Posted on 09/15/2014 11:03:32 AM PDT by not2be4gotten.com
One thing that is really cool about Europe and has been ruined in the US, is the ability to buy food from the common people on the street. Many are the actual farmers them selves. And we have many wonderful conversations with these remarkable people. I remember going out to Southern California as a pre-teen and experiencing all the different little grocery stands that were there in the late 60's. When I returned there in 2010, there where NO independent produce/fruit stands. It took me a while to figure out why this happened, I was stumped for a long time. What happened is that over the years, the big grocery chains figured out how to get rid of their competition through politics. Under the guise of "public safety" and "public health" they set up lobby groups to require food retailers to have running water, sewage connections, refrigeration requirements, weighing device standards and so on and so forth. They made it impossible to set up a fruit stand under the threat of fines and even jail time. In other words, the big grocery stores got the government to hire all of these bureaucrats, to eliminate their competition with YOUR MONEY! And it is just sickening. It is called "crony capitalism". The common folk in America have no clue this has happened to them. Those who require safety/security over freedom deserve neither.
However, there were some Mennonite groups who baked bread and pastries for a big flea market type place when we lived in PA and I didn't say no to them....I guess I'm a bigot.
European markets are great! You can find the most amazing stuff in them!
It depends on where you are in the country. If you’re in a city forget about it.
You like to buy food from street people?
Just a comment on the title -
you mean, in Europe, the inner city urbanites haven’t run out the legitimate businesses with their crime and violence?
In Springfield MO we have a growing food truck presence, we have three or four farmers markets, and even in neighborhoods around me, there are people who sell produce from their backyards from their front porch.
Maybe it is just in Southern California and other places you have visited that you can’t buy food directly from growers or small sized businesses.
Every neighborhood here in L.A. has a farmer’s market. It takes place once or twice a week.
The farmers themselves come to set up the booths.
We buy from the farmer direct. Some of thees markets are kinda famous ... see the Santa Monica farmers markets.
The FDA is a typical, DC-centric overkill agency. Give them a hammer, and everything becomes a nail in their eyes.
Import and production of cheeses using non-pastuerized milk will soon become illegal. One of 1000 ridiculous regulations
Restaurants didn’t like the competition and got cities to regulate food trucks out by complaining that the trucks didn’t pay property taxes like they did.
I agree, one of the cool things about most European cities is that you can wake up and say to yourself, “hey I’d like some fresh bread with my breakfast,” and walk a block to get some (as opposed to driving your car to some monstrosity of a supermarket in order to wait 15 minutes in line to buy stale bread).
In cities around the world we have found we can get fresh food for low cost at farmers markets . Example the large yehuda market in Jerusalem and food street in Beijing.
We selected the food and watched it cooked in many cases. Also fresh fruit and veggies from the farm.
Well down here we have illegals selling food....and for the most part, they aren’t known for washing their hands
Makes sense
There’s quite a few ‘Farmer’s Markets’ here in the Czech Republic - even a local shopping mall has one once every other work, and there’s a lot of farmers in my area.
I can even see a good-sized family farm right from my balcony. When I fresh eggs, I walk downstairs - there’s a little shop run by an older chap and his brother owns a poultry farm.
Sure, but where are you going to buy your lotto tickets?
Plus, they probably don’t take EBT cards.
We gotta stop the Amish from selling their milk and other goods to the unwashed masses....
We gotta ensure that the food is subsidized SOMEWHERE along the chain.... Some part of the Farm bill has to be involved before the food makes it to your mouth otherwise the government loses control....
/sarc
almost makes it worth it to spend 30% of your income on food, doesn’t it?
Fresh bread and a snatch of fruit and veggies for supper!
yeah!
but meat? forget it.
I saw NOTHING in the way of fruit being sold in the streets, but did see it sold in shops.
The other benefit of Europe and the Mediterranean in general is the illegal Africans who have come over along with their Ebola to Italy and elsewhere. Taxi cab drivers and others knew of it, but it is not advertised because they would lose people for vacations.
In general, people getting ripped off 300% worse than even in California over there. A bikini (which is a grilled cheese), can be $12 over there.
No wonder most of the women there are a size 0-2, nobody can afford to eat!
Food from the market is fine as long as it’s safe. Hepatitis and salmonella are a few of the risks you take when buying open market stuff. Poisonous pesticides used in somebodies garden can ruin your day if you eat the produce.
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