09/07/2026
Here’s a great page to follow for a look behind the scenes of food production.
THE ONLY UPSIDE OF HIGHER GROCERY PRICES — IS IF THE MONEY MAKES IT BACK TO THE FARM
We’re all feeling the crunch lately.
Higher fuel prices. Vacations and extracurricular activities cost more. Vehicles cost more. Rent and housing cost more. Groceries cost more.
The list is long. It almost feels like everything is on the rise, and most of us are watching our dollars a little more carefully.
Working in the feed industry gives us a bit of a different perspective on where food prices may be headed.
Part of our job at Top Shelf Feeds is trying to anticipate where feed costs are going. As I mentioned in a previous post, we purchase grain at different times throughout the year and try to buy commodities when the market gives us an opportunity.
Sounds simple. It isn’t.
Lower grain prices can happen for all kinds of reasons. Farmers may need to empty their bins before the new crop comes in. A bumper crop with great growing conditions can increase supply and push prices down. Export demand can change. Tariffs and trade disputes can affect markets halfway around the world.
And sometimes world events can change everything very quickly.
Lately, there hasn’t been much of a predictable pattern telling us when the “right” time is to buy. You’re hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.
For a feed manufacturer, rising commodity prices eventually mean higher feed prices.
And that’s where it gets difficult for the farmer.
Many commercial producers operate within regulated or quota-based systems. If their feed bill suddenly jumps, they can’t simply produce another truckload of milk, eggs or chicken next week to make up the difference.
Their costs can rise immediately while the price they receive for what they produce can take time to catch up.
That lag can hurt.
Being in the feed business, we’re often one of the first parts of the food chain to see those pressures developing. Looking at grain contracts, freight, fuel and other production costs can sometimes give us a pretty good indication of what the next few months could look like for our growers.
And it’s important to remember that it isn’t simply the grain farmer setting the price.
There is transportation. Fuel. Fertilizer. Labour. Equipment. Storage. Processing. Manufacturing. Freight. And for those of us living and farming on Vancouver Island, getting commodities here adds another layer of cost.
So when I see grocery prices climbing, there’s one thing I always hope:
I hope some of those extra dollars are actually making their way back to the farmers and producers who are paying more to grow and raise our food.
That’s the only “upside” I can see in higher grocery prices.
My bigger concern is what happens when consumers see the higher price of locally produced food and start moving away from it.
Growing food on Vancouver Island isn’t cheap. Raising livestock here isn’t cheap. Farming here isn’t cheap.
Our local producers sometimes have no choice but to pass along some of those increases if they want to survive.
I always hope price increases are temporary. And when increases do have to happen, I hope they’re gradual enough to give producers time to catch up rather than hitting them all at once.
Because losing another local farm isn’t going to make food cheaper in the long run.
It makes us more dependent on food coming from somewhere else.
So my best advice is pretty simple:
Shop local whenever you can.
We’re fortunate to still have these farms on Vancouver Island — from our larger commercial producers feeding thousands of Island families to the small backyard farmer selling eggs, vegetables, meat or produce at the farm gate.
Every one of them plays a role in B.C.’s food security.
When you stop at a farm gate, visit a farmers’ market, choose an Island-grown product at the grocery store or buy directly from a local producer, you’re doing more than buying food.
You’re helping keep agriculture alive in our own backyard.
Support our farmers like they support all of us.
Top Shelf Feeds — Proudly supporting Vancouver Island agriculture for over 50 years.
