The Shortage is Coming: Get Rich Farming This In San Angelo.

The last thing I would ever do is give any financial advice. However, I think I may have found a sure fire way to get rich.  Mustard Seed Farming.

Try to follow along.

We all love mustard on hotdogs and hamburgers. Mustard seed is where mustard comes from. The seeds are roasted and ground up and mixed with other flavorings and voila-mustard.

Currently, due to climate change, and prolonged drought in Canada a leading producer, plus the war in another of the  world's leading mustard seed growing locations, The Ukraine, there is a shortage.

The shortage is unprecedented.  Normally, when mustard harvests are bad in Canada or The Ukraine, France can pull the slack.  Not so this time. It is a perfect storm of shortages and it might mean this relatively low cost condiment is going to be increasingly hard to find.  Not that this shortage is as critical as the baby formula or toilet paper shortages before it.  However, if you just HAVE TO HAVE mustard for your grilled burgers or hotdogs, then this could really be difficult.

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It is just a matter of time before some celebrity comes clean with a confession on social media about needing mustard withdrawal therapy and we'll all call the brave for coming forward with this "real" proclamation.  Then, we'll rush out to buy their book, cologne or record, or watch their movie and feel so good about it.

So, how hard is mustard seed cultivation? The USDA website says: "Mustard will grow well in most soils, but will produce the most seed in rich, well-drained, well-prepared soil with a pH of no less than 6.0. It will thrive if given constant moisture. It likes cool weather; a light frost can even improve the flavor.

Uh oh,  I already see some challenges for us here in West Texas. There's nothing "cool" about our weather.

Plus, here is Tom Green County our soil PH is 7.5-8.5 which is alkaline. It doesn't like purely sandy soil, but pests don't bother it, even larger pests. With a little soil prep and fertilization, you might be able to harvest several crops of mustard seed in our growing season, even though it might not be as flavorful as say the mustard grown in Canada, North Dakota or Montana.

I mention all this because desperate people pay desperate prices. If the mustard shortage gets too severe, some people might pay enough to make your mustard garden worth it's weight in gold. In the meantime, grab a good supply while it is still readily available.  I'm not suggesting hoarding, or am I? Later when the price goes through the roof, a nice auction on eBay might help you afford gasoline, which is rapidly heading toward 6 dollars a gallon.

Also, here's something to think about.  if anyone pulls up beside your vehicle and asks if you have any Grey Poupon whatever you do don't say "yes".  It might be a robbery about to happen. Lock that stuff up in a secure location and get ready to be rich. Just remember, always  take anything a DJ tells you with a grain of salt.