Global Warming?

[Rex E.]

Where I am currently residing is not conducive to growing anything edible. One of the reasons I don't plan on staying long

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by beej

And I have to believe that a good bit of that is the saturation advertising of that crap they sell at Mc/Wend/Bur/KFC/you-name-it.

The affordability issue is not an inconsequential one. We buy locally produced here because we can afford to. Not everyone has that luxury.

When I was back in Germany last summer, we visited some good friends who lived in a small village in the Black Forest. Everything we had at dinner and the following morning for breakfast was sourced from within the village, from meat to bread to fruits, vegetables, marmalade, beer, eggs and honey. They didn't think anything of it. It was just how they shopped and lived.

[beej]

Lived in Europe myself a few years back (Sardinia) and no question the local approach most defniitely has its appeal.

[Rex E.]

Originally Posted by finnbow

When I was back in Germany last summer, we visited some good friends who lived in a small village in the Black Forest. Everything we had at dinner and the following morning for breakfast was sourced from within the village, from meat to bread to fruits, vegetables, marmalade, beer, eggs and honey. They didn't think anything of it. It was just how they shopped and lived.

This is the kind of place I'd like to live. No massive stores but rather several little ones or the "farmers market" in the town square.

Being a guy from a small town and butcher of locally grown hogs, beef, sheep....deer in hunting season...... for six years, the above is my ideal existence.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Rex E.

This is the kind of place I'd like to live. No massive stores but rather several little ones or the "farmers market" in the town square.

Being a guy from a small town and butcher of locally grown hogs, beef, sheep....deer in hunting season...... for six years, the above is my ideal existence.

Indeed. I use to help my landlord over there butcher a hog twice a year. We'd spend all day cutting it up, making sausages, etc. and have a fest that night featuring the entire hogs head. FWIW, I purchased beef only a couple of times in the past 20 years as we favor my bow-killed venison to supermarket beef.

I can remember telling my son two years ago as he was moving to Germany that many basic foodstuffs would taste better over there. He was skeptical when I told him that even things like pork and potatoes had better flavor there, as they are nearly flavorless here. He called BS on my assertion, and then called a couple of months later saying how much more flavorful the pork and potatoes were. The strawberries we bought there last year were a revelation - a completely different fruit than those giant, bland, white-in-the-middle things from CA and FL. Don't even get me started on store bought tomatoes.

[JJIII]

I'm lucky enough to have a farmer just up the road from me that raises hogs among other things. He butchers several times a year and provides his neighbors with FRESH pork. The difference in flavor is remarkable. He also has fresh eggs available. The color and flavor there is also not even in the same ballpark.

[Independent]

Originally Posted by merrylander

During summer we have a Farmer's Market five minutes up the road andall year we have Good Earth 10 miles down the road. The problem with the super markets is the truckers. When they are bringing produce from California they do not always run the A/C unit on the trailer. That saves them gas, but when you buy "fresh" produce at the super market you had best eat it in the parking lot as it may not last until you get it home.

Yep, we had fresh sweet corn on the cob last night and blueberry muffins this morning using some of the ingredients my wife bought at our local farmer's market yesterday morning. Just about every Saturday morning she, or we, head down there and it's great sticking our money back in the local economy. Win, win....




Indy

[wgrr]

Originally Posted by finnbow

When I was back in Germany last summer, we visited some good friends who lived in a small village in the Black Forest. Everything we had at dinner and the following morning for breakfast was sourced from within the village, from meat to bread to fruits, vegetables, marmalade, beer, eggs and honey. They didn't think anything of it. It was just how they shopped and lived.

You can do that where I live. We have brew pub's that sell take out growlers. The farmers markets are full of all the vegetables, fruits, and meats, you need, all grown locally. My eggs come from two hens in my back yard. Milk comes from a local dairy and is sold in glass half gallon jugs. The milk cows are grass fed. You can taste the difference. Same thing for grass fed beef.

[piece-itpete]

Boy, not many like the Prius

Originally Posted by finnbow

That's what's wrong with Whole Foods. It's commonly referred to a Whole Paycheck.

BAM!

Pete

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Boy, not many like the Prius



BAM!

Pete

You'ld love it out here Pete. We've got social engineers in their little Prius cars slavishly adhering to 5-10 MPH below the speed limit in the fast lane all the while glaring at you in their rearview mirror and motioning frantically for you to back off. Kinda makes you want to carry a case of Pepsi 1 liter bottles to toss in front of them as you have to pass 'em on the right. That stuff does wonders on battery terminals, I wonder how well it works on paint?