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Is the hype true?
“Experts” say that you want fresh local produce. But do you really? What influences your purchasing decisions?
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Comment 1 27 Mar 2009, 2:25 PM
Yes it's true! I want to buy local fresh produce that hasn't been produced in another state and had to travel 1,000 of km in a refrigerated truck to get to me! The quality and taste are better and less food miles also, reducing your carbon footprint (a little)! I'd prefer local produce, then Australian but would never consider buying fresh fruit or vegetables that are overseas products (ie, garlic from China). I want to support my local producers and farmers not globalisation or multinational supermarket companies, that don't even offer local produce.
A Farmers Market is on in Grafton every Thursday and is the best place to get your fresh veg, fruit and local gourmet goodies.
Comment 2 31 Mar 2009, 8:43 AM
We are lucky to live in a place with great growing conditions - sun, rain and good soil. If we can't feed ourselves here, then who can? I'd like to see more encouragement for local growers who provide as with fresh and (even better) organic produce. Anyone interested in setting up a delivery service for locally grown produce?
Comment 3 1 Apr 2009, 11:12 AM
We all want to eat fresh local produce but can we afford to? That's the question. The sad fact is its cheaper to eat food shipped in from around the country bought in the supermarkets than it is to eat local fresh produce. Its also cheaper to feed the family in McDonalds than it is to cook most meat based meals.
Comment 3.1 2 Apr 2009, 1:24 PM
How much is the health of your children and yourself worth? How important is good nutrition for yourself and your family? It may be cheaper to eat McDonalds but you are eating fat and food that comes from who knows where? You also have no control on how it is processed, etc. If you feel meat is so expensive to cook, then become vegetarian as this is much cheaper than all other options, especially McDonalds food.
Comment 4 26 Apr 2009, 9:56 PM
Of course. However, what's fresh? Something that's ripe when you buy it but was picked 'green' a week or more before to make it through marketing, etc to get to me ripe? Or is it something that's picked a short time before being sold to me? I hope it's the latter but can our local growers provide 'fresh' produce for local people? To do this would require much more opportunity for local growers and buyers to cross paths. I'd much rather buy a local product at a local outlet or market as a freshly picked, lowly travelled (and lower CO2/GGE) product rather than buy a local product that has been picked 'green' gone to city market and brought back 'home' again. 1 - it's not 'fresh' and 2 - its had a higher CO2/GGE footprint. Cut out the middle man (the city market) and we'll all be better off.
Comment 5 28 Apr 2009, 9:26 AM
Another fantastic opportunity to cut your grocery bill and help the planet is to become a vegetarian.
The cost of purchasing vegies, fruit and protein (beans, tofu, etc) over meat is significantly less and cheaper to feed a family too.