|
Post by reuben on Apr 3, 2019 18:13:20 GMT -5
Well, in Mexico some of the land in which monarch butterflies overwinter is being deforested so that they can grow more avocados to ship to us here in the U.S. From my youngest daughter -
For fat, I love avocados, but I'm so conflicted because most come from Mexico. We visited the site where the monarch butterflies migrate to in 2017. It was incredible. Just waves of them like a jet stream flowing over the mountain into the pine grove. That is being deforested to make way for avocado farms, because Americans love them so much. Our Brazilian friend who hosted us in Mexico City (he worked for Corona, but he's motorcycling through South America now) told us he knew people who were investing in avocado farms.
|
|
|
Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 3, 2019 18:51:59 GMT -5
What would be the most important export from Mexico, or are you telling me Avocados are the MAIN thing? Are you talking about legal or illegal? Here's something that you may find interesting, lisaann. Something that I found interesting was that tomatoes are their number one vegetable export. I guess there must be some heat resistant varieties down there! And I thought it was strange that chile peppers were not mentioned. I guess they eat most of them right there! migration.ucdavis.edu/farm-labor/data/2018/05/09/major-mexican-fruit-vegetable-exports/
|
|
|
Post by tom 🕊 on Apr 3, 2019 19:07:42 GMT -5
I guess they eat most of them right there! My understanding, pepperhead212 , is that the average Mexican cannot afford to eat the vegetables they grow. That is one of the reasons why obesity and diabetes are so bad among them.
|
|
|
Post by martywny on Apr 4, 2019 9:38:04 GMT -5
However, Mexico is the only one that grows them year 'round lisaann, SpringRain🕊️, Mumsey, deckman22, octave1, pepperhead212, desertwoman, tom 🕊, Have you ever stopped to think about when some food was considered "seasonal" and you couldn't buy cukes and tomatoes and such in the winter? Places like California and Florida extended the season, then we started to import from other countries and now you can have anything anytime. Of course, you have to wonder what else comes with your food since many of those sources are not regulated with regard to what can be used on food products. I did buy some avocados the other day for a Mediterranean pasta salad I was making. It has tomatoes, kalamata olives, cucumber, artichokes, feta cheese, etc. and now I'm wondering just where all those ingredients, except for the Mexican avocados, came from.
|
|
|
Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 4, 2019 11:59:50 GMT -5
There are a lot of things that I consider seasonal, martywny. In particular, I don't buy fresh tomatoes, as they just don't taste anything like the ones from the garden! The ones I freeze give me an occasional taste of those tomatoes, but can only be used in things like guacamole, in which they are chopped up, and mixed with something else, or in one of those sauces that is only briefly cooked. Several other things I only get fresh from the garden; the rest of the year I mainly get veggies that I don't grow. Got 6 avocados at Aldi's today. May be the last time for a while, but I'm not going to worry about it.
|
|
|
Post by Mumsey on Apr 4, 2019 14:44:08 GMT -5
I used to use hard boiled eggs in salads before I started with avocados. A salad for me just isn't complete without one of those things. I might go back to eggs.
|
|
|
Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Apr 4, 2019 16:57:42 GMT -5
martywny , you raised a very significant concern, specifically, that agriculture production for many vegetables has shifted to what are either now called emerging markets or third world countries or some other name for them now). I have vague recollections of reading sometime that after DDT was banned here, the chem companies shipped it offshore to poorer countries.
Whether or not they sent it back in so-called food products is something I don't know. But that's why I generally boycott food not grown here (not that the toxins sprayed on crops grown here are any less toxic in many ways.
If foreign grown crops could be grown in a healthier fashion, I might consider them. But big Agra has probably cornered the market in those countries, and the primary goal with them is $$$$ = lots and lots of $$$$$.
I actually preferred the seasonal situation; it helped me plan, and appreciate foods more than I began to when they're available year round. Different foods accompany different seasons, and I like those changes (for the most part - I can do w/o scorching heat and Arctic frigidity).
Can't avocado be grown in CA? At least then they wouldn't be grown in such quantities that they interfere with the butterflies.
|
|
|
Post by davidjp on Apr 4, 2019 18:46:23 GMT -5
I drive past avocado groves everyday but they have declined here quite a bit mainly i think down to rising irrigation costs. Avocados use a lot of water. I really doubt that avocado growing is threatening the monarch butterfly overwintering sites but I could be wrong. My impression is that most of the famous butterfly wintering sites are very localised and in high mountainous areas in pine forest. This place below is at nearly 10,000ft up and a UNESCO heritage site. Avocados are a subtropical plant that needs a very moderate climate. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_Butterfly_Biosphere_ReserveMy one avocado tree hasn't been that productive so far but I'm planning on getting a few more in this year. They take a while to get established it seems
|
|
|
Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 4, 2019 18:56:57 GMT -5
SpringRain🕊️ Remember when the import of avocados from Mexico was illegal? California had a monopoly on the market, and we were lucky to get haas (or similar, bumpy skinned types) avocados for $2 apiece, if they were even available. Around here, at least, it was those smooth skinned Florida avocados that were most common, though not as good. I think much of FL has switched over to the haas, as I rarely see those smooth skinned ones around.
|
|
|
Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Apr 4, 2019 22:12:28 GMT -5
pepperhead212 , I don't remember when importing was legal. I guess I'm forgetting more than I realized! I do remember bumpy avocados. My father liked them and ate them regularly. So much has changed in decades, and even though I've lived through a lot of change, sometimes I need to consider reading history books to remember what I've forgotten!
|
|
|
Post by martywny on Apr 5, 2019 6:29:29 GMT -5
I actually preferred the seasonal situation; it helped me plan, and appreciate foods more than I began to when they're available year round. I look at the seasonal availability as a challenge. How do I get more "season" out of what I enjoy eating? I've picked up a lot of good tips here on preserving what comes out of the garden and will be using everything I learn to improve my ability to store food. I am one of those people that keeps milk in the freezer just in case I get snowed in and want cereal with milk. We had the kids over for dinner one day and they asked why I was thawing milk because they never heard of people freezing it. I use the freezer milk once a month so it's always fresh, not sure how long it would last frozen. Yesterday I was paging through my Baker Creek catalog and read the inside front cover about how heirloom corn has twice the protein of today's GMO corn. The only way I can assure we have that same quality is to grow it myself then can and freeze it so I have it throughout the year. It's unfortunate that food has been turned into a manufactured product for large-scale operations instead of quality nourishment produced by people who care what they eat.
|
|
|
Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Apr 5, 2019 10:56:11 GMT -5
martywny , I've never thought of freezing milk that way, but I think I'll try it. I'm wondering about freezing it in ice cube trays, or specific measured amounts for baking. Have you tried that? Or does it need to be frozen in a container to prevent crystals from forming on the milk? Or would that even harm it?
BTW, do you use the little amounts left in the carton for your garden? Years ago I tried that for my roses and morning glories. They were very grateful and bloomed better than they ever had. I'd like to try it on veggies, but since we've been notified that our community has large undesirable, offensive rodents, I don't even compost any more. The last thing I want is an invasion in my garden. Still, one gardener I met a decade or so ago said that she added so much water to her food scraps and pureed them that there literally was no semblance of food, including no odor.
|
|
|
Post by martywny on Apr 5, 2019 11:59:01 GMT -5
I'm wondering about freezing it in ice cube trays I wouldn't use those aluminum trays for anything, I just don't trust aluminum around food plus it's probably a good idea to keep milk covered with a lid. Haven't tried using the "end of the carton" for anything yet. I like the idea of pureed food scraps and am going to start running my eggshells through the blender with some water to produce something that will be easier to apply evenly.
|
|
|
Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Apr 5, 2019 13:05:44 GMT -5
martywny , I had forgotten about aluminum - I recall years ago when aluminum baking pans were not recommended for use, but it's been quite awhile. And now there are other toxins that concern us, unfortunately. My niece purees her eggshells and said they break down enough to be more easily compostable. I'll have to try that as well, since I found that egg shells took the longest to decompose. And it they're washed well, they shouldn't have any critter attracting properties. Thanks for the suggestions! I love the sharing that takes place on this forum!
|
|
|
Post by lisaann on Apr 5, 2019 17:59:19 GMT -5
That is one of the reasons why obesity and diabetes are so bad among them. Is that where the chat about illegal people walking thousands of miles to get to the US border, and they had no food or water or money, BUT they arrive overweight and gripping a cell phone? What is the typical cell phone bill these days? So Much Fun! Don'tcha think? And it goes on and on and on..............
|
|