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Old 03-31-2010, 09:36 AM
 
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,731 posts, read 23,689,892 times
Reputation: 14585

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I had a bowl of mixed berries this morning for breakfast and noticed they came from Guatemala. One also can't help but notice how much of our fruit comes from Mexico. A large percentage of bottled apple juice is pressed in China. Whatever happend to Washington apples? A Del Monte produce plant in Yakima, WA closed a few years ago to move it's canned vegetable production to Peru.

Normally a lot of fruit this time of year in the past came from Florida or California. The weather certainly has a big impact on the domestic agriculural harvest, particularly with the big crop freeze Florida experienced this year. But even Jersey tomatoes were in short supply at the end of last summer because of too much rain.

It also go's beyond weather. In all 50 states farmland has been lost to real estate. It makes one question, with Guatemalan rasberries and black berries for breakfast this morning, what is the future of American agriculture?
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Old 03-31-2010, 09:39 AM
 
Location: Colorado
434 posts, read 1,160,988 times
Reputation: 279
I always enjoy going to the local farm markets or stopping at an orchard/farm to pick up fresh, local fruits and veggies. And nothing beats my dad's garden!

At a typical supermarket, the effort to carry local produce is just not there....that being said, I am usually very happy with the produce from Chile.
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Old 03-31-2010, 10:03 AM
 
Location: The canyon (with my pistols and knife)
14,174 posts, read 22,632,780 times
Reputation: 17354
Some food products we'll need to import, mainly stuff that doesn't grow well in large quantities here. Otherwise, I see no reason why we need to rely on other countries for food that we've already proven capable of producing in abundance. Furthermore, if we actually -- gasp! -- EXPORT some of what we grow, then maybe we can put a dent in our trade deficit.
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Old 03-31-2010, 12:02 PM
 
Location: Arizona
1,034 posts, read 4,384,655 times
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I am okay with some produce that is imported, such as the tropical fruits like papaya and mango. My strawberries are ALWAYS from California, no exceptions. The pesticides used in Mexico are not regulated and strawberries tend to hold the poisons. I try to buy local as much as I can, and also have my own (albeit small) garden.

While living in Northern California, it was my understanding that CA exported tons of rice annually. The rice farmers I knew bragged that CA exported more rice to the Asian countries than the Asian countries exported to the States. I've never really looked in to proving or disproving that though.
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Old 03-31-2010, 12:24 PM
 
Location: Honolulu, HI
698 posts, read 1,505,680 times
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One of the funniest things I ever saw in my life was when I was in Sweden. I went into a grocery store and they were selling Washington apples for 7 kroner a pound which is cheaper than you can get them from anywhere in the state of Washington per pound.

I use to work at Trader Joes and a lot of the fruits and vegetables comes from Cali, Mexico, and Peru. A lot of fruit comes from Brazil as well. The whole concern over that these fruits and veggies are less quality if they are not from the U.S. is total bs. Grocery stores in the U.S. aren't going to buy fruits and vegetables from out of country farms that have a history of shady practices involving pesticides and growing techniques. There are some growers in other countries that have high standards for growing their products.

My favorite most common quote from customers when I worked there was, "I am so glad you guys carry products without preservatives, I just wish the food would last longer."
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Old 03-31-2010, 04:38 PM
 
233 posts, read 751,064 times
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The main problem is eating out of season. The American consumer wants berries in winter and oranges in the summer or basically any fruit you can think of year-round as well as fruits that don't grow domestically. Everything has to be shipped in from other countries by sea and land, creating tons of carbon in the process.
I try and eat locally and organically as much as possible. I am lucky though to live in Seattle where there are some great local farms and farmers markets as well as restaurants that provide local food.
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Old 03-31-2010, 05:04 PM
 
8,289 posts, read 13,528,609 times
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well being from Southern Florida the suburban areas of Miami such as Homestead and the Redlands used to produce half of the winter vegetable & fruit crop for the US. However urban sprawl is consuming a lot of what used to be farmland for subdivisions.
This winter's freeze has destroyed oranges, strawberries, tomatoes,and other fruits so whenever this happens we turn to South American nations for produce. You have to remember when it's winter here it is summer south of the Equator.
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Old 03-31-2010, 06:20 PM
 
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,731 posts, read 23,689,892 times
Reputation: 14585
I guess it is what it is. The idyllic dairy farm in Vermont, the orange groves of southern California, New Jersey once being a garden state, the Hawaiian pineapple plantations are withering away. It's certainly reasonable to buy a Costa Rican pineapple, or oranges grown in Brazil when Florida is in short supply due to winter freeze. More than 6 months out of the year at supermarkets I see most blackberries and strawberries from Mexico, which use to come from California. However when I hear statistics that China presses 42% percent of the apple juice consumed in the US it raises my conciousness since apples can be produced in great abundance in Washington State, Michigan, Mass, and NY State. I wonder why exported produce cost less overseas than locally as mentioned previously. Nonetheless I would rather spring an extra buck for a gallon of milk that came from within a 150 miles radius of where I live.
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Old 04-01-2010, 12:16 AM
 
Location: Carrboro and Concord, NC
963 posts, read 2,402,825 times
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There are LOTS of things that can be grown in North Carolina (where I am), and I tend to dislike seeing those things imported, for a number of reasons: everything from carbon footprint to interest in supporting local producers as much as I can.

For some similar reasons, I would like (LOVE) to see a lot of native fruits, like pawpaw or maypops (cold-hardy passionfruit), cultivated commerically somewhere in their native range (eastern US).

I AM a very big fan of a lot of exotic tropical fruits that mostly can't be cultivated here; some of which are tough even in FL or CA. Obviously there isn't a choice with those.

Citrus is tough due to the effects of plant diseases, which are having a serious effects on the industry in FL and CA. Of course, citrus can be grown as potted indoor/outdoor plants if you're willing to put in the work, and if you are, you can opt for something beyond the standard lemons-limes-oranges-tangerines-and-grapefruit.
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