Eating Locally: A Review of Plum Market

Originally submitted by: bmaloy

I agree about Plum Market, very pristine and very high priced. Perhaps it was due to the grand opening, but I found their sales to be outstanding. I bought a few items that were on sale and felt like I got a steal. For local meat, I don't think you can beat Sparrow's Market in Kerrytown. The beef all comes from a farm just outside of Jackson. The owner (Bob I think) buys the entire cow and butcher's it himself. This really helps on the price. The beef is primarily grass feed as well (as tasty as anywhere you'll find). You'll pay more for beef or chicken here than you would Meijers or Krogers, but you'll pay a lot less than Plum Market or Whole Foods. It's a win all around. I highly recommend trying it out.

Originally submitted by: barcode 2x

Does eating locally mean cutting out all non-local foods? I don't think I can do without my bananas from wherever they come from. Plus, for me, this is at once an environmental issue, an ethical issue, and a nutritional one. I want the local foods because I know where they come from and what the conditions are on the farm, and I can talk to the grower about pesticides & hormones. Plus, I like keeping the money in Michigan. Less gas is used in transporting it, which is nice for Mother Nature. And I like to keep organic, so it's a win-win. I can get most of my eggs local, my meat and chicken local, and other such products. But I still love citrus and tropical fruits, so I don't want to lose that from my diet. Coffee, for that matter, I consume in vast amounts, and it doesn't grow in Michigan. It grows on other continents! I want to make a statement to the world and help with the local foods movement, but I still want to eat tuna out of the can. I'd say that less than 10% of what I eat is grown locally. Is that a good enough start? But the main thing is getting it to the masses. It won't do any good to continue to sell local foods as boutique items. We need to get it to everyone. The young folks who eat Ramen. What are the affordable local options for our young workforce? McDonalds launched its "I'm Lovin' It" campaign aimed at the hipster crowd. Can the Farmer's Market do the same thing? The closest thing to local fast-food is Zingerman's drive-thru at the Roadhouse. It's still really pricey. The co-op is good, very quick when you need it. But the location and the image might keep some people away. I personally think it's a Utopia, but that's me. We need a sandwich stand, or a taco wagon, a convenient and cheap option. We need to bring the local foods to the people. Egg delivery? Michigan Milkman? Grizzly Peak's management company is opening a new bar/restaurant with local foods & organics. I love that idea. It's regular bar food, it's not just sprouts and local greens. Burgers and steaks and fish and such. A good lunch spot with lots of TVs. A viable business for a diverse clientele. It's all about bringing the food to the people. It's developing consumer habits to also bring people to the food.

Originally submitted by: bmaloy

Just wanted to add a quick note. I recently discovered that Calder Farms will make a delivery for $1.75. It's a fantastic services. Their prices are very reasonable, it's local, and you don't even have to leave your house. It's a win-win. We get about 2.5 gallons of milk per week. If we aren't going to be there when they deliver we just leave a cooler on the front porch with some ice in it. It's a great service.

Originally submitted by: barcode 2x

What are you doing with that banana peel? Throwing it away? Better to compost it, or put it down the garbage disposal. Or better yet, don't buy the banana at all. I'm spending more on groceries than ever. I don't have room in the budget for boutique items. And right now, that's what most of my local options seem to be. My thought on local foods is that they're not mass-produced, so they cost a little more. But since they don't need to be transported as far, I figure it all kind of evens out. But it doesn't. This economy is like nothing I've ever seen. Senator John McCain has proposed a highly criticized temporary suspension of gasoline taxes during summer months when more cars are on the road. This will save consumers $.18 or so per gallon, and that's a few bucks per fillup. But this is like putting a bandaid on an aputated leg; a temporary stimulus may be popular among consumers over a short period of time, but it does nothing to curb our dependence on foreign oil. Oil revenues will see another spike in profits for the fiscal year, and the cycle continues. Meanwhile, the largest crop in the US is grass. It's a useless crop that you can't eat, but you have to water it and mow it, which eats up more oil. Grow your own produce. Grow it in your front yard. Encourage your neighbor to do the same. Grow tomatoes, that's easy. Plough up your grass. Roto-till it. Turn it all over, and plant a cabbage patch. Grow a berry patch. Encourage your local neighborhood kids to tend the garden and in exchange, let them sell it at their own roadside stand. A neighborhood could produce corn, potatoes, vegetables, squash, spices, and limited livestock. It would take some work to get it going. But after seeing row upon row of houses and big green lawns, wouldn't you love to see a tiny little farm? Then imagine if a whole block did it. Four tomato plants can produce more tomatoes than you will eat all summer. So imagine what a whole block could do.