local foods

[turnipmonster]

I've been a big fan of michael pollan ever since reading the omnivore's dilemma, a book about food and where it comes from. in the book he makes a strong argument that eating food that is grown or raised near to you has many benefits, i.e. freshness, lessened enviromental impact, etc.

although I am completely sold on greenmarket vegetables over their supermarket counterparts after a few trips to the greenmarket (it's also enjoyable to talk with the people who are growing your food), I am pretty skeptical of stuff like dairy. I've eaten eggs and butter bought from the supermarket all my life, how much of a difference can it really make?

this weekend I was at the essex st market in nyc and noticed saxelby cheesemongers sells local dairy products, so I decided to pick up some eggs and butter and do a taste test.

first thing I did was do a blind taste test, comparing the white rose unsalted butter in my frig to the stuff I just bought. I did the test described in blink, namely 3 samples (2 of which are the same kind) and see if you could tell the difference. I could tell the difference, but from the texture only, although I think there is a slight difference in taste as well. next I cracked open a grocery store egg and a fresh egg. the fresh egg had a smaller, firmer, slightly more yellow yolk. other than that, no real difference so far.

final step in the test was to make an egg and cheese sandwich, which I eat all the time. I used all the same ingredients except for the egg and butter. holy god, are these eggs better tasting than the grocery store eggs. easily the best egg and cheese I've ever eaten. like not even close. I'm definitely going to be buying the freshest eggs I can find from now on, I couldn't believe how much of a difference there was.

what does everyone think about local foods? important to you, or no?

[punkass]

Lots of produce are at their peak right when they are peaked and quality is diminished greatly afterwards. Plus, there are some produce at the supermarkets you will never get fresh at your local farmers' market.

Tomatoes: The ones at your megamart are treated with a ripening agent to withstand transit and look red when they aren't ripe. All the tomatoes I've had at the megamart taste blah. The ones at the farm stand are SOOOOO much better.

Eggs: As said in the OP, egg quality diminishes fast. The date on the carton at the megamart is 60 days after it's been laid. There are lots and lots of tiny holes in the egg shell. After time, the egg will turn bad. I try to eat eggs within a week or two after I buy them at the supermarket. If I venture to a local stand and they have eggs, I will buy them. You really haven't tasted an egg unless you get them really fresh.

I find I love strawberries from the fruit stand a billion times better than what I can find at the supermarket. Same goes for berries.

Plus, I like helping out the local farmers and growers. And in many cases, it's not that much more expensive.

[cbloom]

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what does everyone think about local foods? important to you, or no?

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Good local/farmer's foods are awesome. Bad ones suck. I think a lot of people go too far on the band-wagon.

Eggs is a case in point - most eggs you'll get at farmers markets come from chickens in giant commercial hatcheries. They may be "free range" or "organic" but all that means is there's a door in the coop and the massive feed they supply is organic grain. These eggs will taste identical to super-market eggs (and IMHO are not any better for you).

Now, if you actually get a fresh-laid egg from a very small producer where the chickens can actually run around, it's a completely different thing - they taste so much richer, almost buttery, it's well worth paying more for.

A lot of people are trying to make a buck by exploiting the local/sustainable/organic craze at the moment and they're basically using all the same industrial methods to make crappy food and sell it for a big markup. If you can find actual small-crop farmers who pick their veg in the morning and bring it to market the same day - that's the good stuff.

[cbloom]

ps. part of the difficulty is that there are no good laws in the US to tell when food is really local/fresh. The "organic" and "free range" labels have been watered down to be pretty meaningless, so you have to do your own taste testing to find the people who are really bringing the goods.

pps. I can't imagine any reason to buy butter local. I'm sure you can get amazing butter from someone like Strauss in the US, but you can also get great butter imported from Normandy. It's compact and has long shelf life, why not take advantage of globalization? Different styles of butter (more or less water, amount of salt, grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef) will make a bigger difference in taste than the quality.

[Matt Flynn]

I lived for years in the San Joaquin Valley where all kinds of fruit and vegetables were for sale by farmers at roadside stands. The tomatoes, apricots, and strawberries were far superior to the grocery store. The ripe apricots were sweeter than a ripe cherry and not sour at all.

Did the eggs taste buttery to you? I've had farm eggs that were like that.

[turnipmonster]

v true regarding butter, I think any difference in taste/texture would be true of any higher quality butter, compared to the stuff I normally buy. there's definitely much less of a difference between that and something like eggs, which are just incredible (at least where I got them from).

btw, pollan talks a lot about ppl cashing in on the organic industry, and devotes one of the 4 meals he analyzes to "big organic". he is particularly critical of whole foods and had a long exchange with their CEO, it's here if you're interested.

[The DaveR]

Eggs from the Greenmarket guy are far, far better than their upscale supermarket counterparts.

[Benjamin]

Local foods rule. Aside from eggs and tomatos, which have already been mentioned, I think carrots are another veggie that is remarkably better from local organic producers. Conventional supermarket carrots are tasteless compared to good local ones. Local ripe peaches are worlds better than supermarket peaches too.

I agree that local products like butter, or cheese, that store and ship well, won't necessarily have the same kind of value differential, but sometimes you can find a local product that offers remarkable quality for the price. For instance I am nuts for Spinning Spider goat cheese, which is produced and sold locally. Unbelievable quality for a price cheaper than inferior premium goat cheeses you find in the supermarket.

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Eggs is a case in point - most eggs you'll get at farmers markets come from chickens in giant commercial hatcheries. They may be "free range" or "organic" but all that means is there's a door in the coop and the massive feed they supply is organic grain. These eggs will taste identical to super-market eggs (and IMHO are not any better for you).

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Slightly off topic from the local foods issue, but there are some very good reasons for eating commercial organic meats, eggs and dairy, which have nothing to do with taste. The number one benefit to me is that you are not supporting the abuse of antibiotics.

Conventional commercial animal farming these days relies on large doses of antibiotics administered to every animal in their feed to head off infection in the crowded conditions, and to help them gain weight quickly.

We already have a big problem in this country with antibiotic resistant bacteria, and this practice is speeding that development along.

Run-off of pesticide, fungicide and fertilizer into creeks, rivers and lakes from the feedcrops is also reduced in organic farming.

[kidcolin]

Turnip,

I've always found fresh, local food to be better. Fruits and veggies are a no brainer. Back in SE Mass there's a guy who sells strawberries in my town straight out of his backyard. They're absolutely incredible. A real treat every summer.

I completely agree with you about the eggs and dairy, too. My folks have a milk man back east. The milk is considerably better. Like, it's not even close. The eggs are a bit closer from the milk man. However, there are also lots of farms around, so sometimes we'll get them from there, and those are awesome. You'll occasionally get a twin yolk, and that rules.

Where I am now (Sacramento) I need to get out and hit the local food scene more. Namely, just west of me is the Vacaville/Dixon greenbelt. Lots of food grown here. Tons of almonds. My only deterrent to going is it involves getting on the highway, which is a pain to pick up very perishable food.