Florida Farmer Plowing Under Strawberries Instread of Harvesting

[ensho]

http://www.care2.com/news/member/683318092/1438917


STOP WASTING FOOD: Florida Farmer Plowing Under Strawberries Instread of Harvesting


Floridians are outraged as farmers allow strawberries that survived the cold snap and frost to rot in the fields or plow them under because prices crashed - and this after monopolizing water to save the plants at a cost to the residents.
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this is a BIG issue in that area of Fl. first the strawberry farmers sucked up too much water and now this farmer won't harvest them.

this is a 2fer - water war and food waste to make a profit

[mike_c]

1. in America, protecting profits is more important than feeding people....

eom

[jody]

5. Do you support increasing your taxes to subsidize farming? n/t

[mike_c]

15. that's a big question that deserves a thoughtful answer...

...that I really don't have time for this morning, so I'll reply with an unsatisfying "perhaps." It depends.

In the case of the OP, I think the farmers entered into an implicit contract with other, competing interests when they commandeered the resources-- water-- for their crops. Others sacrificed so those farmers could get their crops in, so I think the farmers have a responsibility to offer their crops to the folks who sacrificed for them, if nothing else. I'd hope they can make a decent return for their efforts, too, but if not, plowing them under is just thumbing their noses at the folks who sacrificed for them.

[mikelgb]

2. why not let people pick them?

[CurtEastPoint]

3. That was my first thought. Why not? n/t

[piedmont]

8. Liabilty. nt

[zbdent]

14. I thought they only hired illegal immigrant day workers to pick them ...

Because, if you have "American citizens"/union workers pick them, you'd be paying $5 each ...

go figure ...

[jody]

4. Non-farmers don't understand that it can cost more to harvest crops than the selling price. n/t

[havocmom]

9. And too many berate producers while noshing on cheap (relative to production cost) food

Yeah, produce rotting in fields makes me mad as hell, but I have taken some time to learn about the plight of producers who are barely hanging on.

Folks, the villain is often the middle man, not the producer. If he won't pay producers enough to pay the bills and live on, farmers won't be in business long, and your food costs will go higher as you rely on huge multi-national corporations for your chow.

It takes $$ to produce and harvest crops. It takes $$ to maintain farm land rather than sell out to builders of urban and suburban sprawl.

[jody]

10. I grew up on a farm and still own a small producing farm. It's laughable that so many people want

cheap products but are unwilling to pay prices that translate into decent wages for workers.

[Obamanaut]

6. Much good info at this earlier thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=8016095

[piedmont]

7. Does anyone expect the farmers to pick the berries AND ship them at a loss?

The berries aren't worth as much because there are currently more of them than the demand. Everyone complaining about "wasted food" should go out and buy 10 lbs of strawberries. If you don't, you're wasting food.

[jody]

13. Solid point. Let those who complain go out and buy 10 lbs. of strawberries. n/t

[Tempest]

16. They could have done what the central valley in California does

And allow people to pick the berries themselves for a period of time before plowing them under.

Because of the economy berry farmers in the California valley didn't have to plow anything, people came and picked them all. Most of the berries were picked by volunteers of homeless centers and food banks.

[Auggie]

11. Many grape growers in wine country have done the same thing

[Denninmi]

12. But, but, but ...

It's the beloved-of-the-right Free Market at work. Capitalism at its finest.

Idiots!