I've Always Wondered...

[BLAZER PROPHET]

If a farm growing a crop for sale in a grocery store uses union workers, transports with union truckers and sells the product at a union store.... why are those products selling for half as much as some local person growing the same product organically, harvests it themselves, transports it to a store themselves...

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Most of the "union" Stores are buying an inferior product from countries like Mexico, while our produce is sent overseas. When it is retailed here, you have to shop places like Market of choice and pay through the nose.

 

[Eastoff]

Most of the "union" Stores are buying an inferior product from countries like Mexico, while our produce is sent overseas. When it is retailed here, you have to shop places like Market of choice and pay through the nose.

Basically this. If you go to farmers markets, you can have a little better luck IMO

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

If a farm growing a crop for sale in a grocery store uses union workers, transports with union truckers and sells the product at a union store.... why are those products selling for half as much as some local person growing the same product organically, harvests it themselves, transports it to a store themselves...

Because the grocery stores have huge distribution networks, purchase in massive quantaties and feed the masses versus some local farmer handpicking their own crop?

Why does a bar of dial soap cost less than a locally produced handmade soap?

 

[3RA1N1AC]

because comparatively, it is half as good, if that

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Why is a hamburger at McDonalds cheaper than one from Morton's?

 

[MARIS61]

"In this world, you get what you pay for."

Kurt Vonnegut (Cat's Cradle)

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Why are courtside seats cheaper than 300 level tickets?

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Oh come on.

I buy produce raised on a California farm. It's union labor. It's bought in with very expensive equipment and shipped several thousand miles under union contracts and ends up in various union warehouses and finally ends up at Safeway, a union store. It may cost $0.69 per item or pound. Joe & Martha at Sauvie Island grow a few acres of the same thing. They simply plant, harvest (as they put nothing on it like herbicides...) and drive it to the store and it sells for $1.89 or more per item and it's called "organic". It just doesn't seem to make sense to me.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

do you really not understand the economics of scale?

 

[ABM]

"In this world, you get what you pay for."

Kurt Vonnegut (Cat's Cradle)

S2 is free, baby!!

 

[SlyPokerDog]

This is why I only use non union organic prostitutes.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

This is why I only use non union organic prostitutes.

Do they charge more per hour than non organic? I mean, talk about economy of scale!

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

do you really not understand the economics of scale?

Actually I do. But what I suspect is that Portlandia organic growers are price gouging and cashing in on the eating green rage.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Do they charge more per hour than non organic? I mean, talk about economy of scale!

Yes but they swallow and let you go bareback.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Yes but they swallow and let you go bareback.

Yeah? Horseback riding as well?

 

[BrianFromWA]

Non Organic:

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Actually I do. But what I suspect is that Portlandia organic growers are price gouging and cashing in on the eating green rage.

Yeah, I'm sure they are hauling those tomatoes in their bentleys.

I don't find the prices on them really that outrageous. I shop at farmer's markets whenever I can. I'd rather they have the money than some faceless corporation that exploits cheap mexican labor and uses pesticides. I mean the food was in the ground the day before versus maybe 2-3 weeks ago.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Yeah, I'm sure they are hauling those tomatoes in their bentleys.

I don't find the prices on them really that outrageous. I shop at farmer's markets whenever I can. I'd rather they have the money than some faceless corporation that exploits cheap mexican labor and uses pesticides. I mean the food was in the ground the day before versus maybe 2-3 weeks ago.

And you may be right. It just seemed odd to me.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I mean they still have to make enough money to survive. If they charged discount supermarket prices it wouldn't be worth it to even set up at a farmer's market. Support local. :MARIS61:

 

[crandc]

Subsidies. Many of the items grown on huge farms receive large federal subsidies.

Industrial agriculture - if you plant very close together, load soil with heavy chemical fertilizer, spray with pesticide, pick mechanically, grow rows and rows of genetically identical plants that are all ready to pick at the same time, there is certainly an economy of scale. Any home vegetable gardener, and I have a very large one, can tell you how much labor is involved in composting, mulching, hand picking snails, tending plants individually, picking only at peak.

The difference is in taste, of course, but also in renewing soil rather than wearing it out. You could argue that industrial agriculture is more expensive in the long run.

And let's face it, farm workers even when unionized are not exactly highly paid.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Subsidies. Many of the items grown on huge farms receive large federal subsidies.

Industrial agriculture - if you plant very close together, load soil with heavy chemical fertilizer, spray with pesticide, pick mechanically, grow rows and rows of genetically identical plants that are all ready to pick at the same time, there is certainly an economy of scale. Any home vegetable gardener, and I have a very large one, can tell you how much labor is involved in composting, mulching, hand picking snails, tending plants individually, picking only at peak.

The difference is in taste, of course, but also in renewing soil rather than wearing it out. You could argue that industrial agriculture is more expensive in the long run.

And let's face it, farm workers even when unionized are not exactly highly paid.

That's a very good post. And I can attest that ag union workers are underpaid.

 

[crandc]

And I can attest organic farming is a 365 day a year job!

Anyone want any Thai basil? I have an overload, I've packed so much Thai food into my big freezer things fall out when I open the door.

That's another thing, organic gardening is much more subject to over and undersupply than industrial agriculture.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

What crandc said was spot on.

The reason why most of our food is so inexpensive is partially due to subsidies and partially due to how the industrial food system is set up. We externalize the real cost of food (and everything else we buy).

Anyone want any Thai basil?

oh my glob yes please

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Anyone want any Thai basil?

mee mee! i love thai food

 

[Spud147]

And I can attest organic farming is a 365 day a year job!

Anyone want any Thai basil? I have an overload, I've packed so much Thai food into my big freezer things fall out when I open the door.

That's another thing, organic gardening is much more subject to over and undersupply than industrial agriculture.

Can you just send up the Thai food you already made? I love the Thai Basil but my cooking skill set is really limited to toast, microwave popcorn, and oatmeal.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

Can you just send up the Thai food you already made? I love the Thai Basil but my cooking skill set is really limited to toast, microwave popcorn, and oatmeal.

thai food is actually deceptively easy to make. as long as you've got coconut milk, thai basil, lemongrass and keffir lime leaves (all of which can be found at any asian grocery store), it tastes amazeballs

 

[3RA1N1AC]

ive been making my own pad thai for years


NEED:

rice noodles
bean sprouts
shrimp or whatever
couple eggs
crushed peanuts
a lime
green onions
and a jar of some authentic pad thai sauce like this:

not some thai kitchen cheeseball sauce


PREPARATION:

soak the rice noodles
heat up a frying pan to nuclear with basil/garlic/ginger and a bunch of oil, i use vegetable oil or peanut oil with a dash of sesame
drop the shrimp in
drop an egg in and scramble right quick
drop the noods and the sauce in
drop the sprouts in
stir fry that shit for a minute or so
throw a handful of scallions on top, and a handful of crushed peanuts
lime on the side

fucking perfect everytime, tastes exactly like a restaurant

 

[Spud147]

thai food is actually deceptively easy to make. as long as you've got coconut milk, thai basil, lemongrass and keffir lime leaves (all of which can be found at any asian grocery store), it tastes amazeballs

So what time should I be there for dinner?

 

[Spud147]

ive been making my own pad thai for years


NEED:

rice noodles
bean sprouts
shrimp or whatever
couple eggs
crushed peanuts
a lime
green onions
and a jar of some authentic pad thai sauce like this:

not some thai kitchen cheeseball sauce


PREPARATION:

soak the rice noodles
heat up a frying pan to nuclear with basil/garlic/ginger and a bunch of oil, i use vegetable oil or peanut oil with a dash of sesame
drop the shrimp in
drop an egg in and scramble right quick
drop the noods and the sauce in
drop the sprouts in
stir fry that shit for a minute or so
throw a handful of scallions on top, and a handful of crushed peanuts
lime on the side

fucking perfect everytime, tastes exactly like a restaurant

While I really do appreciate your belief in me I guarantee I absolutely could and probably would fuck it up.

Although that does give me an idea... do Zombies eat Thai food or just Thai people? And also, does food poisoning make Zombies sick or are they just immune because they're already half dead?