Grocery Bills, Broken Trust and a Bestseller Are Fueling a Homesteading Revival

Americans may be spending more at the grocery store than ever, but more are deciding the cheapest, most trustworthy food is the one they grew themselves. Food prices rose 3% in the last year, though the sting is sharper than a single figure suggests, as grocery prices have climbed almost a third since 2020, outpacing overall inflation.

Staples like fresh tomatoes are up 13% year over year, and beef sits at record highs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Shoppers are feeling it; consumer sentiment sank to the lowest reading ever this spring, according to the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers, which has tracked how Americans feel about their finances and the economy since 1952. The latest May reading of 44.8 fell below the previous record set in June 2022, a mood grimmer than during the pandemic or the 2008 crash. The reason was prices: 57% of consumers said that high costs were eroding their personal finances.