Hi Shelrose,

I enjoyed the article. Glad to see there are other like-minded folks out there. I am in Sarasota, and also dumbfounded that our local grocery stores don't offer more locally-grown produce. As a matter of fact, at least once a week, I stop the produce manager at my Publix and ask him what they have that day that's locally grown. The first time I asked him, he had to think about it a while. Now, he is usually prepared, but there are usually only a few things. This week there were Plant City strawberries, some zucchini, some tomatoes, and some citrus (altho right now we are eating our own). I have written to Publix.com in request that locally grown produce be marked with a sticker or tag of some sort. Apparently these things can only be accomplished through the corporate offices. Still no answer nor results. I like the thought of supporting locally grown businesses and farms, not to speak of the environmental benefits for all of us and the economic benefits for our own communities. I wish I were able to travel to farmer's markets more. If there was something that was on my drive to somewhere, I would love to support that producer. Unfortunately, farms like those in the article are hard to come by. What can we do to change this? I don't know. I will continue to try to get to locally grown produce when it is not so far away that it defeats the purpose. I will continue to ask at Publix and write them. I did notice this last week, Sweetbay has a sign advertising their locally grown berries. I told Publix about it. If we all keep at it, maybe someday there will be more available and fewer trucks on the road. It is great how many of us enjoy growing at least a few fruits and veggies for ourselves. Every little bit helps. So frustrating when in the sea of oranges at Publix, most are from California, Chile and Spain, and here we can grow them so well, and should be supporting our own. In the meantime, the roads are full of semis hauling citrus to us. I know some of it is seasonal, but who says we have to have oranges all year? Why can't we enjoy our long season of citrus and then move on to something else? I am trying to be better that way, but there seems to be so little available, as you say, for such an agriculturally based state. We should all try to take baby steps each year to a more sustainable and environmentally sound existence. I'll get off my soapbox now. Thanks for posting.

Anna

hey, anna, fight the fight! i go round & round with publix on this issue. it is, in so many respects, a very good company. i know it treats its workers well and donates LOTS of money to good causes. but its desire to compete with wally world on prices and its strange incompetence at understanding the needs of its best, most demanding clients... anyway, rah rah! what you said.

I applaud their efforts and wish them luck. We had planned in 1995 to purchased 100 acres in Plant City with DH's brother and his wife. My FIL talked us out of it. What were we thinking!!! We had planned on growing herbs and "gourmet" veggies for the restaurants.

The grocery store in NH that I shopped at always promoted locally grown produce. There was a cider mill in the next town and they carried their apples and cider. There were tomatoes, all kinds of squash, green beans, pumpkins, corn. They also carried locally grown flats of annuals. Tell me it's local and I want some.

I've asked the produce manager at one of the three Publix that I shop at about local produce. He chucked and looked embarrassed. He says he orders what's available. I see Plant City strawberries and they are fabulous, but I've had tomatoes from Plant City that rival any that I've grown myself in NH. I see more and more "organic" produce and orange juice but it's still from somewhere else, not to mention expensive. I'm going to get on the band wagon and pester them.
Thanks for sharing the great article.

what a nice article. thanks for posting it.
this echoes the "eat local" movement and something I TRY to do but it's hard, very hard.
It is hard for the local managers to take the trouble to look for local sources. They don't get paid any more so it has to come from the top. A chain in the northeast, Super-G (Giant stores) makes a practice of buying local even though they have stores in 3 or 4 states. They post signs stating what is local and it's really better tasting.
I think Publix could do it too if they had the will to do it.
I wish I had a garden like the one in the article. That would be great.

I wanted to share with you my experience today. I stopped at Sweetbay again, and with my reading glasses. I found more locally grown (or at least FL- grown) produce than I've ever been able to find. Mind you, I did take my glasses, read the labels, and asked the produce clerk. I left with FL grown strawberries, corn, zucchini, green pepper and cauliflower. I also saw FL grown tomatoes, avocado, citrus, of course, and ?broccoli (it might have just been distributed from FL).

In looking at their website, I've discovered that Sweetbay is actually based out of Tampa Bay. Perhaps that is why they have more locally grown stuff. I have emailed them to tell them of my favorable experience and to see if they could put signs or stickers to alert consumers to locally grown produce, or products from local companies. We'll see if they are more responsive than Publix. In any case, after many years of being a Publix customer, I may be a convert.

Anna

Reading your tales of woe, I'm glad I live in Lakeland. We have farmer's markets downtown, just off 92 West, North on 98, 92 East near Auburndale, and even one place on Knights Station who grows stuff in their backyard and puts it out on a table in front. Tomatoes so fresh that you'd better get them early because by evening they're starting to get soft. Strictly honor system, pick up what you want and put your money in the coffee can. I may have even overlooked a couple of other markets. So we don't have to fight with corporate giants.