market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Market Farming
List archive
Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?
- From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
- To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?
- Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:53:23 -0500
Sure, you're right. But I'm not trying to be critical of
shuipping because it's shipping. I'm critical of the quality of produce most
people generally have available to them. Many have few choices for sources of
produce and the big box industry doesn't offer them much quality. I think it's a
crisis. Why do Americans fail to respond to a major campaign by the produce
industry to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day? The research shows
they eat, on average, about 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. They
don't eat more, because they don't like it. It's not very high quality. I eat
produce at the rate of 8-10 servings a day during the season, when fresh product
is litlerally at my doorstep. But when I don't have any local production, and I
have to rely on the retail m,arkets that rely on shippers, product quality is so
poor I rely more on our home-canned and frozen product, which very few
people do any more. These retailers do not buy much from local
sources. Some buy none. They have long-standing relationships with shippers
who provide product 12 months/year. Those relationships are key to the system of
cash-flow and profit. Local growers don't figure well into the system. So
the consumer gets what the system offers. They have few, if any
alternatives.
I'm not trying to be critical of shipping because it's
shipping. I'm frustrated that consumers fail to eat much produce because they
don't have access to really good, FRESH produce. The wholesale system is more
about consistent supply of mediocre product than it is about working harder to
provide quality product. I think everyone loses. Retailers sell less product and
suffer more shrink. Consumers buy less product, enjoy it less and suffer less
healthy lives. If they could the quality of product that we eat routinely from
our farms and gardens, I think they'd eat more, but the system cuts out most
produce growers in short-season areas.
By the way, mangoes are a recent introduction into Midwest
produce departments. You didn't find them 15 years ago. My Puerto Rican friend
tells me they are nothing like the ones he finds back home in Puerto Rico. I
wish you could grow mangoes and sell them to your wholesale buyers
too.
Bill
|
-
Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?
, (continued)
-
Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?,
Bill Shoemaker, 09/19/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?, Home Grown Kansas!, 09/19/2007
-
Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?,
Bill Bradshaw, 09/17/2007
-
Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?,
sals, 09/17/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?, Robin Follette, 09/18/2007
-
Re: [Market-farming] eating local in winter,
Wiediger, Alison, 09/18/2007
-
Re: [Market-farming] eating local in winter,
Robin Follette, 09/18/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] eating local in winter, Wiediger, Alison, 09/18/2007
-
Re: [Market-farming] eating local in winter,
Robin Follette, 09/18/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?, road's end farm, 09/18/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?, Bill Shoemaker, 09/19/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?, Bill Shoemaker, 09/19/2007
-
Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?,
sals, 09/17/2007
-
Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?,
sals, 09/17/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?, Bill Shoemaker, 09/19/2007
-
Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?,
Bill Shoemaker, 09/19/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?, Home Grown Kansas!, 09/19/2007
-
Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?,
Bill Shoemaker, 09/19/2007
Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.