Wednesday, September 10, 2014

LOCAL PRODUCE

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

I'm bewildered, but I feel confident that at least one kind soul among you will be able to explain away my confusion.

I usually grocery shop at Target (thank God they put an end to that open carry nonsense). I like Target because 1. if they don't carry it, then I probably don't need it, and because 2. prices are lower. A twenty pound bag of kibble costs $2 less at Target than it does at Publix.

Publix is crowded. The aisles are too small (Hey! just a little grammar note: please stop spelling "aisles" as "isles." The two most definitely have different meanings.) The Publix parking lot is more dangerous than I-295, going any direction. I've been the recipient of at least two hit-and-run bashes to the rear of my poor little car. Sometimes the carts at Publix are all in use because it's that busy.

I'm fond of Target's wide aisles. It's easy to peruse the products.

And I felt quite pleased recently when I noticed signs in the produce department saying "We support local growers":


Excellent, I thought. I want to support local growers. Isn't that what Alice Waters and the whole Chez Panisse thing is about? Not that I've ever eaten there, but the fresh, local food concept is cool.

I bought a bag of lemons because I like lemon in my water when it's hot, and it's definitely hot now.

At home, I took a lemon out of the bag so I could cut it in quarters. It had a sticker:

California Lemons

So, I guess I don't understand the local produce thing.


See that lavender state hanging off the bottom of the right side (some of you might call that the eastern part) of the U.S.? That's my state. I live in Florida.

See that green state, the very big one on the left side (or west coast) just below Oregon? That's California. My lemons came from California.

If you look at Florida and California, and then at California and Florida, does it make sense to you that produce from California that travels all the way to Florida is "local produce"?

If California is "local," then I should be able to get in my car and go out for lunch with The Hurricane. I wonder what time I should leave. Maybe noon if we want lunch at one?

But how do I handle the three-hour time difference? When it's noon in Florida, it's nine a.m. in California.

'Tis a conundrum.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

20 comments:

  1. In my area, there are only three choices: Target, Publix, and Kroger. Our Kroger is very run-down and crowded all the time. I go to Publix for groceries, mostly because our Target doesn't have quite the selection of groceries that the other stores do. Our Publix is brand new and the aisles are wide--but I go during the week, while the world is at work, so the only people in my way there are the workers. Workers are ALWAYS in the way in the grocery part of Target when I go. I don't know why! Target does have two things nobody else does: big bags of sugar-free Reese's Peanut Butter cups (everyone else just has the bag of 8 or 10 of them and they're YUMMY!!!) and Takis, some weird potato chip my stepdaughter is addicted to!

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    1. I usually don't see workers in Target until I get to checkout. I buy most of my food from Schwan's because the Schwan's man delivers it and carries it into the kitchen. I love the Schwan's man, and the food is good, too.

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  2. The Wal~Mart by me does the same local produce thing - but they have signs by specific produce letting you know that it's grown locally, so some things are locally grown, some things aren't. Of course, we grow pretty sorry lemons in these parts. Maybe Target just hasn't struck a deal w/ a Florida lemon grower yet or has contracts w/ the CA guys that haven't expired yet??

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    1. Target has the signs all over the place. I know all that produce doesn't come from local growers. They could go by Favorite Young Man's house and he would give them all the oranges they want for free.

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  3. That would be 'false advertising', Janie. I would mention it to the produce manager at Target and see what they say.
    I do support 'local food' as much as I can. I think it's important because it enables individuals to start/run a thriving business and generate more money for the local economy and build a stronger middle call....instead of multinational corporations calling the shots all the time on how and where we spend our money!! PHEW!! I am sure I could have used a comma or two there, Janie!! lol

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  4. Does Florida have a "Lemon Law"? I know Pennsylvania does. It might be able to help you out.
    Wait...what?

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    1. Florida's law is Stand Your Ground so we can all kill each other.

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  5. Oh, and not for nothin'.....why in the frik would a store in FLORIDA need to import any citrus?
    Now THAT'S a conundrum.

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  6. Ok here in Australia Target is a department store and doesn't sell food items well they sell chocolates and chips but not general food items. As for the local produce I have never got what they call local since I do not live in area with farms and such so by local they must mean either from my home state or from Australia in general

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    1. In the U.S. Target used to be a department store. I think they started adding groceries when Wal-Mart created their super centers, where you can buy just about anything on God's green Earth.

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  7. Hi Janie,
    Well, although I'm English, it's much the same here with some Supermarkets being cheaper than others and foods being flown in from all over the world when we grow or produce a lot of it here ….. just don't get it !!! XXXX

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    1. Makes no sense. If I didn't have a swamp in my backyard, I would consider learning to garden, but I also don't want to attract rats.

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  8. I see what you mean. Maybe it's called local if it's from this planet.
    Anything from say Mars or Saturn you have to get at Publix and risk parking lot trauma.

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    1. Wal-Mart seems even worse than Publix. I drive past a Wal-Mart on the way to my dentist and doctor's offices. Their parking lot is always packed.

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  9. I've seen those signs in Target, too. Perhaps being a chain, they put the same signs in stores all over the country assuming *something* in each section must be local to that store. That's my shot in the dark, but what the hell do I know!? :) I really like shopping at Target, and you're right, everything is cheaper. I get my produce at Wegman's because my local Target has a very limited produce section. Go figure, in the Garden State. Hmm. Everything else, I get from there. Now you have me wondering about the logic, or lack thereof, with the signs. Hmmm...

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    1. I think they're trying to promote themselves as taking part in the locally grown movement, and they don't care if a sign that says "We support local growers" is above a bag of lemons from California. After all, we support local growers can mean they buy from two sellers in the area.

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  10. I want to have a huge garden so I don't have to go to the store. But I also want a hot young yummie to tend it for me. That might prove more difficult.

    -andi

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