Heard Rush talking about today's show on the radio this morning

I turned to our local all news (when Rush isn't on) station to get a traffic update and was greeted by Rush's lovely voice. (Not pleasant at 7:30 in the morning.)

Anyway, he was talking about today's show. It's about the "poor strawberry farmers" in Ventura County, California who can't grow strawberries anymore because of EPA regulations banning pesticides. And he mentioned the strawberry business is a several million dollar a year enterprise. Oh, and of course, do we want to pay a fortune for our strawberries and this is all because of liberals, etc, ad nauseum. I had to turn the station before getting a traffic report, Rush honestly makes me want to puke.

So I have a couple questions. First of all, are all these strawberry farmers poor? I immediately pictured large corporate farms when he mentioned it was a multi million dollar business and he only mentioned ONE county. The image of a poor little farmer just trying to feed his family never entered my mind.

I am also wondering how we raised fruits and vegetables BEFORE we had pesticides. Did our ancestors not eat strawberries?

Thanks for answering my questions. As you can tell, I am not a farm girl. :hi:

I guess the EPA rules don't apply in Alabama?

Or are these grown at big corporate farms there?

We don't have many poor farmers here in the midwest anymore.

They sell most of their produce at the store behind the farmhouse.
Some goes to local restaurants.
And the Silver King corn will be in soon.
yum

did not seem especially wealthy.

Strawberries as big as your fist, though.

LOL

You know the ones that usually have a semi-hollow white core. Blech.

What is he talking about?

has less than half the nutrients and minerals a store-bought tomato had 50 years ago.

I believe our best action is to buy from local growers, but that's not possible for everybody.

Second best is to buy local.

Growing amazing tomatoes and strawberries is a breeze if you put even a little bit of time and effort into it.

Is a link possible?

if you only buy one organic fruit make it strawberries.

We don't have to use pesticides, the farmers are doing just fine.

All the pickers are from Mexico and the strawberries are fantastic
because of cool nights.

Rush Lies what else is new?

I miss that place.

Always have been.

I'd imagine strawberry farm owners range from small farmers to big corporate farmers.

I myself would favor subsidies for the small farmers of such crops as strawberries (most subsidies go to corn and other big crops like that, not little things like strawberries.) Vote Obama.

You can grow strawberries commercially without pesticides, but the yield is lower and therefore the price is higher.

and they are raised organically without pesticides. Farmers who do so aren't rich, but aren't poor, either. I'd say Rush was talking about the corporate factory farms, not the real farmers.

Edited to add: "Around here" is northwest Arkansas, not California.

and more and more are organic.
FWIW, I used to grow strawberries in our yard, did absolutely nothing to them but plant them and trim the plants after they died off for the winter. They grew small to medium size, but the best I have ever had and with a beautiful fragrance. Plants will produce about 5 years, then replace with new ones. We bought "everbearing" strawberries, had fresh berries all summer till frost, later if you cover them with a light mulch.

Have a fig tree in there now, great stuff for breakfast.

mark

Um - what are all those low-lying plants with the large, fat, ice cream cone-shaped red fruits on them that I see, row after row after row after plastic-covered row, field after field after field after field after field? I've had to drive my kid to and from Camarillo (in Ventura County) every weekend (sometimes twice per weekend) for almost a year, for band rehearsal, and practically all you see, besides some artichoke and broccoli fields, are strawberry plantings. Gee, rush, I just don't see the evidence that the poor strawberry farmers in Ventura County can't grow strawberries anymore. But who should I believe? Your fat mouth or my "lying" eyes?

I was hoping someone who knew the area would respond.

Thanks! :hi:

Isn't there legislation moving thru Congress on farm subsides?

strawberry grown in a field that was sprayed by a chemical banded by the EPA? I suggest people start mailing Rush strawberries sprayed with various band pesticides and see if he will gladly eat them.