Are Hawaii residents that crazy for milk? (for sale, prices)

[hotzcatz]

If they are a milk producer, they aren't likely from Hawaii since there's only two dairies left and not that many people work at them. But, maybe they are one of the several dozen folks in Hawaii producing milk? Most likely not or they'd be out milking cows about now and not online.

[HiloDiver]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Do the Virgin Islands produce much of their own produce? We ship in a LOT of mainland produce although it comes by air so it's pretty fresh. Well, as fresh as anything harvested two weeks early and spending ten days in shipment can be. We do have a lot of farmer's markets around here which have stuff locally grown. Some of the markets are more particular about where their vendors get their produce, but some of the markets are 100% produced in Hawaii stuff. If it is going to be expensive, it may as well be good. Sometimes at the farmer's markets it is less expensive and locally grown which is the best way, IMHO.

Yes, but it's only for locals and not for export. Local produce may be found at farmer's markets, or at folding table small businesses along the roads. Same with fish and conch and lobster.

We can get mainland produce in the groceries and CostULess, but it's very spendy and it's a week old. Most people learn to "eat local" for fresh fruits and veggies and to keep costs down.

I'm so sad that it's almost impossible to get good-tasting apples here. By the time we get them, they are just gross. I got tired of buying $9 bags of apples (that would cost $5 in S. Florida) and then throwing them away.

We have been checking out fresh produce in Hawaii and we are excited to learn that it's pretty much all the same things we love here, mangoes, payayas, coconuts, etc.

[Vaedrem]

I don't drink milk either, and it does get pretty old seeing people talk about it on here - a testament to bogus 1950's advertising campaigns which painted dairy as something magical. Coconuts, avocados, and macadamia nuts are all good local, cheap tree foods we can make 'milks' out of. You can't necessarily maintain 100% of a mainland lifestyle here in Hawaii, you might have to change some things, including milk!

Above 2,000 feet in Hawaii, apples will grow, but are generally a backyard tree people have, and not a commercial fruit given the inundation with imported apples.

[hotzcatz]

You can grow apples as well as peaches, plums and cherries in Hawaii but you have to be extremely selective about which cultivars you plant. For apples, "Anna", "Dorset Golden" and "Pettingill" are three varieties which will produce fruit. There is an apple out on the little "Anna" apple tree in the back yard and my neighbor down the way has apples on her Pettingill apple tree. She's at about 750 foot elevation and we are at 1,000 here. There's only one apple on the tree in the back yard since it was just planted last year and it's still a very small tree.

For peaches, Florida Prince and Eva's Pride are two which will grow. There is a nursery on the West coast called Bay Laurel Nursery which will mail order "low chill" fruit trees to Hawaii. (low chill means it doesn't need a lot of winter chill time) Their website says how much chill time each tree needs and in my area fruit trees which need 300 hours or less manage to make fruit. Where we were before, we had about 200 chill hours more or less.

Dave Wilson Nurseries in California has a lot of information about chill hours, but they are a wholesale nursery and won't ship to us unless we order truckloads.

[HiloDiver]

Very interesting, thank you!! We will be renters for at least the first year, but this is great info for down the road.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by DebbyDiver

This is really a lighthearted post...but I notice that when people talk about how expensive it is to live in Hawaii, people (whether on this forum or friends or whatever) always say "milk is so expensive there!"

We don't drink milk...so we don't care...but I'm wondering why that is always the first example of a high priced item that people throw out at us.

I never understood the milk reference either...until...I had a KID.

Babies/Toddlers/Small Kids wolf down milk like there is no tomorrow...I've suddenly become very conscious of the price of milk.

[HiloDiver]

I guess that is why it is off my radar. Never had kids, didn't like the stuff as a kid, and my friends don't have kids (or, if they do, their kids are long grown and gone). I started the thread out of simple curiosity, and the early replies satisfied that curiosity.

[terracore]

Originally Posted by sadie123

Debbie:

I agree. I don't drink milk. I don't use milk except for guests coffee and baking, we drink our coffee black. I buy a small milk every week and throw it away most weeks. In fact, my husband and I are researching and buying soy milks, something shelf stable to use when necessary, but we don't like the flavor of powdered milk even for baking. I am open to all suggestions.

Buy the small cans of evaporated milk. When you use it in recipe, dilute it with 50% water.

[jeffredo]

Originally Posted by DebbyDiver

We both think it's gross!!! Which is why I was wondering if Hawaiian residents were so crazy for the icky stuff, since it's the first thing brought up in "cost of living" discussions.

So, if it goes up to $37 a gallon, it won't affect our household.

Regardless what you think of it milk is a staple in most American households. I don't think people are necessarily "crazy" for it anywhere, but its like sugar, flour, bread, etc... Just one of those things you find in most kitchens.

[hotzcatz]

Hawaii's kitchens have a tendency to include rice, Spam, shoyu and ginger root among the "staples". Along with a whole host of other "common" things here which would no doubt be uncommon on the mainland. But, we don't have much conch or lutefisk, so each region will have it's own delicacies, no doubt.