Funviralpark Breanna Dietrich of West Virginia spent weeks looking for baby formula for her little daughter when shelves were empty nationwide.
“It still breaks my heart every day knowing where we were,” she said.
Dietrich launched a social media group earlier this year. This allowed people to post pictures of where they found formula.
The formula shortage has improved since mid-year, but it’s not over.
It is estimated that approximately 87% of the formula is currently in stock.
But nearly one-third of adults with newborns at home said in the recent U.S. Census that they still struggle to find what they need. Formula makers expect some shortages to continue into spring.
High food prices aren’t a problem that will end in 2023, just like finding the right formula is difficult.
Caterer Jessica Walkes First said the ingredients she uses for her business have doubled this year.
“They’re better in some ways and still the same in some ways,” she said.
Walks First’s catering business specializes in Native American cuisine. Her menu calls for certain ingredients to be authentic. Wild Her Rice, for example, is often purchased from local producers at the time of booking.
In the fall, food and transportation costs became so high that she made the 500-mile round trip several times a month to collect her own supplies. Now that 2022 is drawing to a close, she says she’s in a better place.
“I don’t drive much. I found a good source of wild rice and now it’s shipped to my home in 50-pound bags, and it’s been going well, so I’m driving three to four times a month.” It saves us two rides,” Walks First said.
The USDA expects food prices to continue rising in 2023, but not as fast as in 2022.
Walks First and Dietrich are hopeful as the new year approaches.
“It’s a little better than what was normal,” Dietrich said.
“I don’t do this as a job,” said Walk First. This is my passion, my life dream, and I will give it my all. ”
