Do you try to buy local?

[Anja]

Hi all,

here is another question to further my little research project into what makes us fruit and veggie growers tick:

For those occasions when you haven't been able to grow all you want to eat, do you try to buy locally grown fruit and vegetables? If so, why?

Also, slightly related question: do you read the labels on food stuffs you buy, you know, in terms of where it comes from, whether it's organic, or fair trade, or anything else, what's in it? What do you look out for and why?

Looking forward to your views on this.

Anja

P.S. And the disclaimer, by now known to some of you , I am interested in this not just for personal reason but also because I'm hoping it'll feed into an academic research project, the findings of which I'm hoping to publish at some point, evidently without naming names (including forum names, or indeed the name of this forum). I only wish I stood to gain from this commercially, but I don't

[madasafish]

Local eggs: ouch size: 71p for 6.

And supermarket prices= £1.40.

Simples..

[Monika]

Do I try to buy locally, if it really is necessary to buy vegetables? Yes, albeit from supermarkets.

Booths, a Lancashire based supermarket, always marks its Lancashire-grown vegetables and I certainly go for those, grown in the rich fields of the Fylde.

Waitrose usually has a "Yorkshire-grown" vegetable section and I buy those if possible.

I certainly look at labels and avoid anything with too many food miles, hence only fruit which is in season in Britain at the time of my purchase. As far as organic, Fairtrade etc is concerned, yes, I do go for these but not exclusively.

[alan refail]

Do we buy locally? Simple answer: not very often. Reason: very few fruit and vegetables are grown in this area, even by private individuals. Main food produce: Welsh Black beef, Welsh salt-marsh lamb; always buy from the local butcher.

[thread drift] Madasafish - If we saw eggs for 71p a half dozen we would be extremely suspicious and want to know how they had been kept and what they had been fed on! We would want to see the hens. As I am a poultry keeper we don't buy eggs, but locals are more than happy to pay £1.50 for half a dozen eggs, hen or duck, no more than a couple of days old, free-range but not "organic". With feed at £7.50 for 25 kilos and mixed corn at £6.50 for 20 kilos, plus other costs, anything less is philanthropy![/thread drift]

[Nature's Babe]

Hi Anja, good luck with the research.
First I produce what I can for myself, herbs veg, fruit and eggs, preserves etc then extras I try to buy local. Round here, folk leave surplus stuff on stalls at the gate, trusting folk to leave the money, things like fruit, veg duck and chicken eggs, preserves, plants, flowers etc, chance buys. Stuff like coffee tea and citrus fruits bananas are not produced locally so then I look to buy organic, ethically, and fair trade and EU ( our near neighbours ) I know the source, and it's shipped from france and spain, not flown, my supplier has ethics and eco considerations at heart too, packaging is minimal, and compostable or returnable and it is no more expensive than a shopping trip to the supermarket. The extras I get come from a local organic box scheme, they label the source of produce and I get organic dairy stuff and kitchen staples too, having it delivered saves on fuel emissions, they even offer recipe sugestions with their produce. I am also looking at ethical banking too, as many of the banks invest in stuff I would rather not put money into eg weapons industry.

[Tony Hague]

First organic, now local. What I believe people want to believe is that they are buying an artisan product.

And it is not just me, T*$co have spotted it too. On a pack of whatnots I see a familiar face, and a label saying "From the family farm of Mr whoever". You want to believe it is a small, local artisan. In fact Mr whoever's family farm produce 70% of the whatnots consumed in the UK. 'Tis quite true it is a family farm, and the product is fine enough, but the impression created does not quite match reality.

This is a true example, but the identity of Mr whoever and his whatnots have been disguised ...

[Nature's Babe]

Not so everywhere Tony, our local independent supermarket supports our local farmers there are banners up outside the supermarket showing them at work billing them as local heroes, eg when apples are in season the producer does a stint at the supermarket promoting his produce, I was able to chat to him about the merits of the dual purpose apple melrose as a cooking apple, naturally sweeter than a bramley I can give it to my diabetic mother without adding sugar or sweetener.we know their faces and can talk to our local pig beef turkey and lamb farmer, we know who cares for the local bee hives and produces our local honey, we also know the faces of the people behind local buiscuits wines and preserves. Fields growing local veg are either side of the lane en route to the supermarket. We see the farmers out working sometimes late into the evening with lights on farm machinery. Last year he used field beans to prepare the ground for this years wheat crop, and very cleverly managed to harvest on a couple of dry days before the weeks of rain started . he left the stubble in to feed the soil and now grass has grown and the sheep are grazing. So here we do know our producers quite intimately

[Victoria]

Ido try to buy local. Eggs always - usually outside someone's house. Veg etc - we have a lovely farm shop near us - expensive though. If I go to supermarket I try to buy local there if I can. Fruit - only if its shipped from Spain/Holland. Meat I usually get from a local butcher who has a board outside saying where the beef etc has come from - Farmer's name and address plus rosettes from shows etc!!

[Anja]

Hi all,

thanks so much. Great responses, too. It seems your views on buying local vary depending on what's available locally and the extent to which it can be trusted to be what it purports to be, which makes perfect sense.

Thanks again for your participation in this ongoing project. I'll sure be back with some more questions as I constant think of new stuff after reading your postings.

Cheers,

Anja