Lettuce be scared

Decided to roll the dice last night and invest in a full tank of gas. I got nervous and shut the pump off when it hit $70.00. Headed to the grocery store and was thinking about picking up a few things for a salad. There were two women standing in the produce aisle in front of the lettuce with their mouths open.
I checked it out and Iceberg Lettuce was $4.39 a head. Romaine was $6.75 a package. There was a sign explaining that cold weather in California, Florida and Mexico were the reason for the high prices. They also included the problem of escalating gas prices. Eggplant and Zucchini were non-existent.
I decided not to have a salad. Milk was up about fifty cents a gallon too. This isn't a huge super store, but it is a large, full sized grocery store.
I looked at a few stories online and they said things could get worse.

Are you seeing these prices in your area?
Are you planning on growing more this season?

You, sir, are imagining things. The Obama administration and the Federal Reserve have informed us that there is no inflation. That is why Social Security recipients have not received an increase in their cost of living for two years. I don't hear my Amish neighbors complaining about those things.

"re you planning on growing more this season? " Heck ya, I went and bought tomato seeds, hot pepper seeds, and bell pepper seeds. Planted them in 3 moss trays Sunday night, In a 3rd bedroom no one uses. Gonna water and wait for them to grow to put out n the June.Cucumbers, eggplants, zuccine and squash I plant them with a seed outside in may. Also do onions, garlic and cabbage. The cabbage we freeze and use in the winter, can the green tomatoes, will also do lettuce this year. Went to Randazzos on 22 and hayes yesterday 2.99 a pound for eggplant, I was shocked each one weight roughly 2 pds[[6 bucks), so I went to vince and joes on way home and got a huge one for 2.99, I also saw the signs about the weather being the reason.

What if people blame the people with 20+ gallon gas tanks?

I was at Wendy's today, and they had a sign that said you had to request tomatoes because they are in short supply.

People need to start eating fruits and vegetables that are in season, and rely less on produce year round from South America. Start growing your own and then canning it to last a winter long.

But hey, at least BP had record profits last year and the CEO's are still getting huge bonuses!

Quote:

Originally Posted by East Detroit

What if people blame the people with 20+ gallon gas tanks?

Sorry. they seem to keep installing them in those pesky ol' American made trucks.

I'm not playing the blame game here. I'm also not attempting to equate the price of lettuce with politics. I spend a good part of each day talking politics and just thought it might ease my mind a bit if I was talking about another passion I have, which is gardening.
During this gloomy end of winter time of year it's helpful, at least for me to lighten up a bit. I'm in the middle of starting a large number of plants and was just curious if other people were taking the idea more seriously this year.
Actually, now that I think of it, I do have a tendency when planting seeds to start at the left end of the row and plant towards the right. Maybe I am harboring some political motives here.

I bought a head of lettuce yesterday and it only cost 1.29, didn't notice prices skyrocketing on other items.

Who said urban farming is not coming back..... I'm thinking your going to see a lot more of them this summer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlebuddy

I bought a head of lettuce yesterday and it only cost 1.29, didn't notice prices skyrocketing on other items.

Maybe the cost increase is just a Wisconsin thing. That seems kind of odd though.

Eat less and stop over eating, lol

FWIW, Iceberg lettuce is surprisingly low on nutrients. It's like empty calories without the calories. Romaine is better.

I learned this during a project at school. We were using linear programming to design a diet that met all recommended nutritional requirements while minimizing calories. I mistakenly relied on Iceberg lettuce to compensate for all the other junk food and the computer came back recommending eating [[something like) two tons of Iceberg lettuce to get all the necessary nutrients! LOL!

If the price hasn't gone up on a grocery store item, look closely. The package is smaller. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by oladub

You, sir, are imagining things. The Obama administration and the Federal Reserve have informed us that there is no inflation. That is why Social Security recipients have not received an increase in their cost of living for two years. I don't hear my Amish neighbors complaining about those things.

SS recipients whining about not receiving an increase in payments in two years is humorous. Given that the average household is making less than they were in 2000 [[thanks to your boy GWB's policies) SS recipients should be happy that they haven't taken a cut.

Your generation is nothing but a greedy joke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimaz

FWIW, Iceberg lettuce is surprisingly low on nutrients. It's like empty calories without the calories. Romaine is better.

I learned this during a project at school. We were using linear programming to design a diet that met all recommended nutritional requirements while minimizing calories. I mistakenly relied on Iceberg lettuce to compensate for all the other junk food and the computer came back recommending eating [[something like) two tons of Iceberg lettuce to get all the necessary nutrients! LOL!

Jimaz,

Yes I learned that 20 years ago when visiting relatives in Germany. Their main lettuce is of the Boston type. When I inquired why Germans don't eat Iceberg lettuce like Americans do... a family member who is a nutritionist mentioned that Americans have been eating the wrong variety for decades.... low nutrition.

Romaine is my main lettuce, although I do like the Boston variety... and also Spinach.

A few years ago I ordered a "Spinach Salad" at Wendy's.... and then complained to the manager when I found 6 Spinach leaves on top of a mound of Iceberg lettuce. Manager said sorry that was how the corporation made them!

But yes Americans have been duped all these years with Iceberg lettuce...

Another food product that Americans have been duped into believing is in the hazzards of the sugar substitute Cyclamates... we're probably one of the few countries in the world that bans its' use... Europe, Australia and Canada all still use it....

http://www.cyclamate.org/regulatorystatus.html

I saw lettuce in Wallyworld yesterday for 75 cents ahead, nice looking lettuce.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jt1

Your generation is nothing but a greedy joke.

That's kind of a broad, generalized statement isn't it? What are your parameters for "your generation?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by old guy

That's kind of a broad, generalized statement isn't it? What are your parameters for "your generation?"

Yeah! Let's whip the shit out of that young'un, old guy! I'm with ya!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jt1

SS recipients whining about not receiving an increase in payments in two years is humorous. Given that the average household is making less than they were in 2000 [[thanks to your boy GWB's policies) SS recipients should be happy that they haven't taken a cut.

Your generation is nothing but a greedy joke.

What generation? Whose generation?

No one claimed anyone was whining. I just mentioned that, in fact, there have been no cost of living increases for Social Security recipients for two years because the Obama administrations assures us there has been no inflation. I didn't vote for Bush nor do I collect social security.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Yeah! Let's whip the shit out of that young'un, old guy! I'm with ya!

LOL......you rock.

Global Food Crisis

Cross post to Suburbs are Unsustainable.

Many people are not aware of the seriousness of this situation.

The Middle Class on the Precipice

http://harvardmagazine.com/2006/01/the-middle-class-on-the.html

The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class

Crisis in the Logistical Trucking Industry:

Truckers' pain at the pump being passed to consumers
Diesel price spike has truckers burning through cash
Truckers fill Annapolis streets to block fuel taxes
Diesel costs trickling down to consumers
Prices fueling frustration - VIDEO

Additional Contributing Factors:

Food Prices the Next Global Crisis?
Food Crisis 2011? 14 Disturbing Facts That Make You Wonder If The Coming Global Food Shortage Has Already Begun
3 counties seek agricultural disaster declaration for snow-damaged farms
Wholesale food prices rise for 7th consecutive month
Food Crisis Helps Spark Protests in Asia and Africa

Lettuce be scared

Why would anyone want to frighten lettuce?

And how would you know? Does it let out a dressing-curdling scream?

I thought this was interesting. A couple, living in a city on a 1/5 acre lot growing 6,000 lbs. of produce a year.
http://urbanhomestead.org/urban-homestead

When I was a kid it seemed like everyone in the neighborhood had fruit trees in their back yards. We had cherry trees and used to trade a bunch of them to other neighbors for apples and pears. Most people had rhubarb growing alongside their houses, a patch of asparagus and at least a small garden. I think a lot of that mind set came from the great depression and WWII. Makes sense to me.
Attachment 8987

Haven't noticed a spike in lettuce prices, but milk has been getting kind of expensive where I live. Running about $4-$4.50 / gallon right now when it used to be around $3.50.

Quote:

Originally Posted by old guy

I thought this was interesting. A couple, living in a city on a 1/5 acre lot growing 6,000 lbs. of produce a year.
http://urbanhomestead.org/urban-homestead

When I was a kid it seemed like everyone in the neighborhood had fruit trees in their back yards. We had cherry trees and used to trade a bunch of them to other neighbors for apples and pears. Most people had rhubarb growing alongside their houses, a patch of asparagus and at least a small garden. I think a lot of that mind set came from the great depression and WWII. Makes sense to me.
Attachment 8987

Yes, my grandfather lived near St. Suzanne's Parish, near Grandville and West Chicago. He always had pears, apples, tomatoes, and other good fruits and vegetables. He had a garden and fruit trees in the backyard, all the way until his death a few years ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meddle

Lettuce be scared

Why would anyone want to frighten lettuce?

And how would you know? Does it let out a dressing-curdling scream?

Did you hear what the WishBone Italian said when the fridge was opened?

"SHUT THE DOOR - I'M DRESSING."