Fruit and Veg Country of Origin

Corsendonk

Since vegan & vegetarian would be major consumers of Produce does the country of origin of Fruit and Veg matter to you when shopping?

diddlybit

I try and check but don't always remember. Then I get home and get annoyed with myself when I've bought something from Kenya. There's a great veg shop around the corner from me that labels all their suppliers for their produce and the farms it came from. In Tesco's I spend most of my time dashing around trying to get out of there asap, as it's a hellish experience and don't check as often. I also find Tesco is pretty poor for their Irish suppliers.

Ok just checked my fridge, and it's a bit of a disgrace. The packet of three peppers I bought yesterday, was grown in three different countries. The green pepper was Irish.:o

Corsendonk

diddlybit wrote: »

I try and check but don't always remember. Then I get home and get annoyed with myself when I've bought something from Kenya. There's a great veg shop around the corner from me that labels all their suppliers for their produce and the farms it came from. In Tesco's I spend most of my time dashing around trying to get out of there asap, as it's a hellish experience and don't check as often. I also find Tesco is pretty poor for their Irish suppliers.

Ok just checked my fridge, and it's a bit of a disgrace. The packet of three peppers I bought yesterday, was grown in three different countries. The green pepper was Irish.:o

Ahh your fine with the peppers, Irish peppers are only coming into season at the moment and peppers are green before they ripen so naturally thats why we have Irish green peppers first.

Your local veg shop sounds great, you couldn't tell me the location?

diddlybit

Corsendonk wrote: »

Your local veg shop sounds great, you couldn't tell me the location?

You learn something new every day!

Tis in Stoneybatter. It's really small, but it's nice and has a good variety of stuff. It has a deli counter as well and does the best hummous ever. (Sicialiam hummous, nom.) Am planning to head down to the fruit in veg markets in Smithfield once it's on, and see what I can get down there. They seem to have a grocers right beside it so I'm hoping teh produce is nice and fresh. There's also a lovely little place on the Luas tracks between Capel Street.

(Had to source my fruit and veg places once I moved.:o)

sweet-rasmus

I found at the market in Dun Laoghaire park all of the fruit and veg origin was clearly labelled. I was surprised at the distance the items I bought had travelled! Hopefully more Irish produce will be in season soon

diddlybit

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

I was surprised at the distance the items I bought had travelled! Hopefully more Irish produce will be in season soon

Yeah, my fridge is looking decidedly multi-cultural and not in a good way.

sweetoblivion

Yep like the others I do care & try to mainly buy Irish fruit and veg or to buy organic & fairtrade when buying non-Irish.

I don't buy anything from countries that are very far away if I can buy the food here eg broccoli from Kenya, herbs from Israel etc. I don't buy a lot of exotic fruit except bananas.

Obviously I'm not perfect though, and it is incredibly and stupidly difficult to find Irish organic food in supermarkets/shops here. I know there are lots of reasons for this but it really saddens me how you have to go out of your way to find food that is *grown* in this country. :rolleyes:

Meant to add, if I had my way I'd only eat mainly Irish and all organic food but that is not always within my means, budget, or I just can't find that food near me.

Breezer

No, it doesn't bother me. I go with what's cheap or looks tasty. It may seem flippant, but it's too expensive and too awkward. Being vegan already helps the environment. To me that's an added bonus though, animal rights is my motivating factor.

Corsendonk

Breezer wrote: »

No, it doesn't bother me. I go with what's cheap or looks tasty. It may seem flippant, but it's too expensive and too awkward. Being vegan already helps the environment. To me that's an added bonus though, animal rights is my motivating factor.

Would the fact that 3rd world countries are clearing animal habitats to grow these plantations on arable land or divert important water supplies away from wild animals so they can irrigate fields not be considered?

fillefatale

Yes. It makes buying herbs difficult sometimes though. I try to buy locally, or failing that, from Europe. I don't live near a farmers market.

Breezer

Corsendonk wrote: »

Would the fact that 3rd world countries are clearing animal habitats to grow these plantations on arable land or divert important water supplies away from wild animals so they can irrigate fields not be considered?

I could consider that. But the same thing happens in Ireland, albeit to a lesser extent. We've had massive deforestation here too, even if it occurred a long time ago. Basically, by the mere fact that I exist I am causing harm to something or someone, so I have to draw a line somewhere. I've chosen to draw it at the point where I don't consume animal products, which is a heck of a lot more than 99% of people. I can't afford (in terms of either time or money) to be super choosey about my vegetables. Fair play to those who successfully go that extra step, but I'm not going there right now.

PurpleFistMixer

As a vegan do you not care about human exploitation?

sweet-rasmus

Enough of the off-topic guys. This thread is about the origin of fruit. It is not about attacking and questioning people's dietary choices.

sweet-rasmus

the beer revolu

Another factor with a lot of imported veg is that, essentially, water is being exported from many arid areas which can little afford to.

diddlybit

To solve my herb problem (my god why are they so expensive to buy), I've planted a load of seedlings on my window sill. So hopefully I should have Irish herbs courtesy of an over crowded windowsill pretty soon.

Also planted tomato plants which is, when I look back on it just silly. And the chances of any of them sprouting is slim to none...and then I'll be back to buying expenisve ones from a gadzillion miles away.

Corsendonk

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

I found at the market in Dun Laoghaire park all of the fruit and veg origin was clearly labelled. I was surprised at the distance the items I bought had travelled! Hopefully more Irish produce will be in season soon

Actually thats a requirement by EU law but someshops can be vague or just not update origins.

Corsendonk

diddlybit wrote: »

To solve my herb problem (my god why are they so expensive to buy), I've planted a load of seedlings on my window sill. So hopefully I should have Irish herbs courtesy of an over crowded windowsill pretty soon.

Also planted tomato plants which is, when I look back on it just silly. And the chances of any of them sprouting is slim to none...and then I'll be back to buying expenisve ones from a gadzillion miles away.

Quite a good gardening forum here if you ever need toms advice, sometimes in the supermarkets you can pick up discounted growing herbs, just need TLC. Avoid coriander do, once it goes west hard to bring it back from the brink.

The below is a grower in Ireland that has made great strides to produce Irish as much as possible and limit its Israel imports in deep winter.

http://www.ohanlonherbs.ie/

Most of the main herbs either can be grown in Ireland or if not in winter are imported from spain/maroc/israel, the niche herbs are sometimes air freighted from asia.

fillefatale

diddlybit wrote: »

To solve my herb problem (my god why are they so expensive to buy), I've planted a load of seedlings on my window sill. So hopefully I should have Irish herbs courtesy of an over crowded windowsill pretty soon.

Also planted tomato plants which is, when I look back on it just silly. And the chances of any of them sprouting is slim to none...and then I'll be back to buying expenisve ones from a gadzillion miles away.

I don't have access to a windowsill (I live in a tenement with high windows), is it possible to grow them indoors? (Novice question)

diddlybit

fillefatale wrote: »

I don't have access to a windowsill (I live in a tenement with high windows), is it possible to grow them indoors? (Novice question)

I certainly hope so, because that's where mine are at the moment! If it's green and I look at it crooked, it's pretty much guarenteed to die. But I'm going to give it a go anyhow. All I have at the moment is six forlorn pots of compost.

(Off we head to the gardening forum...to ask silly questions)

diddlybit

And I have green things poking up through the soil in my basil pot. :eek: Cannot. Believe. It. Now all I have to do is figure out a way to keep them alive.

Thoushaltnot

Just a recommendation from among the organic food growers/sellers - McNally's from the Ring, North county Dublin only sell what they produce on their farm, ie. low food miles.
I've seen them in Temple Bar (Cow's Lane) on Sat and Dun Laoghaire's Peoples Park on Sundays. The also tend to round down when I get a few items and freely give out growing advice.

I found the Dublin Food 'Un-Co-op' and the Organic Supermarket quite crap at Country of Origin info on the fruit and veg. I found it oddly hard to find Irish organic apples (apples tend to be consistently in the 'dirty dozen' lists, for testng positive for pesticide residues) but did spot some in Eco-Logic in Dundrum (the displayed stuff will look tatty but just ask for the fresh stuff he keeps out the back).

Corsendonk

Thoushaltnot wrote: »

Just a recommendation from among the organic food growers/sellers - McNally's from the Ring, North county Dublin only sell what they produce on their farm, ie. low food miles.
I've seen them in Temple Bar (Cow's Lane) on Sat and Dun Laoghaire's Peoples Park on Sundays. The also tend to round down when I get a few items and freely give out growing advice.

I found the Dublin Food 'Un-Co-op' and the Organic Supermarket quite crap at Country of Origin info on the fruit and veg. I found it oddly hard to find Irish organic apples (apples tend to be consistently in the 'dirty dozen' lists, for testng positive for pesticide residues) but did spot some in Eco-Logic in Dundrum (the displayed stuff will look tatty but just ask for the fresh stuff he keeps out the back).

Its the Ring of the Common not the Ring They had some of their produce used at the state dinner for Queen Elizabeth. I believe they have a farm shop too.

Absurdum

Corsendonk wrote: »

I believe they have a farm shop too.

do you know where it is?