Supermarkets are beginning to compete with farm stands and farmers’ markets for a wider variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Showing posts with label Inefficient Food System. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inefficient Food System. Show all posts
August 6, 2008
July 29, 2008
eating 'local'
I had to be on the east coast last week and made sure to take advantage of the local specialties. There is a great farm stand in Old Bridge, NJ that sells Jersey corn, tomatoes, greens, etc. If you are not from NJ...maybe you have no idea what kind of glorious produce New Jersey can produce? The state is most famous for it's corn, tomatoes and blueberries.
I got some corn. WHOA. The kernels were seriously jumping off the cob with freshness and they were so incredibly sweet. Not organic, though! Hmph. They were so good, I packed a half dozen into my luggage and we ate them tonight. So, I flew them back myself, that must count for something as we try to eat locally.
[The Jersey tomatoes were 2.99/lb and the 'other' tomatoes were 1.99/lb. Uh huh. I know. What gives, food system?!?]
March 5, 2008
Breaks My Heart
If you want a simple, front line explanation of what is wrong with our food system, read this short article by farmer Jack Hedin of Minnesota:
My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables)
My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables)
September 20, 2007
I Don't Get It
Anyone know the answer to the following quiz?
Apples (organic. .69/ea) bought at an 'alternative grocery store' (for lack of a better term) in mid-September, in Northern California originated from:
a/ Washington State
b/ California
c/ the Southern freakin' Hemisphere
d/ New York
If you guessed C - you're a winner! And I'm the loser for having bought them and not realizing it until we were home and eating them.
This really, really irked me. Is there anyone out there that can explain the economics of this? How is shipping apples from New Zealand, in September (where apples are not even in season there!!!!!!) to California economically viable?! HOW? There are so many things that defy logic, here. How is it less expensive to ship and store them vs. sourcing them locally? They are in season here for goodness sake - apples are falling off all the trees in my urban neighborhood.
How do they justify the environmental cost?
How do they justify the loss in flavor during that long voyage across the whole Atlantic Ocean?
I feel compelled to write to aforementioned store, but they are notoriously secretive and private and sneaky? so I doubt I would get a response. Maybe if Michael Pollan or Alice Waters wrote to them, then they'd listen. Hmph.
Apples (organic. .69/ea) bought at an 'alternative grocery store' (for lack of a better term) in mid-September, in Northern California originated from:
a/ Washington State
b/ California
c/ the Southern freakin' Hemisphere
d/ New York
If you guessed C - you're a winner! And I'm the loser for having bought them and not realizing it until we were home and eating them.
This really, really irked me. Is there anyone out there that can explain the economics of this? How is shipping apples from New Zealand, in September (where apples are not even in season there!!!!!!) to California economically viable?! HOW? There are so many things that defy logic, here. How is it less expensive to ship and store them vs. sourcing them locally? They are in season here for goodness sake - apples are falling off all the trees in my urban neighborhood.
How do they justify the environmental cost?
How do they justify the loss in flavor during that long voyage across the whole Atlantic Ocean?
I feel compelled to write to aforementioned store, but they are notoriously secretive and private and sneaky? so I doubt I would get a response. Maybe if Michael Pollan or Alice Waters wrote to them, then they'd listen. Hmph.
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