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market-farming - Re: Eating locally

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Eating locally
  • Date: Tue, 22 May 2001 10:58:59 -0500




>Allison,
> I don't know about a research design - not my area at all, at all! But
>one would need to consider these factors in some way:
>
>nutritional difference between fresh and shipped
>pollution of shipped
>growing methods of shipped versus local
>hidden costs of shipped - if agribusiness, then products would need to
>include agribusiness subsidies, increasing control
of...........

I think this is a subject that has not been researched well yet. I think
the bottom line is that the benefits of local over shipped items have to do
with being fresher and having been allowed to develop fully into the most
nutritious and delicious food product possible. Shipped items are always
picked prematurely to aid in preserving the appearence of the product in the
market. Plus, from the point of being picked, deterioration of nutritional
and culinary quality begins. Time and temperature are the enemies of produce
so freshness should be measured in hours, not days. Local product is allowed
to fully develop it's culinary quality so it is by nature more nutritious.
In addition, it's sold in a matter of hours so the consumer recieves
something they'll never find in a supermarket.

I know of one research project conducted by Dr. Barbara Klein of the
Univ of Illinois that demonstrated the superior nutritional quality of
carrots and brocolli when fresh-picked as compared to product in the grocery
store. I believe it was published in the Journal of Food Science. I'll see
if I can find out.

Bill Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center





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