When I think of a “fresh” tomato, I think about walking outside to my garden and picking a ripe tomato off of the tomato plant. To me that’s as “fresh” and “local” as I can get.
But a Northern KY supermarket that I recently frequented has other thoughts in mind when they say that their produce is “fresh” and “local”.
I had my son pick up a tomato from the display that said the tomatoes were “fresh” and “locally grown”.
We looked at the PLU sticker and the label said “grown in North Carolina”.
Now, I could give them the benefit of the doubt, and think “ok – North Carolina is only about a 5 – 8 hour drive – so it is kind of fresh and might be considered local”.
But then I have to take into consideration how a huge supermarket chain distributes it’s produce.
It would be one thing, if that particular batch of tomatoes was loaded onto a truck at the farm in North Carolina and then delivered directly to my local supermarket – roughly 8 hours later. That would, for all intent and purpose, make these tomatoes local and fresh.
But the fact is, the tomatoes from North Carolina were loaded on a truck from the farm and delivered to a distribution center. How long they sat there, who knows? Were the tomatoes picked ripe or were they still a bit green, so they wouldn’t go bad while sitting at the distribution center?
Then they are delivered to the stores from the distribution center. And where is the distribution center?
I don’t know. I guess I could research it, but I wouldn’t print it here – that would reveal who the super market chain is and I would probably be slapped with a law suit.
How dare I reveal that kind of information to the public! By doing so would reveal the fact that the super market chain was… telling un-truths to the public! That would be cause for “defamation of character” or some other type of legalese – and I could be sued for – heaven forbid! For telling the truth that the tomatoes were most likely not fresh when picked, and definitely not local!
Anyway – my boys learned an object lesson. “Fresh” and “Local” in a grocery store only means that the super market chain has a very un-easy feeling about local farmers that are selling healthy, nutritious foods – all because the foods they grow and sell really are “local” and “fresh” – so much so, that they still retain their nutrient-rich vitality – not to mention… great taste!
What can we do about this??? Buy from a local farmer. Get to know a local farmer. Help out his family by helping out your own, by buying what he grows…
–Pat