Food Costs are Already High. Bird Flu Could Make Things Worse.

Dec 15, 2021

The news has been filled with stories this year of poultry woes, from the struggles of workers processing our chicken in unsafe conditions to the challenges of restaurants and schools getting the chicken they need. And of course, there’s the rapidly rising cost of food that we’re all dealing with at the grocery store. (Sticker shock has reached new heights in Hawaii, where a friend of mine recently found an organic chicken for an eye-popping $8.99 a pound—$48 for the whole bird.) If things haven’t seemed bad enough, avian influenza is about to make it worse. Bird flu is raging in Asia and Europe, writes Bloomberg, with more than 40 countries experiencing outbreaks since May. The United Kingdom is currently grappling with its biggest-ever outbreak, and more than a million birds have been culled since November in Poland. All these outbreaks are likely to put more pressure on production, affect costs, disrupt U.S. trade, and lessen the availability of free-range eggs in Europe.

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Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.