Blogs

It is very interesting to me how the debate for health care reform has become focused on "health insurance reform"  For every dollar spent on health care, 87% is spent on doctors, hospitals, prescriptions and tests (supplies).  Health insurance premiums account for about 10% of the overall costs spent on health care.  So why are we focused on the 10% and not on the 87%?  There are several things we could do to really help reduce that 87%?  Why mess with the 10%?  Tort reform, making health care "not for profit."  And probably most

I have been to Chile twice.  Both times, I was so impressed with the high tecnhology of their produce industry, from their farms to their packing to their exporting.  Years ago, they were trellasing their table grapes 7 feet high, allowing the grape clusters to dangle underneath the leaf canopy, making it easier to harvest, which meant less handling of the grape clusters.  They were even trellasing their Plum trees, which is why their Plums are always so huge.  I was impressed with how hard they work, the long hours they put in to make sure of fruit quality and food safe

You might not think that an Earthquake a half a world away would impact produce prices here, but it sure will.  Chile was rocked with a massive 8.8 Earthquake earlier today.  The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a 7.8 earthquake.  This Chilean quake was hundreds of time stronger than the most recent earthquake in Haiti.  The epicenter is about 200 miles south of the capital city of Santiago.  Even so, there was tremendous damage to buildings, roads, bridges and communications.  This time of year, it is summertime in Chile.  They are a major exporter of

When I first started in the produce industry over 30 years ago, I remember anticipating the first Cantaloupe of the season.  We used to get the cute little "cannonball" Cantloupes from Northern Mexico.  They were tiny, but they were sweet as any summer Cantaloupe.  They came in wooden crates, most of them topped off with shaved ice.  It was quite a site every Spring.  Well, now, we can find Cantaloupe 365 days a year in the produce department.  Most of our Winter Cantaloupe come from Central America, places like Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras.&nbs

 
Submitted by Your Produce Man on Sun, 02/21/2010 - 00:57.