On Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:42:14 -0400, George >
wrote:

>On 8/15/2012 11:13 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>> On 14/08/2012 10:01 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Mine come from the local farmer's market. I know where they were
>>> grown.
>>>
>>
>> I recently had some locally grown cantaloupe. Holy cow. What an amazing
>> difference between the fresh stuff and those that ate picked hard and
>> rubbery for long distance transport.
>
>I almost don't want to buy stuff outside of local season because there
>is such a difference.

With a lot of produce there's no choice, most produce doesn't grow
locally and what does the season is short, much of what's available
all year is shipped from the other hemisphere... there are no
banana/pineapple farmers where I live, no citrus either. And "farmers
market" in no way means grown locally, farmers markets sell exactly
the same produce as your local stupidmarket. If you want local
produce shop the local "farm stands". Most of the farmer's market
venders have never grown any produce, their hands have never touched
dirt... a farmer's market is just a produce flea market, they are
resellers, and much of what they sell are culls and left overs from
the regional produce wholesalers. Buying cantaloupe from a local
farmer's market in no way means it's locally grown. If you want
locally grown find a farm stand at the side of the road in front of a
farm where you can actually see cantaloupe growing in the farmer's
fields. However regardless from where purchased produce needs to be
carefully washed immediately upon arriving home, before putting it in
your fridge.