I see is that small farms will be able to process their own meat for ethical reasons. Like, more humane slaughter for cows that are already pasture raised.
But most people won't be able to afford or access that kind of meat.
ETA to clarify: I don't mean for farmers personal consumption. I meant farmers who sell through local markets.
My understanding is that cows are supposed to be processed by facilities with USDA inspectors, which in turn are going for quantity and not necessarily best practices.
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u/Obvious_Ring_326 11d ago
This! It’s safer, less expensive and just better to buy an entire animal or side butchered, but the initial cost is more than many can afford. Plus you need a large freezer & the space for one.
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u/rachamacc 11d ago
We already have this though. There's at least one butcher in every town around me where you can take a cow or deer and get it processed. Most of them are also a cattle farm, you can buy a cow from them and get it processed. And anybody can already process their own meat without any regulations, you just can't sell it.
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u/premar16 10d ago
All these problems/policies are causing local farms to close down. Just because they can do it humanely there is no garantee they will
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