Thread: American Grown Vegetables

Originally Posted by edstate

I think the VAST majojrity of americans would gladly pay a little more for some things... check my sig!

I KNOW we would. We would only pay 5-10 cents more for a head of lettuce. Show me an American that wouldn't get behind that!! As JD Hayworth put it: "A nickel for national security."

Originally Posted by Dagmar

Yeah I think so. I think the best way to market it though would be through the whole foods movement. Locally grown, by your neighbors.
People who shop at Whole Foods and stores like them are more concerned about how their purchases affect the world around them.

Plus there's the we don't pee on the spinach so you won't get hepatitus thing.

Whole Foods is awesome. Every time I go in there it just smells great, everything is so fresh. So, the produce is grown by every day American folks, rather than the agro-business? If this is true, we need to start a movement promoting people shop at Whole Foods.

Originally Posted by BearFlagRepublic

Whole Foods is awesome. Every time I go in there it just smells great, everything is so fresh. So, the produce is grown by every day American folks, rather than the agro-business? If this is true, we need to start a movement promoting people shop at Whole Foods.

Could someone please tell me what or who Whole Foods is?
I am not familiar. Is is a local business or a chain? Or are you referring to a concept?

Glad to see this thread pop up today.

Just yesterday I was at my local Albertsons and had a craving for a fresh fruit salad. Every piece of fruit I picked up was grown south of the border: Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Chile......I was ready to go postal on that store. I refuse to buy that stuff.

WHY in this ag country and particularly my region, which boasts about ag production, is my store loaded with foreign fruit?

We don't know how it is grown down there or what they have sprayed on it. Those countries don't have regulations for growing and certainly not for chemicals. For several years now I have noticed that fresh fruit and vegetables lack any distinguishing taste as it is picked so early before ripening. Pears do not ripen before they have already turned rotten in some parts.

I left Albertsons in disgust, but not before I had picked up some seeds to start growing my own in my own backyard. Watermelon should thrive in my backyard.

I would pay more if my vegies were grown in America by Americans. There are several salad vegies that I won't buy because of the recent Ecoli outbreaks. My list for all the other vegies is getting longer too.
I always ask the produce manager the country of origin, and if it's foreign I won't buy it. If the manager doesn't know for sure, I won't buy it either.

If I had a large piece of property which I could farm I would do this! I'd get a liscense somehow and sell it on the corner or at flea markets. I would post a sign proudly identifying my product as American grown and harvested with pride! I'd hire only legal American citizens with a desire to grow food from our land. Unfortuantely, I don't have a large piece of land and this idea as good as it sounds is a dream more than anything. I would pay more for vegetables and fruits grown this way.

Originally Posted by ProudAmericanFamily

Originally Posted by BearFlagRepublic

Whole Foods is awesome. Every time I go in there it just smells great, everything is so fresh. So, the produce is grown by every day American folks, rather than the agro-business? If this is true, we need to start a movement promoting people shop at Whole Foods.

Could someone please tell me what or who Whole Foods is?
I am not familiar. Is is a local business or a chain? Or are you referring to a concept?

Hi, Whole Foods is both a concept and a grocery store chain.
The concept came first, and in fact I think it really got it's push in California.
A lot of the Napa Valley folks are into the idea of the Mediterranean concept of food, buy what's grown locally and in season. So it became kind of trendy for some of the restaurants to taut this line. But the concept has been around since probably the start of agri-business.
You know the idea of a corporation mass producing our food, once a few generations get used to how processed food tastes they won't know what they are missing. Then one day someone happens on a farmers market in some out of the way place and eats an heirloom tomato and realizes hey there is something better.
So the basic concept of whole foods is to grow and eat as NON processed as possible. Beef without hormones, raw cheese (all though you have to look for the raw cheese because pasteurized is still the norm), milk with out hormones, no food additives, no fruitcose added. Turns out it's a lot healthier to eat like our grandparents and great grandparents did,go figure .

Then there is the Whole Foods chain that started in Austin, TX by a couple of hippies and has really grown. I think Central Market is their only competition (next to community farmers' markets) but I think they market to two different consumer groups. Whole Foods is geared more towards granola breathed hippie types (my parents fit into this group) and Central Market is more for the Mediterranean/Napa Valley food mindset. There is quite a bit of overlap in the goods they carry but you know how marketing is.
I love both stores.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
http://www.centralmarket.com/cm/index.jsp

p.s. And by the way both stores carry food from all over the world not just locally grown. But outside of a farmers market these are the only two chains that I know of where I can find locally harvested honey, cheese and vegies. They list not only where the food they have is grown but whether or not is organic or conventional. Sometimes they can't get organic whatever, like bananas, because well it's just not really possible yet. So in that case you will know by looking at the labels. And it's not just fruits and veggies, seafood, beef, chicken, lamb, pork etc. Free range as well as conventional.
What I like best is it puts me in the drivers seat as far as picking what I want and deciding on what is available.
AND they don't ask for those stupid members cards!!!

Originally Posted by riverdunesrat

WHY in this ag country and particularly my region, which boasts about ag production, is my store loaded with foreign fruit?

I left Albertsons in disgust, but not before I had picked up some seeds to start growing my own in my own backyard. Watermelon should thrive in my backyard.

I think a good part of the lack of american fruit is that horriblefreeze in Jan.

Buy the frozen orange juice that is where most of the crop wound up.

Good luck with your garden and watch for gopers.

Dagmar,
Thanks so much for taking the time to post your response and also the links. It sounds good to me!

Originally Posted by ProudAmericanFamily

Dagmar,
Thanks so much for taking the time to post your response and also the links. It sounds good to me!

hey no problem glad I could help.