A Little Rant....

So, last night I went to the grocery store, just to pick up a few things for dinners this week.  I had decided that with all this cold wet weather we are having that it was time for some soup!  Potato soup to be exact.  Now, the way we make Potato soup, we add cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon to the top.  It is oh so yummy!  So I meander my way to the bacon section.  Now, I haven't bought bacon in quite a while, and the last time I did it was purchased at WalMart, and they tend to be cheaper.  I got some sticker shock when I went to get the bacon at Food Lion.  On sale, the bacon was $4.99!!  On sale!!  $4.99!!  Seriously?

I mean, earlier this spring I could buy it for less than $2 on sale.  Now they want $5!  So, why is bacon so expensive all the sudden?  Well, according to Google, here is the reason why, well several reasons why.  First, the H1N1 bird/swine flu scare caused people to eat less pork, and therefore the farmers decided to cut production as well.  Next, the warmer than usual weather the last 2 summers, the hogs are not as hungry so it takes longer for them to fatten up.  Third reason, the higher costs of feed for the hogs.  So what does all this mean for consumers?  Bacon prices are up over 200% higher than they were at this time last year.  So, for the foreseeable future, we are going to be paying through the nose for bacon.  That really annoys me.  I don't buy bacon that often, but there are certain favorite recipes that call for it, and they used to be relatively cheap to make, but not anymore!  Ah well, maybe I'll have to switch to turkey bacon.  Yuck.  I tried it once, and it was okay in a salad, but not great.  Anyone know a brand of turkey bacon that is actually good?  I'd love to know.  The crazy thing, turkey bacon used to be a lot more expensive, now it is half the price of regular old pork bacon.
Thanks for listening to my little rant.  I promise this will be it, no more ranting.
Melissa