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  • From: "Brigette Leach" <avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] cooking in France
  • Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 12:18:59 -0500

If I might add to the conversation...Europeans do have a different attitude
toward food. It certainly plays a bigger role in their daily lives than
ours (well most Americans, since our lives here at the farm revolve around
food, literally and figuratively). Many of my European friends view
Americans as "gluttons". And after having visited Europe and China, I
understand why. I never saw one obese person in China, they eat much less
and exercise much more. In Beijing, workers may ride their bicycle for 1.5
hours to get to their workplace.

I am compelled to remind all of us that many Europeans remember being
hungry during WWII. To some extent, that fact shapes not only appreciation
for food, but governmental policies as well. It is correct to assume that
exercise also plays a bigger role in their lives, walking and biking are
much more prevalent there. When I was in Spain in the late 80's it was
typical for families to spend 40-50% of their disposable income on food,
and they expected high quality, fresh products. We Americans spend closer
to 10-15%, and much of that is spent away from the home kitchen.

We do have a job to do in educating our customers about quality and
freshness. It tries our patience to continually explain at our markets, but
I see it as an opportunity (most of the time). We do try to go to market
prepared with recipes, and find ourselves answering the same questions
repeatedly. At our main market, reselling is allowed and some of those
vendors just don't want to explain how what they are selling is grown, or
where it comes from. They typically don't cook themselves so fall short
when it comes to really knowing what varieties are best for which
preparation method. That lack of knowledge on their part gives us an
opportunity to shine as we share what we know. Besides recipes, does anyone
use other "take away" tools to help teach their customers?

Brigette Leach
avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net
Avalon Farms Premium Homegrown
Climax MI 49034
Have you checked out our "Share of the Farm"? Contact us for more
information.




> [Original Message]
> From: Bill Shoemaker <wshoemak AT inil.com>
> To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: 3/29/2004 10:10:56 AM
> Subject: Re: [Market-farming] cooking in France
>
>
> >This statement, Joan, struck me so hard I'm still trying to recover. I
> >read it 8 hours ago and my jaw is still flopping on the ground! The
> >reason this struck me so hard is because it raised so many other
questions
> >in my head:
> >
> > 1. Do Americans not care about the "quality" of their food?
>
> Food is an essential element of culture. I don't think Americans place as
> much value on food as do the French, or many other cultures for that
matter.
> Perhaps a downside to making it so cheap and available.
>
>
> > 2. How do Americans define food "quality"? (I define it by
> > deciding how the food I eat tastes)
>
> I think most consumers rely too much on appearance and do not excersize
> discretion on other qualities. Though I also think that the food
> distribution system makes it very difficult for many Americans to have
> access to the kinds of high quality foods that other cultures make
> available. On the other hand, other cultures, like the French, are willing
> to work harder at ensuring their food quality is high. Our theme seems to
be
> "Cheap and Easy".
>
>
> > 3. Is more of something (which leads to a lower price if you
> > agree with the theory of supply and demand) more desireable
> > than anything else?
>
> That idea leads to obesity (as well as other problems), doesn't it?
>
>
> > 4. Will Americans choose to have something of lower "quality" if
> > it's cheaper?
>
> Unfortunately, it seems they do
>
>
> > 5. Have American taste buds been tampered with? Are we less
> > sensitive to "quality" food?
>
> Interesting idea. As someone who grew up on farm-freash food and who
> nows lives on the edge of affluent suburbia, I'm amazed at the responses
of
> people to truly ripe, fresh, quality produce. While some are favorable
> amazed, others show preference to underripe, not-so-fresh produce typical
of
> the local market. After all, that's what they grew up eating. So I think
> your answer is yes. And I think the tampering is purposeful.
>
>
>
> > 6. If a tomato bought at Safeway tastes about as good (something
> > subjective, of course, and subject to a person's taste
> > sensitivity) as one bought at a farmers' market, why would anyone
> > feel compelled to pay the (probably) higher price?
>
> Which is the higher price? Free markets work in wonderful ways.
Locally,
> our fruit and vegetable growers command higher prices than the
supermarkets
> because they have better products and there are enough consumers out there
> that recognize and value that, despite the inconvenience of shopping at
> farmstands or farmers markets. Tomatoes at Safeway ride 1-2000 miles to
> work, get up too early for the ride and are worn out by the time they get
> there.
>
>
> > 7. Are Americans in a situation similar to 3rd world countries,
> > where *any* food is better than no food at all, and therefore
> > "quality" doesn't play into the decision?
>
> No, not at all. Third world countries have a better appreciation for
> high quality in produce. For example, many people think of Mexico as a
third
> world country. Hand out with Mexicans or, better yet, go shopping at a
> Mexican supermarket. See how they handle produce.
>
> Hortscience, an academic journal of horticulture, had a cover article
> about 15 years ago that discussed this issue. The author (from Long
Island I
> believe) pointed out that consumers in most 3rd world countries would be
> dissapointed in the eating quality of our produce, even though
availability
> and appearence are remarkable. Things are worse now. The produce
departments
> have less training and less resources. So now, even appearence leaves
> something to be desired.
>
>
>
> > 8. Has commercialization in the food industry made Americans
> > less sensitive (i.e., dulled our sight, smell, taste,
> > hearing, and touch) to "quality" food and therefore a tomato
> > bought as Safeway equals one bought at the market? (e.g., "All
> > tomatoes are the same")
>
> I think so.
>
>
> >
> >> And all the French are slim and enjoy their food immensely.
> >
>
>
> Perhaps they enjoy "balance" in their life.
>
> Bill Shoemaker
> Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
> Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center
>
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