Farmers' markets a racially biased cause of 'environmental gentrification,' professors say

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/12/28/farmers-markets-racially-biased-cause-environmental-gentrification-professors-say.html

[bcking 3,157]

”While such markets are typically set up to help combat “food deserts” in low-income and minority communities, the academics argue that they instead “attract households from higher socio-economic backgrounds, raising property values and displacing low-income residents and people of color.”

 

I would disagree with Fox on that, and would love to actually see some data on farmers markets. While I've been to maybe 1 or 2 markets where I actually felt like the purpose of the market was to help "fill a gap" in "food deserts" among low-income households, those are VERY rare. Most of the time the Farmer's Markets are fairly pretentious and focused on over-priced organic goods or novelty items "Hand pumped goat milk" or some malarkey like that. 

 

When we moved to Houston we looked up all of the ones in our area. We've been to 5 or 6 and they have mostly been on the pretentious over-priced "novelty" side (They will have maybe 1 seller that just does regular produce, and everything else is organic honey or specialty cheese etc...). We have found one that actually just focuses on selling produce from local farms. The markets in NYC I went to were all on the unnecessary side. Same with San Diego, from what I recall.

 

I have no doubt that Farmer's Markets contribute to "gentrification", but I don't really see the need to throw race/skin colour into the mix. It is more about socioeconomic status (though yes there is a relationship between that and race/skin colour). 

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

Pro tip on honey - don’t buy it at a store.  It has been pasteurized in order to be legal for sale in a grocery store. (And thereby has lost most of its “goodness” for you).

 

Buy local honey from a private seller.  Not only will your health benefit from it, you are paying it forward to the local community.

Edited December 28, 2017 by IDWAF

[bcking 3,157]

Just now, IDWAF said:

Pro tip on honey - don’t buy it at a store.  It has been pasteurized in order to be legal for sale in a grocery store.

 

Buy local honey from a private seller.  Not only will your health benefit from it, you are paying it forward to the local community.

I'm pretty sure you can find raw honey in the grocery store? We normally buy it and we don't frequent the farmer's markets. Maybe we get it at Central Market or Whole Foods, but I want to say we can even get it in the "organic healthy" section of Kroger.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

17 minutes ago, bcking said:

I'm pretty sure you can find raw honey in the grocery store? We normally buy it and we don't frequent the farmer's markets. Maybe we get it at Central Market or Whole Foods, but I want to say we can even get it in the "organic healthy" section of Kroger.

So organic foods are more healthy ?

[bcking 3,157]

3 minutes ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

So organic foods are more healthy ?

Absolutely not (not automatically), that's why I put it in quotes. Organic tends to be advertised as "healthy", and Kroger tends to do that. I forget the label Kroger uses but they have a section for "Organic foods" that also tend to be advertised as "Healthy foods". The aisle markers are all green...I forget what they call the area. 

 

They call it their "Natural and Organic" section (googled it)

Edited December 28, 2017 by bcking

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

5 minutes ago, Dee elle said:

Not wading in on that debate.... except to say they should be but ..... 

agree Penn and Teller have a great show that has a non family friendly name. They do a great show on the Organic food rip off

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

5 minutes ago, bcking said:

Absolutely not (not automatically), that's why I put it in quotes. Organic tends to be advertised as "healthy", and Kroger tends to do that. I forget the label Kroger uses but they have a section for "Organic foods" that also tend to be advertised as "Healthy foods". The aisle markers are all green...I forget what they call the area. 

 

They call it their "Natural and Organic" section (googled it)

so bacially a organic cumber is no more or less health than a normal cucumber

[bcking 3,157]

Just now, Nature Boy Flair said:

so bacially a organic cumber is no more or less health than a normal cucumber

I'm in no way a food expert.

 

Certain foods are much more strongly impacted than others when it comes to the use of things like pesticides (onions vs. green beans)  Also depends on where they come from (Mexico, USA etc...). That is the first issue.

 

The second is in the label "organic". In most places there are strict restrictions and 'hoops' that the farmer needs to jump through to be certified "organic". It doesn't always mean that they are truly "better" (less exposure to pesticides) than non-organic counterparts. Some smaller farms may not be able to meet the requirements, despite using all the same fertilizer, and despite not using pesticides. It is often times more than that. Some places require the land to be "rotated", or for areas to be left bare for a period of time. If you are a small farm you may not be financially able to do that. Does that make your produce less "organic"? Probably not. 

 

Then even if there are "significant" levels of pesticides, it is a cumulative process. A single cucumber exposed to pesticides is no more or less healthy than a normal cucumber. But maybe if you ate cucumber for breakfast/lunch/dinner? It still may not have direct consequences to your health. The indirect consequences, whether long term exposure to pesticides carries health consequences, is less well known (and far more difficult to study).

 

There are a handful of items that my wife will generally buy organic...the vast majority of produce though we generally don't really think it's worth it. I think we have a little magnet chart on our fridge. I don't pay much attention. My wife's family are farmers so she handles it.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

47 minutes ago, bcking said:

I'm pretty sure you can find raw honey in the grocery store? We normally buy it and we don't frequent the farmer's markets. Maybe we get it at Central Market or Whole Foods, but I want to say we can even get it in the "organic healthy" section of Kroger.

Might want to read those labels a bit closer.

 

https://livingmaxwell.com/honey-from-china

 

Older article, but still relevant.

 

And:

https://www.treehugger.com/green-food/what-you-should-know-about-honey-you-buy-it.html

Edited December 28, 2017 by IDWAF

[bcking 3,157]

23 minutes ago, IDWAF said:

Might want to read those labels a bit closer.

 

https://livingmaxwell.com/honey-from-china

 

Older article, but still relevant.

 

And:

https://www.treehugger.com/green-food/what-you-should-know-about-honey-you-buy-it.html

Interesting information. They didn't given data specifically on honey listed as "raw" that is sold in grocery stores. They mention organic, but obviously that isn't the same thing (Even the concept of "organic honey" seems a little difficult for me to grasp....how do you control the honey bees?). I know we buy raw honey...but honestly that just because my wife says "Buy raw honey" and I say "Okay".

 

I don't like that the second article just uses "Raw Organic Honey" as if Raw and Organic always go together. I agree with them on Raw honey, but I just don't see the point in certifying honey as "organic" unless you own enough land to occupy the entire pollination range of your honey bees.

Edited December 28, 2017 by bcking

[bcking 3,157]

1 minute ago, Dee elle said:

I buy raw, unfiltered honey, from Texas apiarists, in Krogers in Irving Tx. 

https://www.kroger.com/search?query=raw honey

 

We have many options.

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

1 hour ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

So organic foods are more healthy ?

Depends..is it local?

 

 

 

[bcking 3,157]

Just now, Il Mango Dulce said:

Depends..is it local?

 

 

 

This reminds me of recent radio ads I've been hearing for some diamond store. They are trying to sell people a diamond that comes with a "book" that "explores the journey that the diamond has taken to your hand" or something like that. As if the diamond has a name, a family, and dreams. 

 

I'm all for promoting healthy practices (for diamonds, chicken, eggs, etc...) but sometimes the obsession becomes hilarious. 

 

My wife is definitely not used to it yet in the USA. She grew up in a relatively small town in the UK and it was just normal for the food to be local. "Where else would it come from?" would be her response. It is just logical to buy something that comes from the closest place. In the US it seems to be a novelty.

[TBoneTX 45,273]

54 minutes ago, bcking said:

cucumber

Reminder of a joke (doctor joke, no less):

 

A man bursts into his doctor's office.  The man has a banana in his left ear, a rutabaga in his right ear, and a cucumber up his nose.  "What's the matter with me, Doc?" he cries.

 

"You're not eating properly," says the doctor.