Local/Sustainable? I want Ethical.

[Steve Kroll]

I would love to know the source of your information about McDonald's and Target breaking their contracts with this egg company. Today, so much is "net-lore" that really never happened, and is quoted enough to make it sound as if it really did happen.

Cite please? And exactly what egg company was this? I would like to look up more information about this incident.

Timothy, there is nothing net-lore about this story. It made the national news last week.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/19/business/sparboe-farms-animal-cruelty/index.html

Sam's Club has now also followed suit, from what I understand.
http://www.kare11.com/rss/article/947662/391/More-fallout-for-Minn-based-Sparboe-Farms-

 

[Andy M.]

Let me start by stating I do not defend or support the unnecessarily cruel practices in the video or discussed here.

We need agribusinesses. High volume food production and worldwide distribution is necessary to feed us the foods we want year-around.

The glorified days of old when you raised your own chickens, had a hog and a cow and a vegetable garden to feed your family are gone forever for all but a few who have made an effort to live this way.

When 90% of the population was rural, this type of living was not an issue. Now 90% of the population is urban and suburban. Farming is no longer the industry that employes the most people. We are a nation of service providers more than product providers.

As a result, the agriculture business has to be big to feed us. Could they do things differently? Yes, but your prices would likely be higher. Overall, the quality level of food in the USA is the highest it's ever been. I'm not talking about highly processed foods but meats, vegetables, grains and fruits. More people are getting fresh foods than ever before.

Without a doubt, the local farmer/rancher can provide you with great quality meats and produce. You'll have to pay more but that's not necessarily a bad thing. But you'd only get fresh fruits and veggies for a few months in the summer. You wouldn't have the variety you enjoy today.

Agribusiness, while necessary can also be too focused on making a buck. I often wonder, when I hear of a ground beef recall on TV, if someone knew about the possible contamination but didn't say anything because they had a dollar quota to meet. They see their responsibility to their shareholders rather than to their customers. Much the same as all corporations.

Locally, my best choice for local produce is farmers' markets. They have great quality fruits and veggies that taste outstanding. Sadly, they are around for about four months a year and supplement their produce with imports. Otherwise, I rely on local supermarkets and the worldwide farming industry for my grub.

 

[Timothy]

Timothy, there is nothing net-lore about this story. It made the national news last week.

McDonald's, Target drop egg supplier after animal cruelty report - CNN.com

Sam's Club has now also followed suit, from what I understand.

Thanks for the link, Steve. CNN's legal department surely wouldn't allow it to publish this information unless it was true and verifiable.

I'm a die-hard sceptic on almost everything. Separating the chaff from the wheat is sometimes very difficult with news stories. Each of the news outlets tries to put the story into the public eye before anyone else does, and sometimes they do so without absolutely verifying the information, only to be embarrassed later with corrections and withdrawals.

I question the veracity of everything until I am satisfied that what I read is what really happened.

I never mean any insult in this regard. I would think that anyone I ask for verification would be glad to offer it as proof of thier claims.

Like almost everyone, I've heard some doozies in my time.

 

[CWS4322]

I have gardening book from 1948. The vegetable garden "plans" for a family of 5 are typically 50 x 100 ft. I know of urban lots in my area that are 37 ft x 104 ft. Now where would the family of five plant a garden large enough to produce the food to "put up" for the winter on a lot that size?

We have 3000 sq ft of garden--we have turned another plot this fall that will add another 1500 sq ft. We are a family of 2--and we grind veggies for the dogs (and now the chickens!). The new plot is for sweet corn, beans, and squash--the Three Sisters <g>. That brings out garden "space" square footage to almost that of a city lot. This doesn't count the 3 acres of pumpkins we plant. This year was not a good gardening season--I think we harvested 10 pumpkins (the field didn't get planted--too wet) and 5 winter squash. We haven't had a decent winter squash production since 2007. Too wet. And, I only harvested about 10 eggplant--way down from the bounty I usually harvest. Every spring we hope for a better year, but since 2008, the weather has not been on our side...a high tunnel is very tempting (but very expensive).

 

[Timothy]

Let me start by stating I do not defend or support the unnecessarily cruel practices in the video or discussed here.

We need agribusinesses. High volume food production and worldwide distribution is necessary to feed us the foods we want year-around.

The glorified days of old when you raised your own chickens, had a hog and a cow and a vegetable garden to feed your family are gone forever for all but a few who have made an effort to live this way.

When 90% of the population was rural, this type of living was not an issue. Now 90% of the population is urban and suburban. Farming is no longer the industry that employs the most people. We are a nation of service providers more than product providers.

As a result, the agriculture business has to be big to feed us. Could they do things differently? Yes, but your prices would likely be higher. Overall, the quality level of food in the USA is the highest it's ever been. I'm not talking about highly processed foods but meats, vegetables, grains and fruits. More people are getting fresh foods than ever before.

Without a doubt, the local farmer/rancher can provide you with great quality meats and produce. You'll have to pay more but that's not necessarily a bad thing. But you'd only get fresh fruits and veggies for a few months in the summer. You wouldn't have the variety you enjoy today.

Agribusiness, while necessary can also be too focused on making a buck. I often wonder, when I hear of a ground beef recall on TV, if someone knew about the possible contamination but didn't say anything because they had a dollar quota to meet. They see their responsibility to their shareholders rather than to their customers. Much the same as all corporations.

Locally, my best choice for local produce is farmers' markets. They have great quality fruits and veggies that taste outstanding. Sadly, they are around for about four months a year and supplement their produce with imports. Otherwise, I rely on local supermarkets and the worldwide farming industry for my grub.

Well said, Andy. You have an ability to explain things in clear, precise words.

Every Wednesday, there is a huge farmers market at the St. Johns County Pier and the third Saturday of each month, another market at Ponte Vedra is available to me. The St. Augustine Flea Market also has a pretty big vegetable market that is open each weekend.

Between those three, I have availability to locally grown produce to my hearts desires.

This coming spring, I'll have my own greenhouse and hydroponically grown veggies that will provide me with all of my most commonly eaten veggies.

 

[Kathleen]

Wow, Bolas! I want to be your neighbor! What a terrific symbiotic group you have!

Timothy, there is nothing net-lore about this story. It made the national news last week.

McDonald's, Target drop egg supplier after animal cruelty report - CNN.com

Sam's Club has now also followed suit, from what I understand.

The news here said that Sam's Club and a few more chain groceries have followed Target and McDonalds. To Sparboe Farm's credit, they seem to be interested in making immediate changes to make things better on their farms. They even posted an "Animal Care Code of Conduct" on their website. It's a start!

Agribusiness, while necessary can also be too focused on making a buck. I often wonder, when I hear of a ground beef recall on TV, if someone knew about the possible contamination but didn't say anything because they had a dollar quota to meet. They see their responsibility to their shareholders rather than to their customers. Much the same as all corporations.

Locally, my best choice for local produce is farmers' markets. They have great quality fruits and veggies that taste outstanding. Sadly, they are around for about four months a year and supplement their produce with imports. Otherwise, I rely on local supermarkets and the worldwide farming industry for my grub.

I wonder that too, Andy. I believe that consumers are becoming more aware and I hope that consumer pressure will be applied to create more safe practices.

We are so fortunate to have a farmer's market that operates year around. Mind you, we don't have a lot of variety in winter, but it is still nice that it is there. Plus, some of the vendors have relationships with farms in the south to provide some supplies.

I have gardening book from 1948. The vegetable garden "plans" for a family of 5 are typically 50 x 100 ft. I know of urban lots in my area that are 37 ft x 104 ft. Now where would the family of five plant a garden large enough to produce the food to "put up" for the winter on a lot that size?

We have 3000 sq ft of garden--we have turned another plot this fall that will add another 1500 sq ft. We are a family of 2--and we grind veggies for the dogs (and now the chickens!). The new plot is for sweet corn, beans, and squash--the Three Sisters <g>. That brings out garden "space" square footage to almost that of a city lot. This doesn't count the 3 acres of pumpkins we plant. This year was not a good gardening season--I think we harvested 10 pumpkins (the field didn't get planted--too wet) and 5 winter squash. We haven't had a decent winter squash production since 2007. Too wet. And, I only harvested about 10 eggplant--way down from the bounty I usually harvest. Every spring we hope for a better year, but since 2008, the weather has not been on our side...a high tunnel is very tempting (but very expensive).

You have a huge garden. I struggled with tending to my tiny 150 sq foot plot!

 

[CWS4322]

Wow, Bolas! I want to be your neighbor! What a terrific symbiotic group you have!



The news here said that Sam's Club and a few more chain groceries have followed Target and McDonalds. To Sparboe Farm's credit, they seem to be interested in making immediate changes to make things better on their farms. They even posted an "Animal Care Code of Conduct" on their website. It's a start!



I wonder that too, Andy. I believe that consumers are becoming more aware and I hope that consumer pressure will be applied to create more safe practices.

We are so fortunate to have a farmer's market that operates year around. Mind you, we don't have a lot of variety in winter, but it is still nice that it is there. Plus, some of the vendors have relationships with farms in the south to provide some supplies.




You have a huge garden. I struggled with tending to my tiny 150 sq foot plot!

We work on being self-sustaining.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Thanks Kath, I am a meat eater and occasional hunter, I also dispatch Chicken Tim's old birds (CT is a 6ft 4" giant who worked for a time in a florist in West Hollywood he specialised in home visit to dress the christmas trees) he keeps us all supplied with eggs and grows the most fragrant sweet peas ever. I digress, the big crime for me over here is the live transport of animals to Europe, new laws were fought for about the treatment of these animals in transport.This law nearly shut this trade down until now.

 

[Kathleen]

Bolas....I'm almost afraid to ask!

 

[bakechef]

My friend just delivered some eggs from her chickens!

Cool colors, one is olive greenish, one is a light grey blue and the others shades of brown!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Beautiful, I swiped the pic!

 

[bakechef]

They are almost too pretty to eat, but I'm going to! I just need to make something good. She tells me that the yolks are a nice bright orange!

You can tell that I'm a food nerd when I'm taking pictures of eggs

 

[FrankZ]

We had a local bunny bring us eggs a couple months ago.

 

[bakechef]

Was that bunny on an acid trip when it laid them eggs?

 

[FrankZ]

I don't ask questions of rouge bunnies...

 

[Dawgluver]

Or green bunnies, or purple bunnies...

Did they wear lipstick too, Frank? Or were they rogue bunnies?

 

[CWS4322]

Leave you guys alone for a day and you have purple bunnies laying eggs. Bunnies DO NOT Lay Eggs!

 

[Dawgluver]

Leave you guys alone for a day and you have purple bunnies laying eggs. Bunnies DO NOT Lay Eggs!

Correction. Rouge bunnies. With lipstick.

Obviously French.

 

[Kathleen]

My friend just delivered some eggs from her chickens!

Cool colors, one is olive greenish, one is a light grey blue and the others shades of brown!

Those eggs are GORGEOUS! I so want my own chickens. I'm almost ready to consider seeking another place to live. Almost.

I don't ask questions of rouge bunnies...

I need to ask rouged bunnies to bring us chickens that lay Easter-egger eggs.

 

[CWS4322]

They are lovely eggs. I believe the green and blue egg are from Easter Egger chickens!