- Donald Trump has imposed a 17 per cent tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico, raising concerns about increased prices for consumers and businesses.
- The tariffs took effect after the US withdrew from the nearly three-decade-old Tomato Suspension Agreement, with the Secretary of Commerce stating American farmers had been ‘crushed by unfair trade practices’. The Commerce Department calculated the 17 per cent import tax to measure the percentage by which Mexican tomatoes were allegedly sold at unfair prices in the US.
- The measure is expected to result in higher costs at supermarkets and restaurants, with one Californian restaurant owner predicting bankruptcy within three months.
- Mexico, which supplies about 70 per cent of US tomatoes, has refuted claims of dumping, insisting the popularity of their produce is due to its quality, and stated that substitution would be impossible.
Buy local, folks. I got far higher quality tomatoes at a farm stand the other day than I can find at any big box store in the US. The prices can’t be beat.
Enjoy it while there are still pickers working on said farm.
They’re family-run operations, proudly owned by generations of Latinos, in many local cases. You’re talking full-on internment camps if they’re to forcibly remove these legal citizens from their businesses. I’m not saying that isn’t in the works but these aren’t only field workers vulnerable to being terrorized. There’s a vast co-op network they pull resources from. If trump is going to truly go after all production, food will cease to be available. We will see economic destruction that will make the Great Depression pale in comparison.
That may be less far-fetched than it seems, if Laura “Jigsaw” Loomer still has Trump’s ear: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/laura-loomer-alcatraz-alligator-lives-matter-trump-b2782150.html
Nothing seems far fetched anymore. It’s only the commitment to total devastation that gets him chickening out.
Buy local, and buy seasonal. That’s just as important, because if you’re shopping for avocados in Milwaukee in November, those fuckers have traveled a long way and was picked a long time ago. You might not live in a climate that has oranges or strawberries year round. Accept this and choose food that doesn’t have a swollen climate footprint.
Also eat free-range billionaires. Eating one billionaire would do more good for the climate than every other change you and 300 of your friends could make.
Learning to eat what’s seasonal is a great way to understand world cuisines better. It’s advantageous when traveling…
I love me a farm fresh avocado picked ripe from the Milwaukee avocado farms every June.
Not eating anything except local produce might get you winter scurvy in some places.
But you have a good sensible point about the billionaires.
There are plenty of sources of vitamin c that are available in the winter. Broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts are all available in colder climates well into fall and winter. Sailors would get scurvy from eating fish and cured meat and drinking only ale and water for months at a time. Malnourished children get scurvy because of neglect. It’s not that hard for adults with access to fresh food and sufficient economic freedom to get enough vitamins.
One word: cabbage.
Two words: yummy cabbage.
Many words: I actually agree with you in general, I just love cabbage which, on top of many other benefits, is SUPER high in vitamin C and excellently suited for climates where not much grows in winter🙂
I approve of cabbage but I’m not delighted with most of the recipes I’ve used. Got something really different? And please, my body can’t tolerate much capsaicin so don’t lean into heavy 🌶️. Other spicy spices are fine.
Sorry, but I just munch on raw cabbage myself 🤷
They’re great as a salad base, too.
Oh! Green, red, napa? Carry around a head and pull off a leaf at a time or bite into the whole thing? Or slice it into shreds?
Pretty much everything except Brussels sprouts and cauliflower 🤷
Yes, except for the carrying around. I eat it at home
Canning/jarring/preserving/dehydrating.
Learn them.
I’m lucky enough to live in SoCal, I have tomatoes and blueberries and lemons and miner’s lettuce in pots on my balcony year-round. And I make lovely strawberry jam, but I’m well aware that the boiling necessary for preservation destroys most of the Vitamin C.
That’s great in the high summer, but good luck finding those locally grown tomatoes in January.
Are such farm stands present in cities, though?
Pretty much every major city in the US. I’ve been to farmer’s markets in multiple red cities and multiple blue cities.
Though, in some cities, they’re only open half the year because of weather conditions in the other half.
Sounds great while they are open, thanks.
Depends on the region. I can find about 5 on Victoria Avenue in Riverside, California alone. Farm stands are everywhere under our noses in this state and we can wind up overlooking these amenities.
In LA, back in the day, I would have been going to farmer’s markets more, which are a bit more work because they have limited schedules. Still, there are brilliant places like Super King there, that have a lot of value for the money. I also miss other specialties there like sushi-grade fish mongers, etc. There are quite a lot of options in Southern California and beyond such as Latino supermarket chains like Vallartas, Cardena’s and Northgate/Gonzalez Bros as well as Asian options like 99 Ranch Market.
They don’t seem to farm tomatoes locally where I am, but the local half-runner beans are great.