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08-14-2011, 12:56 PM
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Location: Forests of Maine
31,147 posts, read 50,318,661 times
Reputation: 19849
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Naptowner
I guess it depends on what you consider a luxury item. In most of the country, fresh vegetables and fruit have to be shipped in for all but a month or two of the year, and some kinds of produce and crops simply can't be grown at all because of the climate.
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Ouch. I guess I am fortunate to live in a region where that is not the case.
If you traveled far enough North, I can see where it could be an issue. But of course here in Maine it is not an issue.
Thank you for reminding us though.  |
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08-14-2011, 01:03 PM
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Location: Somewhere in America
12,304 posts, read 11,058,538 times
Reputation: 20570
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Naptowner
I guess it depends on what you consider a luxury item. In most of the country, fresh vegetables and fruit have to be shipped in for all but a month or two of the year, and some kinds of produce and crops simply can't be grown at all because of the climate.
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They actually don't HAVE to be trucked in. As a society of must haves we have decided this is what we must have. A hundred years ago, you cooked with what was in season and available. You saved your winter squash and root vegetables in root cellars so you had food for winter. You also canned many things. You had to work for your food. It is done by many people this way today.
We also have the luxury of electricity and other sources for power these days. You could in fact have a greenhouse which you heat and have a variety of fruits and vegetables year round. Yes, it would mean you have some work to do, but judging by crime stats, Facebook, television, the internet, smart phones, etc we as a society have far too much time on our hands.
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08-14-2011, 02:14 PM
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Location: Forests of Maine
31,147 posts, read 50,318,661 times
Reputation: 19849
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ss20ts
They actually don't HAVE to be trucked in. As a society of must haves we have decided this is what we must have. A hundred years ago, you cooked with what was in season and available. You saved your winter squash and root vegetables in root cellars so you had food for winter. You also canned many things. You had to work for your food. It is done by many people this way today.
We also have the luxury of electricity and other sources for power these days. You could in fact have a greenhouse which you heat and have a variety of fruits and vegetables year round. Yes, it would mean you have some work to do, but judging by crime stats, Facebook, television, the internet, smart phones, etc we as a society have far too much time on our hands.
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Good point.
We enjoy fresh local peaches when they are in season. Fresh fiddleheads in their season, apples, blueberries, strawberries, potatoes, on and on.
We also have our winter spinach and carrots; and we enjoy all of our local veggies that we have stored-up through-out the winter.
I guess I should have said it better previously.
Shipping in fresh fruits from across the planet is a nice luxury. But it is certainly not an essential.
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08-14-2011, 02:36 PM
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Location: Somewhere in America
12,304 posts, read 11,058,538 times
Reputation: 20570
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Quote:
Originally Posted by forest beekeeper
Shipping in fresh fruits from across the planet is a nice luxury. But it is certainly not an essential.
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It is a luxury. Society has just gotten spoiled and demanding.
When buying fruits and veggies out of season that are imported, they never taste the same as something grown locally. I'm in SC and peaches are available here locally for at least 4 months of the year. After that, I'm sick of seeing peaches anyway....LOL It's always nice when they come back in season. I love getting local ones at farmer's markets. The ones at the grocery store that we have currently are from California. They are tiny, bruised and a family of fruit flies go home with the purchaser. Thanks, but no thanks! I'll stick to the large, fresh picked, fruit fly free ones. I'm also supporting a local family and not a California factory.
My husband's grandfather used to talk about grocery shopping. Back in the day, you didn't go to a store and pick out what you wanted. There weren't 25 choices of ketchup. You went in with a list - laundry detergent, soap, flour, etc - and gave the list to the person at the counter. They would go in the back room and pack your items. There was one soap. Not 12 feet of choices.
You went to the butcher for fresh meat. It didn't come on a foam try suffocated by plastic wrap. It came in butcher paper. You cooked it that day or the next.
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08-14-2011, 06:48 PM
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1,097 posts, read 3,619,843 times
Reputation: 646
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Quote:
Originally Posted by forest beekeeper
Ouch. I guess I am fortunate to live in a region where that is not the case.
If you traveled far enough North, I can see where it could be an issue. But of course here in Maine it is not an issue.
Thank you for reminding us though. |
Maine??? Of course it's an issue in Maine.
Where does your rice come from? Or is that another luxury item, along with such esoteric fare as lettuce and oranges?
Like I said, it depends on what you consider a luxury item. |
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08-14-2011, 07:15 PM
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Location: The Woods
17,094 posts, read 22,611,642 times
Reputation: 9373
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Naptowner
Maine??? Of course it's an issue in Maine.
Where does your rice come from? Or is that another luxury item, along with such esoteric fare as lettuce and oranges?
Like I said, it depends on what you consider a luxury item.
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Lettuce is easily grown in the North, even year-round with some effort.
Dwarf orange trees can be grown indoors too.
Short grain rice will grow in Northern New England, people are growing it in Vermont... |
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08-14-2011, 07:24 PM
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Location: Forests of Maine
31,147 posts, read 50,318,661 times
Reputation: 19849
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Naptowner
Maine??? Of course it's an issue in Maine.
Where does your rice come from? Or is that another luxury item, along with such esoteric fare as lettuce and oranges?
Like I said, it depends on what you consider a luxury item.
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Rice is not generally the starch source in this region, potatoes are. Nothing to do with climate, we just do not have the Ag industry focused on rice. However we do produce a lot of wheat, barley, and oats.
Lettuce is local, duh. Personally I do not grow lettuce, I prefer spinach.
I have two orange trees, myself.
What exactly are you whining about? |
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08-14-2011, 07:25 PM
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Location: Forests of Maine
31,147 posts, read 50,318,661 times
Reputation: 19849
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arctichomesteader
Lettuce is easily grown in the North, even year-round with some effort.
Dwarf orange trees can be grown indoors too.
Short grain rice will grow in Northern New England, people are growing it in Vermont...
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I must assume this is someone who has no clue, maybe they have never left their home state?
I have oranges and lemons. |
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08-14-2011, 07:34 PM
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1,097 posts, read 3,619,843 times
Reputation: 646
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Good grief.
I'm not whining about anything.
Someone tried to claim that cities require all their produce to be shipped in.
I pointed out, correctly, that that is the case in most of the country for most of the year.
So you have an orange tree. Congratulations.
Does it bear fruit in February?
I didn't think so.
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08-14-2011, 07:42 PM
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Location: Forests of Maine
31,147 posts, read 50,318,661 times
Reputation: 19849
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Naptowner
... I pointed out, correctly, that that is the case in most of the country for most of the year.
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Excuse me, I think you made a grammar mistake, you meant that to be 'correct' and factual about the topic most of the nation does not require any shipping of food.
Most of the USA grows food regionally. |
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