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Robyn, if you have a Sprouts, Vitamin Cottage, or Whole Foods nearby, you can buy only as much as you need of occasional spices and herbs from the spice bar. If you only need a teaspoon, it will cost you just pennies. I buy all of my spices that way. In fact, January is usually my big overhaul when I clean and refill my dozen plain glass jars, dumping those spices that have lost their potency or haven't been used. It gives me the opportunity to try new flavors and refresh old favorites for about $15 bucks. Yep, fifteen dollars for a dozen spices from Whole Foods of all places.
I've never seen something like that in our local Whole Foods (we don't have the other stores you mentioned). Perhaps it's hidden in a corner somewhere - or our "small footprint" Whole Foods doesn't have one? I will definitely take a look next time I'm there (only get there once every 2-3 weeks - because it's on the other side of town).
FWIW - Whole Foods has some things that are outrageously high priced IMO - and others - like what you mentioned - that are downright cheap. Biggest bargain for me is the Whole Foods chocolate (and other flavor) truffles imported from France. Delicious and on sale this week for $5.49/package (usually $5.99):
Great small gift for any chocolate lover. I buy them to give out to my doctors/nurses during the holiday season (where small gifts are appreciated but large gifts wouldn't be "comfortable"). Robyn
Well, I found the sumac at the local Mediterranean/Halal supermarket. I purchased 6 oz of Green Zatar Mix for only $2.99. Or I could have paid $6.95 for 1.7 oz at Penzeys.
It was a productive visit as I was able to purchase several types of olives at $2.99-3.99/# and finally find a source for pita bread.
I dropped by Sprouts last night and found that the pricing was pretty similar to Penzeys.
There are other laws that can be a PITA when it comes to buying certain food items. For example - I used to buy raw cheeses like Epoisses on line from a store in France. After 9/11 - US customs started to enforce an old law that prohibits importing cheeses that aren't aged for at least X (think it is 60 or 90) days. If you age something like Epoisses that long - it winds up smelling like ammonia. So I no longer buy those kinds of cheeses when I'm home - either on-line or at a bricks and mortar store.
FWIW - sometimes it is cheaper to buy a product directly from the manufacturer or a retailer other than Amazon - even when shipping costs are taken into account. It's always best to do a price check before ordering. Robyn
Here in AR. some wine companies will deliver to us, others won't. I don't know the laws and why. Until a few years ago none would, now more and more are allowing it. Of course the state is becoming wetter all the time as well.
Can't speak specifically about Eureka over the centuries - but it seems to be in drought now - like a lot of the rest of the state (although the drought there seems to be less severe than in other parts of the state):
What is odd to me is that even with the drought - people there are allowed to irrigate their landscapes more often than we can (although our rain situation is normal). We now have mandatory water restrictions all the time. Residential irrigation is limited to 2 days a week during daylight savings time - 1 day a week during non-daylight savings time. Kind of makes you sensitive to the kind of things that are well-suited to grow where you live. Also - we have tiered water pricing. The more you use - the more you pay per gallon (which a California court ruled was illegal there due to a specific California law).
Today - there seems to be somewhat of a backlash developing when it comes to previous food trends - including things like the concept of "food miles". For anyone interested who is interested in reading a bit - I recommend the book mentioned in this article (the author is a very talented food critic/writer):
In any event - the way I look at it is I support many different businesses (and the jobs they create) as a result of my purchasing. Whether it's at local bricks and mortar places - or on-line. Some are small - some not so small. But the thing they have in common is all of them are good in terms of what they sell. I suspect a lot of smaller artisan companies couldn't survive and prosper today if they didn't sell non-locally (either through phone or on-line orders). So it's a win-win IMO. I get products I want. And the producer makes a decent living. Robyn
Rice has been grown for years in California and they do not always suffer from drought as you may think from what you are reading. I was born and raised there, have lived all over the state and still have family from northern to southern Ca. yes, recent years the drought has been bad, but, heck, we have lived places where they get little snow and yet, they have years with 20 or more inches.
I have to totally agree with Eureka, if you can, always buy locally and where she lives there are plenty of places to buy a lot of locally grown foods. For those who chose to buy on line and can afford the prices, more power to them. for many there are other ways to get all the food supplies they need without going on line.
With that I will say, I priced our dogs favorite food on line, via Amazon, can save a little but think I would rather support our local economy. I did order some Trader Joe's nuts on line as a Christmas gift. We do not have T. Joes here yet.
I know California is a big state. Florida is too .
And - as of 5 days ago - Eureka is either in a moderate or severe drought according to the US drought monitor website (can't tell which because Eureka is in the middle of Humboldt County - the second county south of the Oregon border - and the moderate/severe drought line goes pretty much through the middle of the county):
FWIW - this is what your county has to say in general about drought in your area (the link contains additional information):
Humboldt County, traditionally one of the wettest counties in the state, is no exception. Many communities in our region are vulnerable to significant drought impacts.
FWIW - we had a horrible drought in most of - not all of - Florida - in 1998-99. And it took a lot more than 10 days of rain to end it. And just because some areas were better off than others didn't mean that they weren't bad. My general area was particularly hard hit - and I know it isn't any fun at all. So I wish your area and the rest of your state good luck when it comes to rainfall in the future.
Still - in some sense - we all make at least some of our luck. I find it somewhat humorous that - although I live in "tea party" country - we have had pretty strict mandatory rules about water use - especially when it comes to residential irrigation. Since the 1998-99 drought. That almost everyone seems to follow. But - when I was in Los Angeles a few months ago - I was staying in Beverly Hills. "Liberal chic" kind of place. Where the rules are less onerous than where I live - and seemed to be widely disregarded. I especially can't understand why California - which is such a wealthy state in general - has laws that prohibit the imposition of tiered water pricing. Or laws that are so tilted in favor of agricultural interests in terms of water pricing that growing crops that otherwise wouldn't made sense if water was priced correctly - do.
Where this ties in to buying on line (or bricks and mortar from non-local producers) is I suspect if water was priced correctly in California - and everywhere else (including parts of Florida when it comes to certain food things) - the cost of some products would be so prohibitive that a lot of things wouldn't be produced locally - except perhaps in the most upscale places for the wealthiest customers. OTOH - it would still make sense to grow at least some things in most areas. Depending on the area. Where I live - that's some varieties of potatoes and cabbage.
We are very blessed in our very large country to have a very large variety of climates - soils - and the like. Plus lots of land. Some areas are best suited to growing this. Others to that. We ought to make the most of it. Our biggest problem here isn't that we can't get organic kale grown 5 miles away. It's that a lot of people live in food deserts where they can't find any decent affordable fresh fruits and veggies and similar. My on line purchases here - like those of other people here apparently - are often whimsical and self-indulgent. But I don't get up on any high horse about them - locavore or otherwise. I recognize them for what they are - treats. And certainly not a solution to the food problems we have in our country today. Robyn
Glad you realize that "Eureka" and "Humboldt County" are different. Happy Christmas.
Here in AR. some wine companies will deliver to us, others won't. I don't know the laws and why. Until a few years ago none would, now more and more are allowing it. Of course the state is becoming wetter all the time as well.
We still have some dry counties in Florida too. Wouldn't be surprised if there are lots of states that aren't 100% wet. Robyn
Rice has been grown for years in California and they do not always suffer from drought as you may think from what you are reading. I was born and raised there, have lived all over the state and still have family from northern to southern Ca. yes, recent years the drought has been bad, but, heck, we have lived places where they get little snow and yet, they have years with 20 or more inches.
I have to totally agree with Eureka, if you can, always buy locally and where she lives there are plenty of places to buy a lot of locally grown foods. For those who chose to buy on line and can afford the prices, more power to them. for many there are other ways to get all the food supplies they need without going on line.
With that I will say, I priced our dogs favorite food on line, via Amazon, can save a little but think I would rather support our local economy. I did order some Trader Joe's nuts on line as a Christmas gift. We do not have T. Joes here yet.
Like I've said IIRC - depends on what your local area supports in terms of food production. Many parts of the US are suited to growing some things/raising certain animals - but certainly not everything or anything close to everything most/much less all of the time. You're not going to find "amber waves of grain" in Florida - or California or New York. IMO - we're lucky to have such a large diverse country where so many things can be grown/raised - and where transportation to our local grocery stores (and the manufacturers who turn raw products into finished products) is - in general - really good and fairly inexpensive.
We got our first Trader Joe's about a year or so ago. Went there a couple of times - and really didn't understand the fuss. Haven't returned. Robyn
Glad you realize that "Eureka" and "Humboldt County" are different. Happy Christmas.
I've been in California maybe 20 times. Can also read maps . Like California - Florida has micro-climates. Even when it comes to various parts of a 1/2 acre lot. But things like water use planning have to done on a reasonably large scale. Usually - at an absolute minimum - a county wide level. Here in Florida (a pretty large state geographically) - we have 5 water management districts for the whole state (67 counties).
The 2 largest water use interests here are major agricultural/livestock interests and residential use interests. As they should be IMO. I honestly don't think boutique food producers should get preferential treatment above these major consumer blocks (or perhaps not even equal treatment). Robyn
Like I've said IIRC - depends on what your local area supports in terms of food production. Many parts of the US are suited to growing some things/raising certain animals - but certainly not everything or anything close to everything most/much less all of the time. You're not going to find "amber waves of grain" in Florida - or California or New York. IMO - we're lucky to have such a large diverse country where so many things can be grown/raised - and where transportation to our local grocery stores (and the manufacturers who turn raw products into finished products) is - in general - really good and fairly inexpensive.
We got our first Trader Joe's about a year or so ago. Went there a couple of times - and really didn't understand the fuss. Haven't returned. Robyn
I totally agree with this...great post!!
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. Like California - Florida has micro-climates. Even when it comes to various parts of a 1/2 acre lot. But things like water use planning have to done on a reasonably large scale. Usually - at an absolute minimum - a county wide level. Here in Florida (a pretty large state geographically) - we have 5 water management districts for the whole state (67 counties).
