National Food Shortage: No Tomatoes in my 7/11????

I don't know why so much outrage for US produce shortage after all most of our products comes from south America.

Don't believe me? just look at the littler stickers on the fresh produce, so a shortage of the US home grown products should not be a problem.

Still here in Ga is not shortage of anything, beside tomatoes is one of the easiest products to grow at home.

Just hang them by the window.

About 2-3 months ago I began to put the purchase date and price on most of what I buy. I was noticing some pretty good price increases but couldn't remember the exact price I paid the last time I purchased an item.

I buy a lot of bulk items and corn starch for example went up 9% at my local Sam's a month ago. some of the supplies I use for work have gone up over 50% at my local Wal-Mart. Now that I am paying closer attention the increases are pretty obvious.

Don't ever assume the the larger quantities are cheaper. ESPECIALLY at Wal-Mart & Sam's or that Sam's is cheaper than Wal-Mart. For example bag of rice at Sam's 25LB/$9.94, 50LB/$20.49. It must not be as obvious as it appears to me but my 3rd grade daughter knows to get 2 25LB bags rather than 1 50Lb bag. Obviously however it would not be priced that way if people did not buy the 50LB bags. Cans of Spam are almost 10% more expensive at Sam's than Wal-Mart and I have often seen it 9% more at Wal-Mart than Walgreens. If you can't readily do the math a calculator is your best defense against these places. My local Kroger is often much cheaper than Wal-Mart on a variety of items

Originally posted by larphillips

Originally posted by RRokkyy
reply to post by thorazineshuffle

 

I have been growing tomatoes for about 6 years in Orange County,South California.
And for the last 3 years there has been a tomato virus that has seriously damaged
the crops. I heard it started in Fla and made it to Ca about 3 years ago.
It is spread by the white fly.

Home grown tomatoes are so much better than the factory ones,
at least they used to be.

Have you found anything to ward the fly off or to slow down the virus? Have your plants been total losses, or has it been taking out only a percentage of your crops?

Some plants are a total loss. Some are stunted and produce some tomatoes.
I dont know of any method to prevent the fly or virus.
2 years ago I think I only got about 10 percent.
Last year I got 40 percent but planted some heirlooms.
If you get your tomato plants in early and there is no severe cold weather
there are less flies around so the plants get a head start.

4 years ago I was giving away 10 to 15 lbs of tomatoes every other day
in the producing season. Now I hardly give any away.

I am growing tobacco this year too.

reply to post by sykickvision


Isn't free trade and corporate control of food production great? Thank you, unimpeded capitalism!

I went to Subway the other day for dinner and they had a sign stating they may be out of tomatoes, and expect less on your sandwich when they do have them. It was in Melbourne,Florida.

Originally posted by TorqueyThePig
I went to Subway the other day for dinner and they had a sign stating they may be out of tomatoes, and expect less on your sandwich when they do have them. It was in Melbourne,Florida.

Which is funny as even before this current crisis, they sliced their tomatoes paper thin... practically transparent. They could probably cover nearly a dozen foot-longs with one tomato.

Originally posted by RRokkyy
I am growing tobacco this year too.

That is a brilliant idea! If things go really sour, that might be your absolute best value barter crop. You'll have to start a thread detailing your adventures in tobacco. I'd love to see the process.

reply to post by larphillips


You sir are correct. LOL