Balance of Food

How processing plants will affect meat in the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

The number of the COVID-19 cases in meat processing plants in the United States is staggering. The Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota has had 783 workers testing positive and 2 fatalities.

The U.S. count is 2,200 confirmed cases among workers at 48 plants.

Even Canada has been hit with cases in the Cargill plant in High River, Alberta that closed. There has been a single death attributed to COVID-19 from that plant.

Instead of ramping up protection from workers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture relaxed safety and oversight, allowing 15 poultry plants to exceed federal limits on the number of birds processed per minute.

What's Eating America devotes cable news time to important food issues

Andrew Zimmern pointed out in his recent MSNBC series What's Eating America about the large presence of immigrants involved in meat processing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in a 15-page memo that the workers at the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls were getting information in English even though the workers speak about 40 languages.

There has also been tremendous pressure to keep the plants open. The workers felt pressure to show up, given how easily they could be fired from their low-paying jobs.

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Consumers might experience a downturn in meat availability at some point, perhaps. The temptation to hoard meat like toilet paper should be resisted for a number of reasons.

Factor in that restaurants are using a lot less meat, even if they are open for to-go orders.

There may be a saving grace on the way, depending on which way the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic goes. May usually brings farmers markets to the United States and other Northern Hemisphere countries. Local farmers aren't dealing with those gigantic meat processing plants.

After all, the shortages might come from those plants. If you aren't buying your meat from those plants, the shortages won't be an issue. Buying local gives you a better product with little to no stress. Better raised meat has lots of advantages. In a pandemic, your friends might pay more than usual but you will have better meat.

If your community doesn't ease into farmers markets, you can likely deal with local farmers on meat CSAs (community supported agriculture) or sites where you can pick up meat from local farmers. Know your farmer! This is why we say that is so important.

We emphasize local but you could think about prosciutto from Italy or steaks from New Zealand.

You could switch to seafood for awhile. Seafood production may run into COVID-19 related issues but may not be as bad as the meat processing plants.

You can also eat less meat. This isn't what Americans want to hear. If you are making burgers, use mushrooms as 25% of your burger material. Figure instead of a pound of meat, use 3/4 pound of meat with 1/4 pound of sliced mushrooms. Similar meaty taste with more nutrition. Save that extra 1/4 pound of beef for Taco Tuesday night.

Cheaper cuts of beef that you might have ignored might become your friend. Cost is sadly important for a lot of people. You have less money but more time to figure out how to use those cuts to feed your family.

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Alternative foods if your grocery store has been raided due to COVID-19 coronavirus

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Meat has been seen as a standard of success at the dinner table for hundreds of years. This pandemic won't change that dynamic.

Eating plant-based burgers falls well within the spirit of Lent

Bacon goes well on everything, even a veggie burger

Unlike pandemics of the past, we are more aware of meatless alternatives. Meat doesn't have to be the star of the table. Think of meat as a character actor that can do so many different things well. An Oscar for Best Supporting Actor is still an Oscar.

Having more time to cook allows you to be more creative with where meat stands in your food lineup. You might even learn some new tricks for when the pandemic subsides.

photos credit: The Rachel Maddow Show/MSNBC; me

Meat and dairy want authentic labeling but not across the board

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" — Juliet from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

In the world of fake news, we have fake cheese, fake burgers, fake milk. Several states has passed laws prohibiting the marketing of products as "milk," "rice," and "sausage" if they aren't actually milk, rice, and sausage. 

Veggie burgers and soy milk have piggybacked on the backs of burgers and milk to show what the product is supposed to represent. Manufacturers weren't concerned when they had a small percentage of food sales. The increased interest becomes the theoretical threat.

Consumers don't get home with groceries thinking that grabbed meat or milk when they haven't. They know what they are buying.

Soy beverage or veggie patties aren't that different from soy milk and veggie burgers.

Having empathy or sympathy for meat and dairy manufacturers would be easier if they were equally as concerned about the defense of meat and cheese across the board.

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The United States is the land of pasteurized process cheese food, made from not less than 51 percent by "optional cheese ingredients." The USDA says any "meat taco filling" should at least have 40% fresh meat.

The obvious argument is that these products do contain meat and cheese, not a lot of them.

They are upset over soy milk but think non-dairy creamer is okay. Canada has the sensibility to call that product coffee whitener.

Fight these battles and then we can talk about soy milk and veggie burgers.

What's Tempting: Eating real cheese

The argument is that soy milk and veggie burgers are deceptions. Consumers know they aren't the real thing. Using the words "cheese," "dairy," "meat," and "creamer" are far more deceptive.

photo credit: Sargento

Some Canadian fast food companies want to talk about sustainability

"Sustainable beef" sounds great. Trying not to be cynical but what does that mean?

McDonald's ads in the United States don't talk about the quality of the beef in the fast food hamburgers. We know McDonald's ads in Canada have a completely different mindset than U.S. ads. This McDonald's ad on sustainable beef ran earlier this spring on Canadian television.

"At McDonald’s Canada, (sustainable beef) it’s a commitment. A commitment to ensuring we preserve Canada’s most valuable resources for future generations to come. To look after the land, to care for animals, and to provide the best quality food we possibly can without compromise."

McDonald's Canada says that the company has "partnered to produce beef sustainably" with Canadian farmers for over a decade. The practice applies to the Mighty Angus Burger but not every burger that McDonald’s Canada sells.

Dr. Reynold Bergen, Science Director, Beef Cattle Research Council, is quoted in the ad as saying "the same pound of beef today produces 15% less greenhouse gas than it did 30 years ago, and so our environmental footprint is shrinking."

Is McDonald's Canada beef grass-fed or grass-finished? The ad implies that the cows eat grass and aren't trapped in pens.

In 2018, McDonald's Canada announced that the Angus beef would be certified sustainable according to standards from the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

From McDonald's Canada:

For example, a few of the indicators a farmer or rancher must achieve include:

• Grasslands and grazing are managed in a way that maintains or improves soil health and protects watershed areas.
• Outcomes related to feed/water, animal care, shelter, herd health and handling procedures are met as per requirements outlined in Canada's Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle.

McDonald's Canada notes that 100% of its beef comes from Canadian ranches and farms, primarily in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Canadian ads from spring 2019 NHL Center Ice free preview

A tale of 2 fast food justification ads from Subway Canada and A&W Canada

A&W Canada says the company is a proud member of both the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef as well as the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

The chain has touted its stance that it uses beef "raised without any added hormones or steroids." The FAQ does say "our cattle enjoy a mix of different grains and grass" so their beef isn't 100% grass-fed.

When asked about the verifying process, their reply was "We audit all facilities that handle our beef and they are also audited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency or equivalent regulatory agencies. At A&W, we’ve developed our own animal welfare programs that meet the National Farm and Animal Care Council requirements, adding additional requirements from our own research. This means we also audit our supplies using third-party auditors accredited by the Professional Animal Auditors Certification organization to ensure all our requirements are met."

BalanceofFood.com fast food coverage

BalanceofFood.com advertising coverage

You might decide that McDonald's Canada or A&W Canada doesn't meet your high standards (e.g., grass-finished). These places might exceed your current level of standards (likely none).

Having a conversation about sustainability in fast food is rather fun, though a few more details wouldn't harm the discussion. We would love to see more fast food places in Canada jump into the conversation. Fast food outlets in the United States? Someone has to take the first step.

Food companies will try to take advantage of buzzwords such as "sustainability." Holding them accountable keeps them on their toes and we all benefit as consumers.

video and photo credit: McDonald's Canada

How to protect yourself since USDA declares pink slime as ground beef

The USDA, looking out for your corporations' best interest, has ruled that "pink slime" can now be considered ground beef.

Understand that "pink slime" has been in inferior beef for some time. Just because we knew about it didn't mean pink slime went away. The classification allows company to sell the pink slime by itself if necessary.

In case you didn't remember, according to yourdictionary.com:

Pink slime is defined as finely ground beef scraps, fat and tissue that have been made into a protein paste and treated to kill bacteria, to become a meat additive that is added into ground beef and processed meats as filler.

Ammonia is added to the process. Yum.

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USDA needs better reasons to avoid telling us that we're eating pink slime

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You can avoid pink slime by buying beef from meat growers committed to a well-grown process from what they eat to how they are processed.

You can also get to a better temperature from well-grown meat because the meat will come from a single cow. Processing meat from multiple cows increases chances of e-coli.

The FDA and USDA is not here to protect you from pink slime or e-coli in romaine lettuce. You have to provide your own protection from those who want to sell you inferior meat.

Eat less meat but eat better beef.

photo credit: me

Romaine lettuce can't be a liability in the food supply

The commercial would start out with a black-and-white version of the above photo with an announcer asking us, "Tired of throwing away romaine lettuce over possible e-coli."

Then the commercial would be in color with the solution to help you rid you of e-coli to protect your romaine lettuce.

There is no such product that can help with this sadly off-and-on food safety issue.

While the latest outbreak hit Canada in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, that lettuce and the lettuce in the United States came from the United States. We're #1??

We can't blame Yuma, AZ in the latest outbreak. We have a vague direction of the Central Coastal growing regions of northern and central California. You can track a purchase from Amazon but not the origin of your lettuce.

There is actual talk of labels with a harvest location by region for romaine lettuce products. Even then, the labels won't prevent the e-coli madness but can lead to fewer romaine lettuce heads being thrown out.

If you really are tired of throwing out perfectly good romaine lettuce, here are options for you.

• Stop buying bagged salad. Just stop. Mechanically chopped lettuce is becoming a problem for the potential spread of bad diseases. Tearing apart leaves of romaine lettuce can be done even if you are tired. You will be using fresher lettuce that tastes better.
• Look into hydroponic or greenhouse-grown romaine lettuce. Neither of these were linked to any outbreak. The lettuce will be local and available year-round. Or buy from a trusted local farmer. The lettuce may be more expensive but you'll know where it comes from and has no chance of e-coli runoff from factory farms.
• Don't replace romaine lettuce with iceberg lettuce in those moments. Unless you are eating a wedge salad ironically, you have no need for iceberg lettuce. Discover some really great lettuces. Turns out green leaf is the best friend to any sandwich.
• Badger your Congressperson and senator. Tell them you want to invest in food safety in the United States. Maybe your Congressperson will be someone new in January. Make sure you get that name correct.

"Ill people in this outbreak were infected with E. coli bacteria with the same DNA fingerprint as the E. coli strain isolated from ill people in a 2017 outbreak linked to leafy greens in the United States and to romaine lettuce in Canada. The current outbreak is not related to a spring 2018 multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce."

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

This CDC directive refers to multiple recent outbreaks involving lettuce. Lettuce is supposed to be a safe vegetable as a welcome base to salads everywhere. We need to work harder to return to a world where lettuce is safe once again.

Editor's note: This was one of 2 heads of romaine lettuce that I threw away. Food waste is bad but not as bad as getting e.coli.

photo credit: me

UHT milk provides longer shelf life but nutrition and taste are lost

If you need a long-shelf life for your regular milk, you might be excited that you are seeing expiration dates longer into the future. We are seeing this especially in organic milk.

However, those longer shelf-lives come as a result of the milk going through the process of ultra high temperature (UHT) or being ultra-pasteurized. Are the advantages of organic milk being compromised by being UHT?

I learned the different pasteurization techniques via Alton Brown on an episode of Good Eats. The conventional process is 145°F for 30 minutes. Brown referenced HTST pasteurization (high temperature/short time), which is 161°F for 15 seconds. UHT is 280°F for 2 seconds and then cooled quickly.

Brown noted that low and slow is the way to go because it produces better flavor and body.

Nutrition is more important than taste, but a better tasting milk means more milk will be consumed, especially by children. Drinking milk is also about health above and beyond calcium and protein.

Scouring the Internet won't take you long to find articles about the evils of UHT pasteurization, such as altering the milk protein structure is altered and that UHT milk has less folate and could have reduced Vitamin B₁₂, Vitamin C, and Thiamin.

From the Weston A. Price Foundation:

According to Lee Dexter, microbiologist and owner of White Egret Farm goat dairy in Austin, Texas, ultra-pasteurization is an extremely harmful process to inflict on the fragile components of milk. Dexter explains that milk proteins are complex, three-dimensional molecules, like tinker toys. They are broken down and digested when special enzymes fit into the parts that stick out. Rapid heat treatments like pasteurization, and especially ultra-pasteurization, actually flatten the molecules so the enzymes cannot do their work. If such proteins pass into the bloodstream (a frequent occurrence in those suffering from "leaky gut," a condition that can be brought on by drinking processed commercial milk), the body perceives them as foreign proteins and mounts an immune response. That means a chronically overstressed immune system and much less energy available for growth and repair.

If you like raw milk or want to have the milk as little pasteurized as possible, UHT milk goes to the other extreme.

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The UHT process doesn’t add nutrition to the process. UHT milk isn’t safer than regular pasteurization. The primary advantage to UHT is that grocery stores can increase profits. Less milk to throw out and more people will buy milk with a longer shelf life.

You can drink regular milk past the expiration date. Unless you take a long time to consume a container of milk, you almost never have to worry about spoilage. And if you need a long-term, shelf-stable milk, you can buy non-dairy milk.

Your food can be “too safe.” The U.S. has allowed irradiation of ground beef since 1999. Health Canada approved irradiation of ground beef last year but that information must be declared on the label. Irradiated ground beef might be "safe" but I wouldn't want to eat that beef.

We praise Europe’s food process, but the UHT wave comes from Europe. You might remember the Parmalat milk from the 1990s. Finding UHT milk is much easier in Europe, but then again, raw milk is easier to find in Europe.

If I’m going to drink milk, I want to get as much complete nutrition as I can in that glass. UHT milk makes buying and drinking milk less worrisome to some people, but provides no worthy reason where nutrition is concerned.

Organic or conventional, you still have to eat fruits and vegetables

Eating vegetables have many barriers: Texture, raw vs. cooked, cost, taste. Pesticides are a concern but they shouldn't prevent you from eating vegetables.

A dietitian friend of mine had a social media post that said people were not eating enough fruits and vegetables. I would argue that fruits aren't as much of a concern, but we all agree that we aren't eating enough vegetables.

The next part of the post puzzled me: the Dirty Dozen, Clean 15, and other lists were scaring people away from eating fruits and vegetables. I responded online that people weren't being scared away from fruits and vegetables because of the lists.

To clarify, the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 type lists break down which fruits and vegetables should be bought as organic vs. conventionally grown. The lists are also helpful in what isn't on them. They suggest buying organic for certain fruits and vegetables. If a fruit or vegetable isn't on that list, then the lists tell us you don't have to be as concerned. The lists should increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables by giving consumers information to make safer and better choices.

The reply was that people were scared and this study was the proof.

"We surveyed 510 low-income shoppers to learn about their attitudes about organic and conventional fruits and vegetables (FV) and what would happen if we provided them with information about organic and conventional growing practices from a variety of sources. In general, participants preferred organic FV; however, cost was a significant barrier to purchase them. Informational statements about organic and conventional FV did not increase participants' likelihood to purchase more FV. In contrast, messages naming specific FV with pesticides shifted participants toward 'less likely' to purchase any type of FV regardless whether organically or conventionally grown. The results provide insight about how low-income people view FV and how communications may influence their purchase intention."

The study focuses on the impact of communications on purchase intention. The flaw in the study is that the information is incomplete and without context. Let's look at 3 major areas of concern:

• People are scared of the idea of pesticides without knowing a whole lot. Let's start with a dose of reality: conventional-grown produce has pesticides. Organic produce can and often has pesticides. The difference is which pesticides are used, how much of the pesticide is being used, and whether or not those pesticides are outlawed in other parts of the world.
• Farmers markets sell produce that often is grown to organic standards without being certified organic in part due to cost and tedious paperwork. Produce at those markets are usually cheaper than certified organic products in a grocery store. Some farmers markets take food assistance funds (food stamps) as payment.
• The study doesn't address hydroponic vegetables grown in warehouses without a speck of pesticide.

"In general, participants preferred organic FV; however, cost was a significant barrier to purchase them." We hear this quite often that "organic" means "too expensive." Sometimes, this is true but the marketplace has shifted quite a bit. Trader Joe's, for those who are near one, and even conventional stores carry organic foods at more reasonable prices.

The U.S. consumer complains about high food prices. In a world comparison, U.S. food prices are pretty low compared to similar countries but U.S. wages have been stagnant in terms of buying power for 40 years. The cost difference between conventional and organic may seem too high for some consumers but may depend on accessibility to cheaper organic food.

You have to develop your own system for buying fruits and vegetables that fit your nutritional, physical, and psychological concerns. You might want to support local farmers. You might not care where your fruits and vegetables got their start. The marketplace is large enough for all types of decisions.

You might enjoy rinsing and cleaning your fruits and vegetables and figure this is the price you pay for buying relatively cheaper produce. You can choose to follow the clean organic lists such as the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 for some produce and be more open in other areas of produce.

You might not have enough time or money to do anything more than shop in one huge place where organic is a pipe dream. Everybody in all these scenarios and more have an obligation to themselves to consume fruits and vegetables.

Frozen or canned fruits and vegetables can be a wonderful option for consumers. With canned fruits and vegetables, rinsing canned fruit (for ingredients that aren't juice) and vegetables (too much sodium) is a really good idea. Fresh fruit and vegetables can be an amazing supplement when in season whether growing them yourself, getting them at farmers markets, or at the local supermarket.

The ultimate reason you will eat those fruits and vegetables is taste. People who pick organic or farmers markets usually find that the taste of fruits and vegetables is better. They might pay more but they are more likely to eat those fruit and vegetables. Nutrition only counts if you eat what you buy.

For those 510 low-income people in Chicago (a significant scientific flaw in the study for using 510 people all from one location: Chicago), we have good news. You can use food assistance funds in select farmers markets. There are beautiful hydroponic vegetables growing in warehouses in your city without a drop of pesticides.

The United States makes food shopping rather difficult because of the Wild West mentality that food companies can try to sneak things past you that you don't want in your family's food supply. Being diligent has to be a part of the food shopping process. You have to learn about what is out there and make your own smart decisions that work with your core values. And yes, you have to eat your fruits and vegetables.

photo credit: this site

Cook County repeals excessive penny per ounce soda tax

Cook County soda tax: August 2, 2017-November 30, 2017 RIP

Soft drinks, especially those made with high-fructose corn syrup, are a great concern to the obesity battle. But this onerous soda tax was not a good weapon for this battle.

Too many other beverages were affected from diet drinks to lemonade. Too many beverages were wrongly taxed. Too many people drove to nearby counties or state lines to get their fix for those who could afford to make that drive.

Chicagoans were paying 3 different taxes on regular soft drinks: federal sales tax, a 3% tax in Chicago, and the 1¢/ounce tax since August 2. As of December 1, Chicagoans will still pay 2 taxes on regular soft drinks.

The Cook County Board's Finance Committee — made up of the entire board — voted 15-1 to repeal the tax on Tuesday. The full board voted 15-2 to repeal the tax on Wednesday. The tax will still be collected through the end of November.

Chicagoans pay 3 taxes on soda thanks to Cook County tax

Proposed Cook County soda tax has little to do with health

The Cook County reversal is on the heels of Boulder, CO and its 2¢/ounce tax that kicked in July 1. That tax does not include diet drinks. Details can be found here.

The Seattle City Council approved a 1.75¢/ounce soda tax (not on diet drinks). That tax kicks in January 1, 2018.

San Francisco, Oakland, and Albany (just north of Berkeley in Alameda County) passed soda taxes on November 8, 2016. The taxes have kicked in for Albany and Oakland; the San Francisco tax starts January 1. Each tax is 1¢/ounce.

Santa Fe, NM put a 2¢/ounce tax before the voters in May: 58 percent voted "no." Michigan is considering a bill passed by the Senate to pre-emptively prohibit cities from passing local taxes on food, drinks, and gum. No Michigan city is considering such a law.

For a great chart on soda taxes, click here.

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Too much worry over taxing 'juice drinks and soda'

SF ban on HFCS should open up a dialogue

The TV viewers in the Chicago area were hit with a barrage of ads that were kinder than U.S. political ads but still as annoying. The pro-tax ads were paid for by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. The anti-tax ads came from the American Beverage Association and related interests.

Bloomberg reportedly spent $5 million in ads just on the Cook County soda tax. Factor in a large number for the pro-tax ads. Then take all that combined money and work on those in Congress to get rid of the subsidies for corn products, especially high-fructose corn syrup.

There is a smugness with the soda taxes. They are in predominately liberal areas. As we saw with the Cook County soda tax, those who had cars and the stubbornness to buy the drinks in nearby areas can afford to take a stand. If you don't own a car in Chicago and barely can find a nearby grocery store, you can't afford to take a stand.

Temptation of the Week: Fat tax

BalanceofFood.com local/state food policy coverage

The Michigan action speaks to a larger point. The areas that need help in the obesity battle won't be impacted by soda taxes. The only way they can get help is to have the price of soft drinks reflect their true cost. In a country where vegetables are relatively expensive, soda is cheap. At fast food places, a combo is only slightly more than the cost of a burger and fries. Of course, people are going to drink soda under those circumstances.

Cane-sugar versions are more expensive because sugar prices are artificially high and high-fructose corn syrup prices are artificially low. Until that dynamic changes, no amount of smug soda taxes will make an impact, especially on those who need the most help.

photos credit: me

CBC Marketplace story reminds us to be diligent about farmers markets

Know your farmer.

People who love farmers markets who end up in a conversation with someone who doesn't like farmers markets often come up with some variation of "know your farmer."

Subway Canada chicken comes up short on chicken, according to CBC Marketplace

Stories such as the CBC Marketplace investigation into some farmers at Ontario farmers markets being less than trustworthy about the source of their produce can make people more skeptical about farmers markets.

Veteran patrons of farmers markets can point to a few reasons why these farmers should not have been trusted. Some of the food in the story had stickers on them. In one instance, the pepper claimed as local in Canada actually came from Mexico. Other produce had boxes that indicated the produce came from somewhere else.

Perhaps these same veteran patrons pay close attention and the average person might not know what to expect at farmers markets. So let's give some tips so even people off the street can tell which food is really local. Even if a farmer doesn't do some of these tips, that farmer can still be local, but use this as a general guide.

• If the produce has stickers on them at a farmers market, just walk away. If you see where stickers might have been on a food, just walk away.
• If you see discarded wholesale packaging, walk away. Local produce growers don't have wholesale packaging.
• Know what is in season. I know when blueberry season comes where I live. I know strawberries come before blueberries. Also, look at other stands: they pretty much should have the same fruit at all the stands. Certain produce can be grown in a greenhouse but berries aren't usually in that group.
• Local means local. I've seen people ask for citrus and olive oil in a Midwestern farmers market. Those foods are great but not local in that setting. A grocery store can handle those needs.
• Cheaper in a grocery store is a target goal, Cheaper at a farmers market often means the produce isn't local. Surprising, as food travels a longer distance, that food can be cheaper but not as fresh. A 50¢ difference per pint is not a concern. But a huge difference, however tempting, is not worth the cost.
• If the produce looks too good, that could be a sign. Real local fruit and vegetables can be imperfect. Heirloom tomatoes comes from local farms. Different varieties of fruit come from local farms. Some farmers, if you are nice and know you, will sell "seconds," often fruit that has blemishes or imperfections. That fruit can cost less and still taste wonderful in a pie.
• Offer to visit the farmer. A couple of the real farmers in the story mentioned this. 
• Talk to your farmer. Engage them in conversation. Ask questions. A real aboveboard farmer wants to tell the story of the food. Veteran patrons really do know their farmer and can spot BS above and beyond a single conversation.

The CBC Marketplace story points out that in California, "each stand is inspected and vendors are required to display a certificate that outlines the produce they grow."

"In Canada it falls to the provinces to decide whether to regulate the industry … Ontario has no regulations that penalize resellers for lying about growing the produce they sell at farmers markets."

Check to see what the standards are where you live. For example, Chicago and Illinois have standards, but Green City Market is extra diligent. Farmers can't sell anything that isn't local. Here is Green City Market's certification link.

Ultimately, the best way to tell is taste. The farmers market food may be more expensive but the food is supposed to taste so good that the extra money is worth the cost to get great tasting produce.

As diligent as one can be, sometimes you run into a bad vendor or a bad item from a good vendor. The farmers markets offer a variety of options to best suit your taste. Over time, you end up with your favorites.

The farmers market is made for relationships. Trying a farmers market once won't produce the same value as a farmers market over extended time. "Know your farmer" does take time but a good farmer-customer relationship yields a bountiful harvest.

To see the segment, click here to get to the CBC Marketplace Web site.

photos credit: CBC Marketplace

Vending machines in France show new way to get produce from farmers

Farmers grow food. People eat food. Getting farmer food to consumers requires creative planning.

Let's look at the pros and cons of delivering fresh food to consumers:

Farmers markets

• Advantages: Get to meet and talk with customers. Get a fairer price for the produce.
• Disadvantages: Farmers have to be salespeople or hire people to sell their produce.

Grocery stores

• Advantages: Willing to buy a lot of food.
• Disadvantages: No personal touch. Won't take "less than perfect" produce. Stores don't pay farmers too well for their produce.

In France, they are trying a different direction: fresh produce in vending machines. Farmers are using vending machines as a way to get fresh local produce to consumers at a price point they need and without the labor cost of selling the food.

What's Tempting: Finally tasting raw milk

What's Tempting: Raw milk from a vending machine

We explored this topic with getting raw milk from a vending machine in Europe. These vending machines are much easier to operate. The idea of getting fresh oysters in a vending machine is the latest use of this technology. The food is replaced each day so freshness isn't an issue.

The personal touch is lost but the farmers' major requirements are met with the vending machines.

BalanceofFood.com world food policy coverage

How are the vending machines helping out the consumers?

They aren't restricted to farmers markets days and hours. They are getting fresher produce than in a supermarket. They establish a relationship with a farmer, even if there is little personal contact. If farmers pass on the savings to the consumer, they will get better produce for a good price.

The major drawback, besides the personal touch, is not being able to touch the produce to get a better sense of what you are buying.

What's Tempting: Fresh salads from a vending machine

Vending machines need healthier food if they are to stay in schools

While I like the personal touch of farmers markets and being able to see and touch the produce, after I was stuck buying regular mushrooms earlier this summer because I couldn't access the farmer in that moment, a vending machine would have been ideal.

The vending machines are similar to the automat machines, the machines you find in Europe that sell fast food sandwiches and other snacks. The machines came over from Germany, where you can also find these vending machines. The machines also take credit cards, another advantage for consumers.

Like most solutions, farmers will have to employ a variety of options that work best for their bottom line. That also includes farmers shoppes. The vending machines offer distinct advantages, especially to farmers who are shy about selling and consumers who are shy about having to strike up a conversation to get great produce.

You can find out more about these machines from outside sources: here, here, and here.

photo credit: George Nelson/Munchies.Vice.com