Bread Prices

snow hope · Post by **snow hope** » 10 Nov 2006, 12:58

Bread going up in price now.

I think we are in the early stages of starting to see general price increases coming through which will kick off inflation and interest rates big time. I hope I am wrong.

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6135086.stm

"Independent miller ADM Milling said it was "regrettably" having to introduce its second price rise since September, when flour rose by ?28.75 per tonne.

It is "exceptionally unusual" for such rapid price increases, experts said."

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 10 Nov 2006, 14:01

No problem Snow! The government will continue to fudge the inflation figures (or what counts towards the inflation figures) , and therefore the BOE can avoid putting up interest rates !

Post by **mikepepler** » 10 Nov 2006, 15:22

snow hope wrote:Bread going up in price now.

That's OK, we can eat cake!

It's when I read stories like this that I feel like I'm watching a slow-motion film about a disaster unfolding. Trouble is, I'm in the film! Must get on and buy that woodland....

SarahSimcock · Post by **SarahSimcock** » 10 Nov 2006, 16:51

Mike

I may be being a bit slow - but can you explain your thinking behind why buying woodland - as opposed to any other type of investment - is your preferred choice?

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 10 Nov 2006, 17:43

You can burn it to keep warm?

Or sell it to build things with?

And it keeps coming back again?

Billhook · Post by **Billhook** » 10 Nov 2006, 19:10

And you could (with some canny marketing) rent out treehouses for overnight visitors to get a real experience of the dawn chorus in spring -

Then again, some of the birds, and some other occupants, can be very good eating -

And then there's a rising demand for coppice produce, such as hurdles, cleft fence posts etc.

In short, temperate deciduous woodland, and especially Coppice & Standards,
is arguably the most productive of any multi-yield ecosystem, and thus the most desirable,
particularly given that its produce is liable to gain value as the urban economy decays.

However, there are of course further, aesthetic reasons why one might want to acqire woodland,
such as having somewhere special to visit away from the national neuroses , to help restore some peace of mind.

Regards,

Bill

Pete_M · Post by **Pete_M** » 10 Nov 2006, 19:20

Sorry to drift the topic a little from bread; How does one go about buying woodland? Are there agents that specialise in selling it? How much woodland is required; not so much as to be unable to manage it (or protect it) and not so little for it to be ineffective. What sort of area are you going for Mike?

Thanks

Pete M

Post by **mikepepler** » 11 Nov 2006, 09:25

I think Andy Hunt and Billhook have answered for me, with regard to why I'm interested in woodland from a practical point of view. Here's some more thoughts:

- We have a moderate amount of money to invest from an inheritance. We rent a house, and the money we have would only make a 10-20% deposit to buy one (depending where in the country). However, that same amount of money would buy 5-30 acres of woodland (depending on location and condition), and as mentioned by other people, the woodland creates useful stuff and gives you the chance to make a living, while money in a house is locked up.

- We want to move towards a sustainable way of life, and managing a woodland part-time (maybe full-time if it goes well) seems like it would be a good step in that direction.

- We plan to rent a house near the wood that we buy, and put up plenty of "forestry related" buildings in the wood. If at some point in the future we suddenly need to go and live in the wood (I'll leave a reason to your imagination

), we would have some infrastructure there ready to use. What would be really nice would be planning permission to build an "eco-house" there, but we're not counting on that...

- In terms of location, we wanted to move to Cheshire, as that's where we have family, but there is virtually no wood for sale there (I think a duke owns it all...). So, we are looking at Wales, Shropshire and Scotland at the moment. A key point is that it must be in the West of the UK, where there's more rain, and it must be somewhere that it's cheap to rent a house. It'll be a shame if we can't live near family, but that might just be a choice we have to make.

- Finally, we don't know if this plan will come off or not, we're just looking into it at the moment!

Oh, and don't all go out and buy woodland, you'll drive the prices up for us!

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 11 Nov 2006, 11:40

snow hope wrote:Bread going up in price now.

I think this is mainly a climate change rather than a peak oil issue. Wheat prices are on the up and up because of a severe drought in Australia.

http://www.fas.usda.gov/grain/circular/ ... aintoc.htm

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 11 Nov 2006, 11:56

mikepepler wrote: - In terms of location, we wanted to move to Cheshire, as that's where we have family, but there is virtually no wood for sale there (I think a duke owns it all...).

If you do end up in Cheshire, can I have first dibs on an emergency wood fuel supply contract? It's not far down the road from me here in Lancashire . . . !

Mind you, it might be problematic getting it up the M60 if there are fuel supply problems!!

Also, you might find renting a house a bit pricey in Cheshire.

Post by **mikepepler** » 11 Nov 2006, 19:43

Andy Hunt wrote:Also, you might find renting a house a bit pricey in Cheshire.

Yet another reason why it is unlikely to be our final destination... although having said that, many parts of Cheshire are cheaper than Oxford, which is where we are now.

As for wood-fuel supply to friends & family, that would certainly be something we intend to do, but it's probably a bit premature for us to start taking bookings yet!

Pete_M · Post by **Pete_M** » 11 Nov 2006, 20:14

Mike,
Thanks; I didnt mean to pry. I have been raising the "We should move" scenario at home again; trouble is I dont know where to. Its hard to size the land area problem. My worry really is that the decisions we (within our familly) make now will have a big impact on our childrens future. I dont want them to end up farming on the bread line just because I was too stupid to buy a big area of land or some other natural resource. Its a long time span to think about.

Rgds
Pete M

Post by **mikepepler** » 12 Nov 2006, 08:17

Pete_M wrote:Mike,
Thanks; I didnt mean to pry. I have been raising the "We should move" scenario at home again; trouble is I dont know where to. Its hard to size the land area problem. My worry really is that the decisions we (within our familly) make now will have a big impact on our childrens future. I dont want them to end up farming on the bread line just because I was too stupid to buy a big area of land or some other natural resource. Its a long time span to think about.

No worries, you weren't prying.

Where are you, what's wrong with it, and where might you move to? Our initial goal was to live near family, but it looks like we're going to be faced with choosing between that and getting some woodland.

I think even a small bit of woodland, say 1 or 2 acres could be very helpful in terms of supplying firewood and construction timber. If you have enough to share with friends in the community then that might give an element of security, as nobody in the village would want people stealing "their" fuel supply.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 13 Nov 2006, 03:20

I think this is mainly a climate change rather than a peak oil issue. Wheat prices are on the up and up because of a severe drought in Australia.

Demand for grains, rapeseed and sugarbeet for biofuels are also starting to cut in to raise the prices.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 13 Nov 2006, 06:01

Pete_M wrote:How does one go about buying woodland? Are there agents that specialise in selling it?

http://www.woodlands.co.uk/

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