Boy talk about increase in prices of produce, I was wondering what caused it, High Elect. in Calif. or the trucking it, or what? I can"t grow lettuce to well down here in the south, And tomatoes are out of sight too. I got some started in pots to put in hot house for winter, whats going on in your neck of the woods?Love Irene

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), September 27, 2001

Answers

I don't know, Irene. You'd think that in September you'd be able to get decent produce at a decent price -- I just got back from the grocery where they were asking $2.49 for skimpy little heads of iceberg I wouldn't feed to the pigs. I'll make do with cole slaw this week, I think!

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), September 27, 2001.

What's up with potatoes?? $3.49 for 10lbs. here in TN! I thought potatoes were cheaper in the fall. Carrots too are high.

-- pjc (zpjc5_@hotmail.com), September 27, 2001.

Have you not heard about the goverment cutting off water to 1000's of acres of our best produce farms in Oregon? Spud farmers are looking at dust in the irrigation channels. Reason? Need water to preserve some sort of endangered sucker fish. It's big in all the farm papers. Don

-- Don (dairyagri@yahoo.com), September 27, 2001.

I was just at the store and the "Sale" price on iceberg lettuce was $1.49 and it was pale. All the other leaf lettuce looked terrible, too. Wilted and brown edges. Problems with delivery maybe. This was USA so didn't spend days trying to get through from Mexico.

-- connie in nm (karrelandconnie@msn.com), September 27, 2001.

Don, I think that fish is salmon. Those of us who live out here are the suckers...

-- sheepish (WA) (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), September 27, 2001.

Don't buy produce at gourmet prices! If you don't buy it, the store will have to dump it. Hence, they will lower the price! Make sure you tell the manager of the store: I am not buying your produce because the prices are insane. I'd rather see it go in the trash than pay good money for bad food. VICTORY GARDENS, AGAIN! YES!

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), September 27, 2001.

I am currently hacking a garden space out of the wilderness-ok, perhaps I'm exagerating a tad, but produce is sky-high and it tastes bad-my kids don't like greenbeans and tomatos-unless they come from my (or Grandma's) garden, then they will go in, pick the stuff, wipe off a bit of dirt or maybe a bug and eat standing in the garden. Yes! Definatly victory garden time!!

-- Kelly (markelly@scrtc.com), September 27, 2001.

Produce here in W Montana is sky high now also. They sell lettuce by the lb..normal head of lettuce cost over $2.00,,,celery and cauliflour is out of sight,,,potatoes too. Have to wait for sales,,if needed. I am still getting my own Tomatoes, and friends giving me squash. I went to the Wal-Mart Super Center,,the veggies and fruit there were cheaper than at the grocery stores.....just 'can' all you can...

-- Patsy, MT (cozyhollow-gal@care2.com), September 28, 2001.

Lost River Sucker, Shortnose Sucker, and Coho Salmon are the fish that shut down water to 210,000 acres of USA's most productive land.

-- D.G. (speedstar5558@yahoo.com), September 28, 2001.

I have lettuce growing in a indoor window box on a sun porch. Time to scrimp. This year was the first year I let my lettuce in the garden go to seed and I had to try the seed. It is growing just fine. The garden looked a little straggly with all those plants going to seed, but hey, it worked! Hope to have lettuce inside as long as possible now. Wish I had saved the spinach before the hoppers ate it. I am disgusted everytime I buy food. Maybe I'm getting old, but 6$ for a grape cluster the size of my hand? $5 for a bag of the decent apples? If you buy a bag on sale, chances are half are bruised and mushy. Fine for cutting up, but rubs ya raw after a while. I got two trees this spring. Hope they produce in three years to replace the old apple pie tree(on its last root).

-- notnow (notnow05@yahoo.com), September 28, 2001.

If you cannot garden yourself, try placing a classified ad in the local paper to buy produce on a weekly basic from someone with a large garden during the growing season. Sort of a downsized Community Supported Agriculture Gardening concept. They find a market for their extra produce and you get garden-fresh produce.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 28, 2001.

I would say our only defense against the high prices is don't buy it and then someone will get the message. I hope. Victory Gardens helped us through WW II and I'm sure with what we have learned about gardening over the past 50+ years we can do it even better this time. People don't just stand around complaining DO something or don't complain. Right now I am getting ready to plant tomato & pepper seeds in peat pots and put them in a makeshift greenhouse, lettuce is going to be harder but leaf lettuce no doubt be what I end up growing. We all will make it if we really try maybe not in the style we are accustomed to but make it none the less.

Don't mean to be a grouch but this thing has been put upon us and as educated human beings if we just use our head and knowledge and don't panic we will make it, country folks always do.

Sally

-- sally stanton (mallardhen67@hotmail.com), September 28, 2001.

Just returned from the supermarket. Nice Iceberg lettuce - $.79 head (on sale from $1.29), brussel sprouts - $1.29 pound, cukes - 2 for $1, green onions - three bunches for $1.00 (on sale from two for $1), Celery - $.99 bunch. Didn't have a pen with me to note other prices.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 28, 2001.

Just bought lettuce this a.m. at 2 for $1.00. Will be having veggie tacos for supper. Yahoo!

-- Sandy Davis (smd2@netzero.net), September 28, 2001.

On Saterdays and Wensdays, Amish folks and local farmers have an impromptu farmers market on the square in town-they(whoever "they" are) have tried to get an "Official" farmers market on the edge of town, but it never took off_I think someone wanted to charge rents or something, so anyway people sell stuff of the back of thier trucks. A friend of mine went last Weds. to a guy selling little gourds-2-$1.00. And my friend said"Two for a dollar! Don't you think that's kind of expensive!?" (Last year they were three for a Dollar) and the guy said, "Wait til next week-they'll be 50 cents a piece!"

-- Kelly (markelly@scrtc.com), September 28, 2001.

Yes, this is a good time to prepare a little more land for growing; if not for this fall, then for next spring. I don't think uncertain times will be gone by then..... Also, consider dividing some of your perennials like chives, horseradish, rhubarb,and herbs, and planting out some fall crops like garlic and fava beans- nice to have them growing early in the spring. A mideast war would probably raise oil prices, and then our produce prices would sure go up!

-- seraphima (gardener@com.post), September 28, 2001.