Sunday, June 5, 2011
Tastes Like A Tomato
The Village Voice has called out a "gouge alert" on the tomatoes Jenne and I have been selling for McEnroe the last few Mondays in Union Square. The pictures -- and "story" -- are here.
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And...what do you think about that?
ReplyDeleteI think $6.99 per pound IS a lot to pay for tomatoes -- I've sold individual tomatoes at $7 and $8 a piece -- but I also think that we need, as a culture, to reexamine the cost of our food. If you want vegetables that are grown in an environmentally-responsible way by farmers who live near to you, you're going to have to pay more than you would for something flown in from South America.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, a lot of the people who complain to me about the price are dressed expensively, and no doubt pay a ton in rent -- this is New York City, after all -- and on their morning latte and on and on. So it's a little hard to take them seriously when they complain about their tomato costing $4 instead of $2.
That said, a lot of people really just can't swing the cost, and I am sympathetic to that. At bottom, though, I guess I think it's a matter of reevaluating our consumer priorities -- spending less on X so you can afford the good produce. It's about reconsidering one's values.