I don't like living in England....
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Re: I don't like living in England....
I have had home grown supplies of greens to the table throughout the winter in sunny(ha!) N Wales.
I had beautiful organic full "hearted" salad (Little Gem), unheated polytunnel grown, on the table for the second week in April (April WAS sunny, March quite warm.)
Though most people will buy cheaper intensively grown stuff.
For I could not compete, either in quantity or price.
That's always the rub in things small scale, green and organic.
Still, it's called "money where mouth is",
I had beautiful organic full "hearted" salad (Little Gem), unheated polytunnel grown, on the table for the second week in April (April WAS sunny, March quite warm.)
Though most people will buy cheaper intensively grown stuff.
For I could not compete, either in quantity or price.
That's always the rub in things small scale, green and organic.
Still, it's called "money where mouth is",
Re: I don't like living in England....
Egyptian potatoes are grown using water from artesian wells and the water table is slowly running out.
Al
Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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Re: I don't like living in England....
But what's wrong with just selling the stuff that grows in the UK and ready to be picked when n you sell it? Basically veg boxes round here are seasonal and grown outside of heated greenhouses. Best of all? Low mileage and low energy input.661-Pete wrote: ↑15 May 2021, 4:28pmYou've got it almost right. They supply imports from the EU as well as seasonal UK veg.Tangled Metal wrote: ↑15 May 2021, 3:51pm Your UK based veg box supplier imports from the EU instead of using seasonal UK veg? Or have I got that wrong?
It's just that our local veg box supplies all UK stuff. I thought that was the whole point of those suppliers.
The point being, as I already said, that they claim it's more energy efficient growing veg in the open, or under unheated polytunnels, and shipping it by lorry to UK, than growing same veg. in UK under heated polytunnels. The lorry journey emits less CO2 than the heaters.
I have no reason to doubt that claim - they've done the arithmetic!
I live just over an hour from prime market gardening area such as Banks, Southport and towards Ormskirk. I live 2 miles from a Booths supermarket that buys seasonal veg from market gardeners in that area to supply in all their stores. It's was good as you get in terms of comparing with the veg box schemes supplying only local and seasonal items. I am very lucky I guess.
However I grew up from 3 to 13yo right nearby that growing area. There were two routes into the nearest town and supermarket. One way my dad preferred to drive but coming back with a car full of shopping we would go the other way and stop at s farm shop on the way. You could buy large sacks if carrots for ridiculously low price. They made more even with that cheap price. It was amazing to see what they grew without heated greenhouses, just the odd polytunnel. Now that's really lucky. Not everyone can live in areas so perfect for growing seasonal veg. BTW Ormskirk potatoes are among the best. Grown in soil so rich in nutrients it is actually black. Further west there's reclaimed land that's even richer in nutrients. All flat land, good sunlight, mild coastal microclimate , etc. All good growing conditions.
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Re: I don't like living in England....
Salad greens out of season, I don't like them in season. I've been put off as a kid by limp lettuce. Visits to my grandparents in Southampton meant homegrown for pretty much everything. Their tomatoes both greenhouse and outdoors grown were amazing taste. The only issue was the skins being tougher than shop bought but they tasted of tomato not watery and bland like even the best supermarket ones tend to be. He also bartered with excess veg at the nearest market. I think he rarely bought bacon and often got nice beef roasts for free in exchange for veg he'd not get through anyway. It be would be nice to have that but warm Southampton with a big garden is not anywhere close to what I have to grow in. We're planning on doing a bit though. Homegrown stuff is special.
Re: I don't like living in England....
I once asked a TV garden expert for a tip on the best tomatoes for flavour, expecting him to recommend a variety, and his answer was any tomato that is picked fully ripe. Doing that means practically no shelf life, so it means growing your own and going out to the greenhouse to get a couple of tomatoes you intend using right now.
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Re: I don't like living in England....
Let them eat rhubarb! © Nim Carline
I am eating rhubarb right now
I am eating rhubarb right now
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
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Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Re: I don't like living in England....
A few years ago I was in Morrison’s supermarket in the asparagus season and could only find asparagus flown halfway around the world.
I asked the greengrocery manager if he had British asparagus. His reply:
“I didn’t know that they grew it here”.
I asked the greengrocery manager if he had British asparagus. His reply:
“I didn’t know that they grew it here”.
John
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Re: I don't like living in England....
People tend to shop in supermarkets for reasons which have led to the dominance of supermarkets. Put another way, supermarkets have thrived by giving the majority of their customers what they want.
Re: I don't like living in England....
Should explain that Riverford do a 'British only' box for those who insist. But they've seen the benefit of diversifying to gather a broader customer base (they also supply organic meat boxes which are of no interest to us).
The main factor for us is that the produce is organic. Even though we top up with veg. from the supermarket that's not organic.
All right, call me a hypocrite....
The main factor for us is that the produce is organic. Even though we top up with veg. from the supermarket that's not organic.
All right, call me a hypocrite....
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Re: I don't like living in England....
Until recently we had no choice here. There is still no greengrocer in town. A once a week market stall only. We have had a veg box for a number of years but that is not a choice available to everyone: either it doesn’t exist or the cost is too great.thirdcrank wrote: ↑16 May 2021, 9:10am People tend to shop in supermarkets for reasons which have led to the dominance of supermarkets. Put another way, supermarkets have thrived by giving the majority of their customers what they want.
John
- NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: I don't like living in England....
Hi,
That must of been about 10 years ago it's now a school.
We had a local asparagus grower seller small time.
That must of been about 10 years ago it's now a school.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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Re: I don't like living in England....
There are some things that are hard or impossible to grow in the UK climate, year round, without very large investment in both infrastructure and large energy input.
That affects price.
Tomatoes and out of season early potatoes amongst them.
Both thrive on high sunlight.
Without heat fresh UK tomatoes are only available from say early July though to the first hard frosts of November.
There are other tender and short season subjects too.
Spain has the advantage here. Higher sunshine hours etc, and given the channel tunnel no ferry crossing.
Spain grows out of season veg for a much larger population than just the UK of course.
There is no reason, other than being better organized, that much of that produce could not be transported by electric train. Some of it already is.
Though clearly a targeted 'source to point of sale' journey by large lorry, has many advantages in terms of handling and consequent freshness.
Personally I will buy EU out of season once in a while, but then I like the EU and its pretty decent regulation of food standards.
UK "big agri business" has its many problems too.
Even humble hill based sheep farming.
Cost drives big scale, and big scale almost always results in some environmental downsides.
Though can be energy efficient.
I see the myriad 4x4s transporting single persons daily on commutes of many miles to do some sort of (from my perspective) unnecessary hi tech internet button pushing and I see the transport of food and other essentials as by far the lesser problem.
That affects price.
Tomatoes and out of season early potatoes amongst them.
Both thrive on high sunlight.
Without heat fresh UK tomatoes are only available from say early July though to the first hard frosts of November.
There are other tender and short season subjects too.
Spain has the advantage here. Higher sunshine hours etc, and given the channel tunnel no ferry crossing.
Spain grows out of season veg for a much larger population than just the UK of course.
There is no reason, other than being better organized, that much of that produce could not be transported by electric train. Some of it already is.
Though clearly a targeted 'source to point of sale' journey by large lorry, has many advantages in terms of handling and consequent freshness.
Personally I will buy EU out of season once in a while, but then I like the EU and its pretty decent regulation of food standards.
UK "big agri business" has its many problems too.
Even humble hill based sheep farming.
Cost drives big scale, and big scale almost always results in some environmental downsides.
Though can be energy efficient.
I see the myriad 4x4s transporting single persons daily on commutes of many miles to do some sort of (from my perspective) unnecessary hi tech internet button pushing and I see the transport of food and other essentials as by far the lesser problem.
Re: I don't like living in England....
As a high tech team internet button pusher... would you rather we didn’t ensure that essential medical equipment was kept online?PDQ Mobile wrote: ↑16 May 2021, 9:57am
I see the myriad 4x4s transporting single persons daily on commutes of many miles to do some sort of (from my perspective) unnecessary hi tech internet button pushing and I see the transport of food and other essentials as by far the lesser problem.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Re: I don't like living in England....
At the time I am writing of there were tons of British asparagus available.NATURAL ANKLING wrote: ↑16 May 2021, 9:51am Hi,We had a local asparagus grower seller small time.
That must of been about 10 years ago it's now a school.
John
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Re: I don't like living in England....
Some jobs are more important than others.[XAP]Bob wrote: ↑16 May 2021, 10:23amAs a high tech team internet button pusher... would you rather we didn’t ensure that essential medical equipment was kept online?PDQ Mobile wrote: ↑16 May 2021, 9:57am
I see the myriad 4x4s transporting single persons daily on commutes of many miles to do some sort of (from my perspective) unnecessary hi tech internet button pushing and I see the transport of food and other essentials as by far the lesser problem.
I never said otherwise.
Work from home?
Food industry is undervalued IMV.
It's often tough, dirty and poorly paid.
Yet about as vital as any.