Re: What is Going On With Stone Fruits?
Here are some factors that affect vegetable and fruit quality:
1) Ground/land quality and depleted soil nutrients (who lets their land lie fallow/dormant for one year out of seven, as is a Biblical principle of crop farming??)
2) Climate change/global warming (if you believe those things. Weather patterns are cyclical, but I do think human "activities" are a (small) part of that. Witness the Dust Bowl days of the 1930`s: extended hot, dry weather patterns with poor farming practices)
3) Reduction in the number of wild and cultivated bees and , hence, insect pollination (still think cell phone frequencies are part of the problem, but that is the unaccepted/unproven conspiracy theory)
4) Genetic plant engineering (human intervention in natural selection; IE one genetic "fix" of a plant problem exposes two more that were unknown, but now "creates" perilous crop susceptibility and failure OR human body reactions, like more prevalent allergies or gluten intolerance.)
5) Lose of good crop lands to human development (roads and urbanization).
6) Too much dependence on fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides to increase or maintain production/economic levels of crops.
7) Importation of crops to meet consumer demand or economic constraints. (Love Mexican-grown or Canadian hot house "fresh" tomatoes in January, but not at $2.50 a pound. Thanks, NAFTA).
I reiterate my point from the above post: I can do without a lot of things; food is NOT one of them.
Re: What is Going On With Stone Fruits?
I can`t offer anything from a producer standpoint, but only observations as a consumer.
I`ve lived in various parts of the US and travelled quite a bit for work. I`ve noticed some areas simply do better for produce across the board before you even consider retail location differences. When I lived in Colorado, quality of fruit and veg were quite good. Texas wasn`t too bad either. Missouri/Illinois/Oklahoma is nothing special and it comes down to the retailer. Hawaii was pretty awful because it was shipped to the CONUS and then shipped again to the islands in many cases.
These days my wife has a search pattern for good fruit and veg. Between the base commissary, three different grocery chains, and WalMart we pick out what is best. Oddly enough, lately it seems WalMart and Sams Club consistently has the best fruit. The way the price gouge suppliers I`m really surprised.
I fortunate to only live a few miles from a massive retail farm, so some berries, peaches, and apples can be sourced locally. They sell them in an on-site store or will put you on a tractor and let you pick them yourself in the field if you have the time. It`s expensive, but when you want the *really* good stuff it is always an option.
Re: What is Going On With Stone Fruits?
Heh heh, these threads make me glad I`m not all that discerning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desertnate
Oddly enough, lately it seems WalMart and Sams Club consistently has the best fruit.
In my area, the local Aldi has good food across the board for the most part. Or at least, my wife, who cares a lot more than I do, thinks so.
Re: What is Going On With Stone Fruits?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rlmccarty2000
Georgia peaches can’t be beat. Freshness counts.
Sounds like a "homer" opinion
But-- those Late season Elbertas from middle georgia are hard to beat-- But have you ever had a LA FELICIANA PEACH???
Every peach I ever had from South Carolins sucked
Re: What is Going On With Stone Fruits?
Peaches, plums, nectarines are best when you can pick them yourself. Definitely some “homer” in me when it comes to GA produce. The peanuts are being pulled from the fields now along with watermelons and cantaloupes. Nothing tastes better than a stolen watermelon, lol. Unfortunately the watermelons of my youth have been replaced by a different variety, seedless and round. The huge watermelons of my past have pretty much disappeared. I agree about South Carolina peaches, terrible. I don’t think they get enough water. GA has become very fruit diverse. Blueberries,an d strawberries are common now where back in the day blackberries was about the only berry around and they were wild. My great grandmother could make a mean blackberry cobbler. Of course you had to watch out for rattlesnakes as they too were fond of blackberries.
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Re: What is Going On With Stone Fruits?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rlmccarty2000
Nothing tastes better than a stolen watermelon, lol.
Drive it like you stole it, as they say.
Re: What is Going On With Stone Fruits?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rlmccarty2000
Peaches, plums, nectarines are best when you can pick them yourself. Definitely some “homer” in me when it comes to GA produce. The peanuts are being pulled from the fields now along with watermelons and cantaloupes. Nothing tastes better than a stolen watermelon, lol. Unfortunately the watermelons of my youth have been replaced by a different variety, seedless and round. The huge watermelons of my past have pretty much disappeared. I agree about South Carolina peaches, terrible. I don’t think they get enough water. GA has become very fruit diverse. Blueberries,an d strawberries are common now where back in the day blackberries was about the only berry around and they were wild. My great grandmother could make a mean blackberry cobbler. Of course you had to watch out for rattlesnakes as they too were fond of blackberries.
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Don`t forget the southern grape Muscadines and Scuppernongs. Delicious! Especially when pulled straight from the vine.