[MaryV]

california drought news, this sounds serious. most of americas vegetables come from california and if they cant grow as much food as usual, we will see higher prices and maybe even shortages. a lot of our vegetables in canada come from california. texas also is having serious drought, farmers having to slaughter their cattle. unable to plant anything.

California declares drought emergency - Weather- msnbc.com

 

[Lucy]

Drought also hit the Carolinas and other parts of the east. My cousins told me that many farmers had to sell or slaughter their cattle since there had been no water for them nor the crops to feed the animals.
I think we all need to keep stocking food and other supplies up.
Besides, with all the strange things in the food supply, I feel better at least preserving some of my own foods. Who would have ever dreamed of salmonella in vegetables before ?

 

[Canadian]

I don't like buying produce from California. They use Mexican day laborers to work the fields. Since the farm owners are cheap they don't bother giving proper toilet and hand washing facilities to the Mexican workers. As a result the workers use the fields as a toilet and end up contaminating large amounts of crops with human waste.

The most likely thing to give you food poisoning or dangerous diseases like hepatitis are raw vegetables from California. If I buy produce from California I wash it very carefully and cook it.

 

[Lucy]

I don't like buying produce from California. They use Mexican day laborers to work the fields. Since the farm owners are cheap they don't bother giving proper toilet and hand washing facilities to the Mexican workers. As a result the workers use the fields as a toilet and end up contaminating large amounts of crops with human waste.

The most likely thing to give you food poisoning or dangerous diseases like hepatitis are raw vegetables from California. If I buy produce from California I wash it very carefully and cook it.

Exactly ! And we get a lot of food from Mexico, too. No wonder we get diseases from foods nowdays. It should not be something that would normally be found in vegetables. It has to get there some way. Just sick !
I like local produce or grow my own.
If we use soap on the produce, it can actually make it soak into the pores even more so. Bleach and other soaps can leave a reside that we eat, as well. We teach folks to use running water, not to soak the foods, either. Just rinse or dip up and down in water. Same if you scrub too hard, with a brush, it can push the bacteria into the foods.

 

[Canadian]

Right on Lucy.

 

[kettleMan]

So the proper way to wash fruits or veggies is by running water over them? That's all there is to it? Should it be hot or cold water? Is either more effective?

 

[Lucy]

Yes, just cool water. If you want to dip them in and out of water in a colander, that is good, too, for things like berries and soft fruits. Those fruit washes don't do anything extra to kill bacteria. You don't need to waste your money on them.
Nothing else is needed except water. This will tell you more:
Washing Fruits and Vegetables - Why You Need to Wash Fruits and Vegetables

 

[Canadian]

I just use water and of course a quick inspection of the food to check that everything looks, smells, and feels okay. If it isn't from Mexico or California and it gets a good rinse and everything seems fine I'm good to go.

 

[mona]

Are you aware that Russia and China are having drought symptoms too. The Phillapeans cann't grow enough rice to feed their people. North Korea has thousands of civilians starving everyday.

We havn't even gotten to Africa, which always seems to have millions of people dying from starvation every year.

I also heard that Europe may be going through some hard food times because of the heat wave that swept through Europe last year.

Now look through the midwest with the hurricanes and the flooding that have distroyed crop lands.

The food situation throughout the world is in dire straights. It's time each of us took responsibility for feeding ourselves and caring for those around us.

But I am not going to take on the world. I am going to take on my back yard and see how many I can feed with the work that I have put into my gardens and animals.

 

[Canadian]

It'll be interesting to see if food price increases turn into food shortages.

 

[bittersweetsymphony]

Your a good a person, Mona. I highly respect you and your kindness.

And I am betting that you can count on that Canadian.....

 

[Canadian]

I'll have more room soon for supplies. We just rented a storage locker for out junk so we'll have more space for new supplies.