[nmnita]

Originally Posted by ozarksboy

I always encourage folks around here (in Missouri) to grow as much of their own food as they can and then supplement that by going to the farmers markets (we've had three a week in Rolla the last couple of years plus one over in St. James) and buying locally grown produce. We've got some bad soil in the southern Missouri Ozarks but the homegrown produce is usually very flavorful.

I think the price and quality of the produce in supermarkets fluctuates with the growing seasons, so the stuff they have to ship in may not be good at certain times of the year. Maybe this isn't avocado or grapefruit season. I guess the OP is new to the area and may not understand that.

We love Farmers markets, farms that let you pick your own and of course growing what we can. We just got our raised beds ready and will put the seeds in probably late next week or the following. I won't put the tomatoes in for at least 2 or 3 more weeks, just in case of frost. I feel the seeds really will not germinate much before the last frost if I get them in by the 5th or so of April..

Nita

[johncronejr]

Well it's definetly not that I am new to the area. I was born in Little Rock and have lived my entire 43 years in NLR, Newport, Heber Springs, and Conway. I reckon that would take care of the homesickness for Austin as well, since Austin isn't my home.

It was just an observation of the produce selection and prices available in Austin, TX versus Conway and Heber Springs. My wife is using the comparison of Minneapolis stores.

It's not that I am like all the rest that are posting "negatives", it was just an observation. The stores in Austin simply had a better selection, better quality and better prices on their produce. We are definetly going to hit the farmers market in LR this year and see what they offer and my wife is going to expand her garden this year, so that will help out.

[ozarksboy]

Originally Posted by johncronejr

Well it's definetly not that I am new to the area. I was born in Little Rock and have lived my entire 43 years in NLR, Newport, Heber Springs, and Conway. I reckon that would take care of the homesickness for Austin as well, since Austin isn't my home.

It was just an observation of the produce selection and prices available in Austin, TX versus Conway and Heber Springs. My wife is using the comparison of Minneapolis stores.

It's not that I am like all the rest that are posting "negatives", it was just an observation. The stores in Austin simply had a better selection, better quality and better prices on their produce. We are definetly going to hit the farmers market in LR this year and see what they offer and my wife is going to expand her garden this year, so that will help out.

Sorry I misunderstood, John. I thought you had lived in Austin, but you say you've always lived in Arkansas, so I must've misread. Your post sounded like one of those newbies pining for the way things were back in their home state/city (we have lots of those over on the Missouri Forum).

Is this produce problem/frustration something that has just cropped up recently?

[johncronejr]

Well it is something that has cropped up since I got married in 2005 and I had a wife who was interested in me eating more produce. Before her, if a store had steak, chicken, potatoes, eggs, cheese and milk I thought it was well stocked HAHA. I also married a woman from Minneapolis where the stores carry a huge variety according to her and I suppose competition requires stores to put out the best.

Of course having lived in Central AR my whole life, I thought the quality and prices of the produce at stores was just the way it was everywhere. I noticed the big difference when I was in Austin for a month and saw what the stores there had.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by johncronejr

Well it is something that has cropped up since I got married in 2005 and I had a wife who was interested in me eating more produce. Before her, if a store had steak, chicken, potatoes, eggs, cheese and milk I thought it was well stocked HAHA. I also married a woman from Minneapolis where the stores carry a huge variety according to her and I suppose competition requires stores to put out the best.

Of course having lived in Central AR my whole life, I thought the quality and prices of the produce at stores was just the way it was everywhere. I noticed the big difference when I was in Austin for a month and saw what the stores there had.

I too thought you had lived in Austin for awhile. I guess maybe part of this is: I just don't see what you are seeing. Maybe Little Rock is different. As I mentioned I have lived in DC area, Texas, Ca and NM. I really haven't seen a whole lot of difference in quality or price. One thing will be higher one place, and cheaper another, but it all seems to balance out. I will add, I am very much into cooking, both home style and gourmet so am very particular about what we eat...We always have a fridge full of fresh produce year around, rarely eat anything out of a can except tuna and a few types of beans or I keep soup for making sauces..In fact we don't often eat even frozen veggies unless I have frozen them myself. That is why I am so surprised at what you are finding..

Nita

[Sneezyone]

Our local Wal-Mart didn't even have zucchini on a recent visit let alone an english cucumber and the tomatoes? Horrid. I've noticed a lot less variety in local stores than what we've had at other duty stations, but then, we just compensate by shopping at the commissary and in a couple weeks we'll add weekly trips to the farmer's markets and roadside stands. Things like chayote squash and jicama are pretty common in other parts of the country but tough to find around here. Mostly, I just try to buy the fruits and veggies that are in season and wait for the good sttuff. That helps to keep costs down and quality up. There was tender, young asparagus at the commissary last week and Gala apples are in season all winter long.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Sneezyone

Our local Wal-Mart didn't even have zucchini on a recent visit let alone an english cucumber and the tomatoes? Horrid. I've noticed a lot less variety in local stores than what we've had at other duty stations, but then, we just compensate by shopping at the commissary and in a couple weeks we'll add weekly trips to the farmer's markets and roadside stands. Things like chayote squash and jicama are pretty common in other parts of the country but tough to find around here. Mostly, I just try to buy the fruits and veggies that are in season and wait for the good sttuff. That helps to keep costs down and quality up. There was tender, young asparagus at the commissary last week and Gala apples are in season all winter long.

I don't think you will find that much Jicama anywhere around here. Beleive it or not we didn't see it much in NM, same with Chayote squash. Sometimes yes, but not like in Dallas or Los Angeles. Buying in season is the answer, let's face it..I just got back from WAl-Mart, even though I rarely shop there I needed a few things and pop in after church..Artichokes $1.00 each, russet potatoes $1.50 for 5 lbs, eggs $1.88 for 18.. I really wouldn't expect to find English Cukes this time of year, if they had them I wouldn't want to pay the price. I usually don't do the cuke think except in the summer and then I like to grow them or get them from farmers markets...BTW, did you know (I just read this) the tender, small asparagus isn't the most flavorful. The larger ones are better...I have always looked for the smaller ones. Of course being raised in Calif I could eat asparagus daily and we do, pretty much year around. This is the heigth of the season. We got it for $1.00 a lb the other day, it was $1.49 today at Wal-Mart. I didn't buy any...

Nita

[Sneezyone]

It's not that those foods are not available or that people won't buy them, I just think the buyers around here assume local people won't eat or try anything new/different. It's low expectations re: their customers.

English cukes have been available at the Little Rock commissary for the last month that I've been shopping there, not too pricey, as well as fresh naan bread (in demand according to the bakery staff). They also carry a much wider selection of cheeses and german sausages and cold cuts than I can find elsewhere. The commissary won't stock it if it doesn't sell, just like other stores, and the same customers that buy there shop at local stores too. I just think that, in general, the store buyers are underestimating their customers' palates.

BTW, the flavor of big asparagus may be better but I hate the stringy-ness!! Blech!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Sneezyone

It's not that those foods are not available or that people won't buy them, I just think the buyers around here assume local people won't eat or try anything new/different. It's low expectations re: their customers.

English cukes have been available at the Little Rock commissary for the last month that I've been shopping there, not too pricey, as well as fresh naan bread (in demand according to the bakery staff). They also carry a much wider selection of cheeses and german sausages and cold cuts than I can find elsewhere. The commissary won't stock it if it doesn't sell, just like other stores, and the same customers that buy there shop at local stores too. I just think that, in general, the store buyers are underestimating their customers' palates.

BTW, the flavor of big asparagus may be better but I hate the stringy-ness!! Blech!

oh, I still get the little guys, I don't care which as long as it is Asparagus, but I just found it interesting.. You are partially right about people buying and trying, but this is the same everywhere. If the stores don't think an item will sell they do not want to carry it. Last summer our local grocery store advertised Hatch chilis;; well I jumped with joy and headed out that day to buy 20 lbs. I guess we were the second customer to buy that many at once. The checker wanted to know what we were going to do with them? When I told her, we would grill them, freeze them and use them all winter she looked at me as if I was nuts. I bet the first customer was from NM as well. When we moved to No Va during the Reagan admistration you couldn't even find canned mexican food in any of the chain grocery stores, let alone tortillas..By the time, we Ca had been there about a year every store carried a good selection, not the best, but certainly some items...One night we went to a local restaurant for snacks only: 3 couples, all from Ca and they had nachos on the menu. Can you imagine our delight? Well, when they came, we were between laughing and crying: the peppers? dill pickles...Again, that was not even a year after we all moved to VA..

Nita

[Anonymous Political Junky]

Originally Posted by johncronejr

It seems that everytime my wife and I go grocery shopping we are frustrated with the produce quality and price. We shop primarily at Wal Mart and Kroger. Oftentimes avacados are hard as a rock or overripe, strawberries have mold, asparagus has mold, we have even seen one head of cabbage sit for 2 weeks in a Wal Mart produce area that was moldy when we first saw it and disgusting when we last saw it. The prices are high as well.

By comparison, when we were living in Austin, TX, we found produce at Wal Mart to be very good quality and cheap. One particular example was grapefruit. In Austin, the grapefruits were 35 cents each. Less than a month later, while back in Heber Springs, AR, the same type grapefruit was $1.55. I called the manager over and queried him on this. His reply was that "well Texas is so much closer to where they grow them so shipping is less". I asked him how in the world he figured shipping was $1.20 more PER GRAPEFRUIT. My wife, who is from Minneapolis, then told him that MN was certainly farther away from "where they grow them" than AR was and that selection and prices were far better there. The manager then just simply had no answer.

We have checked many stores in Little Rock, NLR, Jacksonville, Heber Springs, and Conway....and the result is always the same; poor quality, for the most part, and high prices. Why is this? Why can Wal Mart's in AR put out the same quality produce that Wal Mart's in central TX do? Why do the prices vary so greatly on produce from AR versus TX?

It is quite a frustration.

All you have to do is to buy from your local farmers and markets and that produce is much higher quality and sure does taste so much better.