Here is a question...

Silicon Valley Tom

It makes me happpy to play The Blues!
They tell us that California grows 50% of the Nations Produce. What I have observed here in the San Francisco Bay Area, is that about 95% of the produce sold at our markets is from Mexico. It was not that way a few years ago. How about other areas of the United States? I would appreciate a response from others who live in other states.

I have not been out of California since 1994, so I cannot comment on what is going on in other states. Do you see produce from California, or Mexico, and what is the percentage? I remember when I was in the Air Force, and lived in Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Oregon, and Missouri. Produce and wine from California were twice as expensive in other states, as they were in California. You never saw anything from Mexico.

Times change and all that.

My thoughts are that the California based produce sellers sell to other states at a premium, and import produce from Mexico, sell in in California, for a fraction of what it is worth. This is done to increase their profit margin, and sell our produce to other states for as much as they can.



Tom
 

blackcoffeeblues

Student Of The Blues
ARIZONA----Produce----pretty much none from California---Mexico-Costa Rica---got it tied up.
Fruit:----DITTO---same stuff----use to we got Dole Pinapple from Hawaii, not no more---Costa Rica and the Phillipines--(didn't know that till I walked over to the cubbard and saw where it came from). But Packaged in California. HMMMMM. Honey Dew mellons-cantelope even watermellon We got thousands of acres of of them-- but you never see them on the shelf---Costa Rica--Mexico.
Arizona use to have vast Orange, Lemon, Gratefruit orchards all over,(and cotton fields), now they are old fart resort retirement towns. Golf course" Casinos-- Every once in awhile you will see Apples from Oregan & Washington.NOT very often.. We do get Wine from Cali. But you can buy French, Italian, Spain wine for about the same price---sometimes even lower.....and after all the floods-fires-it will probably be more-$$$ than the others. I see Lamb-Beef from New Zealand (duh?) Chess from Denmark-Holland. IT IS SAD---it ain't just sad it's sick---Oh you see that ECOLI_stuff coming out of Arizona---Lettuce---Cuecombers--YEAH-RIGHT---I would bet you I know exactly where it came from---but that's a touchy subject so I won't go there. Later Got to add this one---COCONUT---from Guatamlala----shish give me a break.
 

PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
Depends on the time of year, right now its Mexico, later in the year it'll be California and other domestic sources, of the fruit I bought at the store today, oranges and apples were USA the blueberries from Chile
 
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PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
I am, but I thought most of the blueberries came from Maine, they do grow here, but didn't realize they were grown commercially, checked and Maine isn't even in the top ten, no idea where I dreamed that up
 
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Elio

Student Of The Blues
They tell us that California grows 50% of the Nations Produce. What I have observed here in the San Francisco Bay Area, is that about 95% of the produce sold at our markets is from Mexico. It was not that way a few years ago. How about other areas of the United States? I would appreciate a response from others who live in other states.

I have not been out of California since 1994, so I cannot comment on what is going on in other states. Do you see produce from California, or Mexico, and what is the percentage? I remember when I was in the Air Force, and lived in Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Oregon, and Missouri. Produce and wine from California were twice as expensive in other states, as they were in California. You never saw anything from Mexico.

Times change and all that.

My thoughts are that the California based produce sellers sell to other states at a premium, and import produce from Mexico, sell in in California, for a fraction of what it is worth. This is done to increase their profit margin, and sell our produce to other states for as much as they can.



Tom

The programmer for my business is also a California avocado grower. According to him, avocados from southern Mexico have a different growing season than CA by a few months. Consequently, they usually hit the stores at about the time the CA picking season ends. What you see in the stores largely depends on the time of year that you are shopping. Mexico tends to not produce certified organic fruit, so if you shop for organic produce, it is more likely to be CA grown.

A couple of years ago, just as the avocado inventory was shifting from CA to Mexican fruit, the Mexican growers decided to reduce their exports. Since the California grown inventory had run out, that produced an immediate spike in imported avocado prices. I remember ranting about the guacomole price increase at my favourite Mexican restaurant.
 

Silicon Valley Tom

It makes me happpy to play The Blues!
I remember driving through Vista, and the surrounding area, in the mid 1970's. Wall to wall avocados. Return in the 1980's, and the avocados were replaced with wall to wall houses. Very often, the avocados from Mexico have areas of black inside. Safeway has avocados for $2.00 each, and Trader Joe for .99 cents. The ones from Trader Joe are much better, quality and price wise!

Tom
 

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
I lived in Escondido in the late 70's I can remember when the Hass avocados came in, you could pick them up 10 for a dollar at roadside stands at the edge of town or on the way to Valley Center.

I worked for a company that sold and serviced 2-way radios (before cell phones). We had a lot of grove management companies. When a grove management truck showed up for a new radio or repair, I always took a box out to the truck, because the passenger side footwell was usually full of either avocados or citrus and I had to take them out to be able to work on the vehicle. Usually the driver would thank me for cleaning out his truck and tell me to toss 'em or keep 'em.
 

Grateful_Ed

Student Of The Blues
When he leaves the growing floor or pen and enters the finishing floor or pen.

150 lbs or so.

It's actually simpler than that. Hogs are from Milwaukee! ;)
th
 

blackcoffeeblues

Student Of The Blues
I "juice" (vegetables) a couple times each week.
I looked at the celery and carrot bags this week - both were from CA.
You got me checking everything:)Tangelos--Ca.-Walnuts-Ca.---Mandrian oranges-China--Fruit cocktail----Thailand---Bumble bee Tuna--China
Peaches--U.S.A.--Pinapple--Phillipines and Manchego cheese-- from Spain (which is where it should be from)-- :)
 

blackcoffeeblues

Student Of The Blues
Wife went shopping today---here's the Produce----- Organic Bananas---Ecquador---(we ain't got no banana plantations) so acceptable.
Yellow Tail--Merlot wine----Australia
Brcolli and onions---unmarked---who knows where they come from???/
Tomatos-Avacados-Strawberries---Mexico
I am going to keep track of this and see where it leads. :):):)this is fun..
 
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