Having taken a pause to chuckle at the memories of the Royston Vasey characters, who I have to say did nothing for the reputation of "local" retailers, I had a good old squizz at this blog post from the Guardian, and the ensuing comments.
It makes me want to cry with frustration, realising how little I can trust retailers to actually mean what they are clearly banking on me believing.
I read an opinion, not that long ago, that it was important to continue supporting supermarkets’ local and organic produce ranges, as their dollars have so much more power to support local and organic producers.
But what are we supposed to do when those labels are used meaninglessly?!
I don’t have the time or the know-how to research every item before I add it to my shopping basket.
And then I hear that even small green-grocers and markets are flogging veggies that have been trucked in from miles and miles away.
Am I happily feeling like I’m doing my bit when all I’m doing is being suckered in and having my good intentions taken advantage of?
Someone please show me the light at the end of the tunnel … Until then, I will be planting out my latest batch of seeds with even more zeal than before…
Categories: food, vegetables
This is ridiculous, the part of the article that had the Asda spokesperson defining “local” really says it all. Though one of the comments really hit home at how stupid these companies can be “Comment by Golgo – 17 Apr 09, 10:34am I worked for an agricultural company in 1996 that supplied tesco. The spring greens we were bagging up were picked up by a tesco lorry driven 200 miles to the central distribution area and were then reloaded and driven back to the local tesco which was 4 miles from the place it was originally picked up. Their computer and distribution system wouln`t have it any other way apparently. Would this product be classed as local?” To be honest, I just dont know what the answer would be (except maybe to start your own smallholding and grow everything yourself)… nice idea
I’m lucky in that I can visit a farm shop where everything is grown on site. I also have an orchard nearby. Our local supermarket has a ‘local’ section and they tell you where the items are from and exactly how many miles they have travelled. they are very open to my crazy questioning, so I will put them on the spot next time I’m in and see what they make of this article. I have to say though; if it made you more determined to plant more, then it’s been a good read
*nods and grins* … Can’t wait to post up the picture of my new veggie garden later today!