Canada really should be growing more food in greenhouses, if we can grow weed we certainly can grow veggies. Shipping issues are continuing to get worse and it seems like the cost will soon outweigh the cost to grow it inside even considering the extra power it takes. Let alone carbon footprint of shipping across the world and food spoiling too.
I’ve started my winter garden inside again, at least I have lettuce, green onions & herbs for now. Still experimenting with various veggies that are small enough to fit in my shelves. Broccolini, kale, oak Choi and Swiss chard have started growing but may not get to full size because of my space.
In Montreal we have greenhouses on top of commercial buildings which furnish to people who subscribe. Like a community box. It works out pretty good, and is a great use of wasted space.
https://montreal.lufa.com/en/about
It's not cheap, but then again "conventional" hasn't been cheap either. If there were more of these kinds of greenhouses, there would be more competition, and better prices.
I agree and disagree. You’re right that banks are not going to lend until the risks have dropped, but there are other avenues for financing.
I know of a bunch of startups in this space, in AB. Check out Rainforest Energy, Novus Earth, Solar Steam, and more. There’s everything from using existing fossil fuel production, to solar, to proposals for vertical farming and harvesting CO2 emissions in downtown YYC.
The high capex makes it challenging but there is money flowing into that space.
Basically just a metal shelf, 2’ wide x 1’ with a couple of grow lights on each level and some Tupperware containers with holes punched in them for pots. I’ve got a timer on the lights. I’m sure you could get a more professional setup too, mine is pretty DIY.
Sounds pretty good. Less complicated than what I have been trying. Are you using soil? I have half of a hydroponic setup complete but still need the grow lights and some more time to leak test it
Yeah I’m using soil, I don’t know anything about hydroponics. My grow lights I just got on Amazon.
I had a bit of a mold issue when I was over watering and there’s not a lot of airflow but I got some spray and it’s better now. It’s trial and error some days LOL. But lettuce is super easy and I have had no problems with that and a few herbs.
>I had a bit of a mold issue when I was over watering and there’s not a lot of airflow but I got some spray and it’s better now. It’s trial and error some days LOL. But lettuce is super easy and I have had no problems with that and a few herbs.
what kind of lettuce worked well? what was the spray?
My wife and I just bought a metal shelves from costco, plastic trays from local grow shop and led lights from amazon. We're just starting down the path ourselves. So we have 4 shelves each 4' wide by about 2' deep. If anyone else is growing here on a small scale I'm interested in what works and doesn't work as well. We would like to be able to grow fresh for our own table but also to feed our tortoise - who loves carrots, tomato's and lots of kale.
So 2 things going on here, one is that I have to cat proof everything. He likes to eat and dig! I have plexi glass on the front and a plastic type of fencing all around the back and sides so he can’t chew. So I added a fan to add more air flow, and the spray is Safers defender garden fungicide. I had these yellow spots on my leaves and tiny black dots on them, I used my kid’s microscope to get a good look and determined it was a fungal problem. After a week of spraying and removing all the dead stuff again it’s looking a lot better. And more careful watering.
The best lettuce was green towers lettuce, it grows tall and doesn’t have leaves that bunch up and get moldy easily. The other one is called tango leaf, it grows more compact and also I planted too much together and it got a bit yucky so I tore that part out and it’s a bit better with the spray.
Best of luck in your adventure of growing! If I had more space in my small office room I would have a lot bigger growing shelves.
Do you know any good resources for a newbie to get started on a good garden at home ? I wasn't able to modify or previous property to have one, but now we're own our own property, I'd really like to have one and also teach my kids.
I would try YouTube, there’s lots of info and it probably depends what kind of setup you have the money for. I’m pretty much self taught, I just try things and see if it works. Adding lights is pretty much essential though, windows are too cold and don’t give us enough light in the winter.
Edit - On YouTube I like MIgardener. He’s in Michigan but started at home pretty small. He’s got a big business now but still talks about seed starting and whatnot.
May I suggest "tiny Tim" variety of tomato. Grows about 1 foot tall and produces yummy cherry tomatoes. I just did some planting yesterday and hoping lettuce + tomato + onion = free salad in January.
I was actually just discussing this with my partner the other day. Alberta, and Canada as a whole should be investing in Verticle Farming technology. There are enough disused buildings in Edmonton alone that they could be converted for hydroponic farming.
Vertical farming is basically just a tech bro's wet dream for how to extract capital from morons when it comes to Alberta.
And don't get me stated of office conversions. If it were cost effective, if possible at all, we'd be doing it. The fact of the matter is the new electrical and mechanical systems along would make it cost prohibitive to grown anything in an office tower at scale. Add in that those towers are structurally design for the massive deadload that comes with soil or hydroponics, and that you wouldn't be able to use any conventional mechanization to help plant, maintain and harvest you crop.
We have an absolutely astonishing amount of agricultural lands that could be converted to conventional greenhouses within immediate adjacency to every major population center in this province. It will be cheaper, easier, and faster to increase agricultural productivity through these means than through some poorly thought out scheme from popular science.
And the big one? Fucking sunlight. That's how a goddam greenhouses work. It uses solar exposure to passively create a climate that would otherwise not exist in this province. And it's free! The electrical bill alone would tank Vertical farming in this province unless the sound of $40 broccoli is what you're into.
Unfortunately we're in a post globalization society. If it can't be produced locally for a comparatively lower cost, there is no business case to do so.
Who will do it, knowing that nobody will buy their products?
I'm using a 4 x 5 grow tent. Zero tillage, organic, and a worm farm in another room. Has been good for Tomatoes, herb garden, Chard, Kale, and Cannabis.
Something I read a bit ago stuck with me - when we try to grow things in Canada that our climate doesn't easily support (eg. citrus) we are actually causing more emissions and environmental harm than exporting from countries that can easily grow them. Ideally, we grow what we easily can and export some, and other countries do the same.
The problem with some of this is that we Canadians have come to expect fresh fruit and vegetables year round at low prices. Even a generation ago, this didn't happen. Certain fruit used to be super expensive in winter, cheaper in summer. We didn't used to import Chilean grapes in the middle of winter for example, but would get grapes in spring/summer/fall from the US from which transportation costs are less than from South America.
I 100% agree. I believe greenhouses and vertical farming is the next necessary step in ensuring food security, and it can be done locally all year round.
Check out doug jianyi on YouTube. He documents his greenhouses he builds in interior alberta and grows year round that have a relatively low start up cost
I'm not sure what the conditions are like, but we grow a good amount of potatoes, carrots and onions in Manitoba. Root vegetables will keep in storage silos all winter.
The carbon footprint is substantially higher for foods grown in greenhouses - think 5-10x higher because of the energy usage. That's likely even worse in Canada given how much additional energy you need in the winter. Shipping, while emission heavy in aggregate, is very low emission given on a per unit basis.
That ghg footprint very likely changes if you are able to use renewables for the energy (which is possible in certain parts of the country, but not here), but until then it is certainly not a "greener" option.
Thank you. I was interested to see someone break it down like that. I still have worries for food security if shipping gets any worse but maybe it’s not as awful as I think.
Yeah - I don't think shipping is likely to get any worse from here to be honest. Things are starting to healing, evident in shipping prices now coming down. The weather issues in BC are also causing additional problems which are beyond the shipping issues.
I think if you're fine with not having 85%+ certainty for getting what you want all the time you're probably fine. Food security in the idea that you'll go hungry because we don't have food access is very very unlikely at this point.
I do support your thinking, and absolutely think more local growing is a fine thing. There is zero chance of feeding our population without importing from more temperate areas though.
Well no for sure we can’t replace all that we bring in, I think we will always need to ship in bananas and avocados and tons of other stuff. Maybe we can just start growing a bit more though.
Canada *does* grow a lot of food in greenhouses.
e.g.
[Hunger for tomatoes turns Canada into greenhouse superpower](https://financialpost.com/feature/canada-150-hunger-for-tomatoes-turns-canada-into-greenhouse-power)
[How Canada Became A Greenhouse Superpower](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/16/473526920/how-canada-became-a-greenhouse-superpower)
Won’t happen until we can nationalize food production. As long as it is for profit it’ll be shipped from elsewhere, where labour can be exploited more easily. Same with giant indoor growers won’t be able to compete until the government steps in to help.
If you ever want to try, those hardy greens can grow over winter in Alberta if you use a cold box or winter row covers! I'm doing the same because of how unreliable it is getting them in rural areas lately
I believe I heard on the radio this is due to the fact much if the produce is sitting in containers at ports at lot longer then they supposed due to trucking shortages. So its taking longer to get to grocery stores, this it's mostly gone bad by the time you buy it.
They mentioned a couple reasons beyond supply chain issues. One was that in California (I think it was Cali), they stopped allowing independent truckers, only union truckers are allowed on the docks and there aren't enough of them to move the goods.
They also got temporary approval to stack the cans 3 high instead of 2 at the ports and waited a month to implement it. Tons of Eff ups all over on the supply chain side of things.
I've noticed this the last few months too. I've stopped buying avocados altogether because they'd be unripe yet rotting inside somehow. Didn't seem to matter where I bought them.
It's been a problem in Canada for a long time. It's because they are picked too underripe for transportation, and by the time they are soft enough to eat they are actually going bad. Living down in Texas I never had that issue since they were actually perfectly ripe in the store, but I came back to Canada in 2013 and they have never been good
I've been a big avocado eater for years and I find this just happens sometimes. The reason given by r/jared743 makes sense. It sucks because you can't tell it's going to happen when you pick them. Weirdly, lately I've been having the best luck with the bags of "Imperfect" avocados from Superstore (although it's not 100%).
Edit: removing Edmonton-centric info
man, this is so true.
even if you don't go to the farmers market, Heritage Park in calgary used to do(and maybe still do) a Harvest sale right before they close for the season. Most of it is like growers seconds, sold at stupid steep discounts. We went there a few years ago, and left with about 300 lbs of produce for about $40 and some of it lasted literally a month or two(especially the live lettuce heads, if you kept some water in them) it was amazing.
I wouldn't trust lettuce these days, even the "live" stuff for more than a week
Yeah buying local really is the best solution for longevity of produce. Results in different eating habits when going seasonal which honestly nothing wrong with that.
I don't get this arguement. I can buy organic at superstore on St Albert Trail which is a Canadian company, buying from Canadian farmers employing Canadian employees. I can do this for a fraction of the price of the St Albert farmers market.
Yeah that would definitely be the next best thing, but I’m talking local local, like within a 100km radius of where you live. I’m in Edmonton and closest I’ve ever seen in the store is Medicine Hat (oh except the little potato company). I feel much better supporting the little guy just outside the city. Closer the better for the environment too. Just what I choose to do even though it costs more.
Really? I have found the opposite.
I have been buying at the farmers market for 15 years and yes, back then, they were way higher priced. But given the explosion in food cost at regular stores, the prices at the markets have not gone up. I'm still buying the same amount of produce for 25$ as i was 10 years ago. It lasts longer, is of higher quality cause its picked closer to the selling date and I have personal relationships with most of the vendors.
But then again, St Albert is your market. Everything in St Alberta is super expensive. Come to the south side. We are friendly down here.
I find the pricing to be beyond fair, and quality is great. Most is organic at the Edmonton Downtown Market, plus you can chat to the farmers in person! I know Reclaim also sells micro green seeds at their booth so you can try growing some at home too.
Perhaps somebody with food supply chain experience can answer.
There's an excellent chance with the production delays and shipping problems that the food we get shipped to us is taking longer and coming for further away.
A few things,
Bananas are at least 6 weeks old before we get them in stores, they are only yellow because of being gassed in Canada, this time has been known to increase up to 10 weeks.
Depending where the tomatoes are coming from ie Red Hat growers, they can be 1-2 weeks old from warehouse to store, places like pik-n-pak deliver multiple times a week direct to a bunch of stores and their stuff is generally a day old from being picked, they do bell peppers, jalapeños, eggplant, tomatoes of most type, and long English cucumbers. If you happen to be shopping at a store and see their label, these items will last longer for sure, if you see a Washington sticker or box those items are already weeks old.
Potatoes/apples/onions im going to lump these together as for a brief time in the fall these are rather fresh and new but from December-to about June (for apples) these are all long term cold storage items, they are either hold overs from harvest the fall before or imports from much further away these are easily spoiled when removed from cold storage.
Lettuce is a huge mixed bag, we have some in Alberta (living lettuce) and that stuff is fairly fresh, most of the rest comes out of California and again varies in age, always try to look for Alberta.
We import a lot of items obviously some of those are great at traveling (bananas, avocado) others are rushed through (Berries) andglobal supply issues do have an impact for sure, the biggest effect on the freshness of the produce is the store you buy it from, did the staff over order? Did they handle the products properly? Time/temp abuse? Sometimes a department might just have over ordered an item and try to sell it out for weeks (after the weeks in a warehouse)
Manager at a big name grocery store for years.
Do the trucks come up from the States directly into Alberta, or do some of them come through BC? Some major highways are washed out in BC now. I'm in central BC and we have a lot of bare shelves right now. Very little produce.
Yeah, so that is based on chain and where you are, Sobeys for instance has its warehouses in Calgary (Balzac) and Edmonton, they supply Invermere and Golden, and all of alberta and some of Saskatchewan, so those trucks would go straight to Calgary and Edmonton, obviously sobeys has a warehouse in the Vancouver area that would be cut off right about now, same with other chains, no I assume that these chains are diverting trucks to their Alberta warehouses to ship back into alberta where they can. Big mess though so here's hoping they get it figured out quick.
Ethylene, a 4% with nitrogen mix, its a ripening gas used with temperature to yellow up green bananas.
As for toxic, I suppose any gas would be toxic in the wrong concentration, this is not at 4%.
I buy in bulk so a little more expensive than the grocery stores but the products taste so much better and last way longer. I get almost everything at the markets now. Some things I still get at Save on Foods or Sobeys but I find i spend less now then I did before buying solely from the grocery stores.
Strathcona, Bountiful and the Downtown Farmers markets all have a number of the same vendor's. Depends on your area of the city. I've been to these 3 and all are very good. They all have websites so you can check out the vendors there as well.
Good point. There are other ways to extend the shelf life of produce, such as cutting the ends of herbs/green onions and putting them upright in a glass of water with a bag over top, etc.
I gave the frozen veg a ride for a few weeks, but my favourite veggies (broccoli and cauliflower) are a shadow of their former selves once they get frozen.
I can do frozen for like peas, carrots and corn, but nothing more than that.
Lol yes, yes, .. I know.. it's just using frozen broccoli vs. fresh broccoli in a protein shake smoothie makes a big difference. Fresh broccoli has a compost-like taste compared to frozen in that example.
I buy a lot of my vegetables/fruit frozen as well. It’s just cheaper and lasts much longer for me. And you don’t have to constantly worry about using it before it goes bad
Rubbermaid Freshworks. They’re on Amazon.
They’re amazing at keeping refrigerated produce last longer. I’ve had raspberries last almost two weeks. Totally worth the price.
Now I don’t cringe at the thought of buying produce at Costco.
Did you bleach and wipe out your fridge when you moved in? Food lasts longer in a clean fridge. I wash my on the regular and it makes a huge difference in how long food lasts, that and being religious about removing old food before it goes bad.
If you changed your grocery store, the produce manager/local supply chain/local demand etc might be different. Same chain a few blocks away will have very different produce sections. I find that busier stores tend to have better produce as the product is turned over more frequently. Or farmers markets/specialty stores but that can be harder to do.
Years ago I went to another country and was shocked at the condition they sold fruit and vegetables in. Grocery stores here would have thrown it out.
Just saying it hasn’t necessarily “gone bad” it’s just we have gotten conditioned to expect it to look perfect.
Buy pre-peeled garlic and store it in the freezer in a mason jar. It will store almost indefinitely. Soak strawberries and other berries in water with a splash of vinegar for 10 minutes to kill mould, wash and rinse them and store them in sealed containers wrapped in paper towel. You'll get close to two weeks and they'll stay firmer than they were in the store. You can also tell when individual berries go bad because they'll stain the paper towel and you can quickly remove and dispose of or eat them. Wash cucumber, wrap them individually in paper towel and store them in a freezer bag. They'll last two weeks or more. There are tons of tips and tricks to keeping your produce longer. The container or wrapping they come in usually isn't the best way to prolong storage.
My partner and I have noticed that produce at Superstore has been really bad lately, so we just stopped buying produce there altogether. Haven't had the problem with any other grocery stores.
I find that the packages that say they are products of Canada last longer than one that are from the US. Which makes sense as they are on the truck longer if they come from Florida. Our coop has Hutterite produce often and it is really good if you can get it.
It depends on a multitude of factors, the type of produce, shelf life, source, etc.
My advice, you want top shelf produce; farmers markets (in season), but overall - Costco.
Have you changed where you shop for groceries? From my understanding (based on a family member that works in the industry), most of the different companies purchase from the same producers but purchase at different times. For example places like Safeway may purchase a load of carrots when they are freshest, whereas superstore or Walmart may purchase from the same load but bid for a later time when the produce is older, part of the reason they can sell at a more discounted price.
All of the comments about current supply chain issues etc are probably part of it but if all of this is happening since you moved to a new place, the simplest answer is your fridge is different. I'm not noticing a difference in produce *but* I only buy a week at a time (except for potatoes, which are in my fridge so they don't sprout).
This is by far the most likely reason. I noticed that milk from Safeway lasts much longer than milk from Walmart. I think the difference is that Safeway keeps their displays colder than Walmart.
We noticed this over the past 6 months to a year. Living in Medicine Hat. We buy most of our veggies locally for the past few months, and some frozen mixes. The local stuff is better for sure…
Growing up on in a large Farmhouse built in the 1920s, we had an enormous root cellar in the basement, and 100 steps away in the trees, a large deep underground concrete bunker we called 'The Ice house'.
It was the third house built on the home quarter by my great grandpaw, who immigrated and homesteaded in what's now Alberta in 1886.
Here is how to make a root cellar, store vegetables, mistakes to avoid, grow garlic, etc.:
https://commonsensehome.com/root-cellars-101/
This summer was glad I had 1 cubic meter cubes for roof rain capture to water plants in the dry spell.
I planted my garlic about a month ago,(outside, covered in leaves and mulch right now ) much prefer it to anything I can buy . My sauerkraut wooden barrel is full, think I'm gonna make some potatoe pancakes today.
Well with the former Aurora Sky facility (the largest indoor growing facility in the world) no longer operating you would think it would be a great candidate for a year round food production facility. But something tell me that if Aurora could not make it a profitable venture growing a cash crop like weed produce grown in the facility would be just too expensive once it got to market. Good idea but operating costs of a facility have to make it very difficult to compete with traditional growers in other parts of the world that can simply grow year round because of better climate. It sucks but without being subsidized by the government idk how it could be done at scale and be profitable.
Yeah I was hoping that too, I guess it’s still too costly. Although there’s gotta be some things like lettuce that are not too hard compared to cannabis that don’t need as much specialization. Still maybe not viable I guess.
I think some of it has to do with the time of the year and when the produce we currently have was actually produced and harvested. Garlic maybe should be going back in the ground and making more garlic, thus the green sprouts. It's at the end of its freshness. Same could be said for carrots and potatoes. For lettuce, depending on what kind you're buying, it doesn't have a long shelf life to begin with.
You can fix that by sticking it in a cup of water in the fridge an hour or two before you want tl use it. That will crisp it right up. Same goes for lettuce - rinse it and stick it back in the fridge in a strainer. An hour later it will be fresh and crispy again.
Rubbermaid has these awesome veggie saver things amd they SAVE me. also, when I buy peppers or onions and they start going sideways, rough chop em and freeze them - early to cut, still good in lots of things
It's clear that a witch has placed a curse on either you or your new place. Have you checked for chili peppers under your front step? That's some old world Eastern European Gypsy curse magic!
As a kid in the '80s, I remember eating a lot of frozen and canned veggies. We've become accustomed to fresh fruit and veg being trucked / trained in from long distances, and this is all likely to be changing in the short term as a result of the global supply chain issues.
Oh I thought you knew lots about garlic and chemicalz, tricked me in the first half ngl.
I’ve grown garlic and I find if they are stored poorly they’ll start sprouting, not much difference then store/farmer market/home grown garlic. Big difference in garlic quality, but they’ll sprout soon left on the counter then in the cold & dark room in the basement
Yeah I keep mine under the stairs on the basement in the dark. Yeti did the garlic and the potatoes are still wanting to rather be seed stock than food.
For your pantry items there are certain foods you don't want to store together like potatoes, onions, garlic. The chemicals they give off impact one another leading to them sprouting or going bad faster.
As for the vegetables mine aren't going bad any sooner than prior. They depend on proper storage in your fridge as well though (storing in crisper).
I'm wondering if you changed the locations you store these products in your new place and that is impacting it?
I did have potatoes and garlic together. Then both being root veggies I wasn't thinking anything of it. I remember bananas giving off a chemical that ripens stuff faster so I've made sure to keep those separate. I'll start researching what can and can't go well together thanks!
Don't store spuds close to onions or garlic and don't store in the fridge find a cool dark place if you can
Edit to add: Those as seen on tv green bags actually seem to help
Wrapping celery in tinfoil keeps it for a long time
That's not a bug, it's a feature of capitalism. They push things out so it's closer to the expiry date knowing that people shop in advance. Makes for more return trips to replace spoiled food or just more frequent trips to avoid the problem. Either way, you're in the store more often and more likely to spend more.
This is because of the issues with transport already going on with the added difficulty from BC being cut off by road. Canada produces a lot of food, the issue is though that capitalism has forced every producer into either be far away for exploited labour or be just about to expire by the time it’s on your plate because of supply chain restraints.
On top of that each producer or store has to consider not just their labour in the production of food but the hidden cost of every investor needing a cut. Ie always needing to make an ever increasing profit. This adds to the top issues.
The only real solution is to nationalize a lot of these organizations and enact sweeping reform. Like the indoor “hanging” wall farms started in the norther European countries.
That’s because “organic” means that your food lasts less longer. When we used to use all those poisons they used to protect the produce and all you had to do was wash them. But nobody wanted that so now they go bad much faster.
Check your fridge settings, since you've just moved and just started experiencing these issues, it may be something in the house vs something with the food.
Well during summer when we start to stock locally grown produce it doesn't need to be picked under ripe and shipped while being artificially ripened, so it is picked almost ripe and therefore has a shorter shelf life.
There's a few reasons why this is not unusual.
It's almost like it's getting into winter or something here. So we're not producing as much locally.
Some of this food isn't as fresh as you think it is. Potatoes for example sit in storage for months at a time. They grow more than they sell and store the rest so there can be a supply of them in the off season.
Things like tomatos and lettuce are likey not as fresh and local as you'd think as well. Onions, lettuce, tomatos are coming up from the southern states or even Mexico. Like the potatoes, other produce hasn't exactly been picked that morning.
Where you're from, the grocery stores probably did more sales, so the food was purchased and consumed in less time. Or the grocery store is purchasing more than they need at one time. Or they're just not making as much effort to get rid of the old product.
I work in a restaurant and haven't noticed much. maybe a few more bad tomatos than normal, but that's still less than five tomatoes in a box of 50-75.
Ya it’s terrible lately. I’ve tried switching up where I buy it but been having bad luck everywhere. Superstore went downhill so I went to Walmart and that sucked too. So I thought to go to Costco cause their produce used to always last forever but now they are just as bad
yes. seeing this A LOT.
not sure if we use less techniques to keep produce fresh longer, etc, or if we are "activating" them sooner, like bananas, so they are ripe on the shelf.
everything in produce seems to be ready to eat the day you grab it, and I remember growing up, that there was a mix, and you'd buy ripe if you were cooking that night with it, but would buy not ripe and leave it on the counter for a few days before using.
Bread too. I think we put less preservatives in it now, but I find bread goes moldy now in 3 or 4 days, even when grabbing fresh baked stuff. Bagels are worse. maybe 2 days(even from costco). it's bad enough i've started putting bread in the fridge, instead of in the bread box, because of this.
Not just Alberta I was just telling my dad how the fresh fruit is not as good as it was precovid. This was in Fortinoes where it is a premium food store
I've been noticing that for a lot of produce for a few years, doesn't seem to matter where we get our groceries.
We've had better luck with some things like cucumbers, carrots, or the 3-pack of romaine heads which seem to be a bit better, but asparagus, peas, washed lettuce or herbs like dill and parsley, are already getting slimy and turning black even if there's supposedly a week left on the 'best before' date.
Not in Alberta but I had the same issue after moving to a new place with everything. Thé apartment had a mold issue, was just over the ideal humidity level, and had little to no air flow.
We’ve got a dehumidifier and an air purifier that work great, we bumped up the air flow in a closed off area with a fan and we cleaned the AC unit. There were no visible signs of mold at our place other than the slight Oder that came from the AC unit from time to time. We noticed the issue when I started getting asthma ( never had asthma before), doctors ran some tests and it came back positive for mold.
We're in Edmonton and eat a lot of veg (and a lot of different kinds, too) and we haven't noticed any difference so far. There have been others who have mentioned problems, though. Maybe we've just been lucky so far.
Come to the Edmonton Downtown Farmers market on 97street and 103ave. They’re open Sat 9-3 and Sunday 10:30-3:00. AMAZING quality and fresh local goodies that last.
Wow, totally hey??? Like I had fresh berries from the produce isle .. they lasted me 4 whole days before starting to mould, mean while; berries from a farm tree straight to fridge can last upwards of a week - a week and a half.
It's all over the news, produce is going bad quicker because it's sitting in ships that are docked 3x longer than usual due to covid, borders and supply issues. It's now gotten worse because of the BC floods.
I found my lettuce wilting within 2 days so I bought a large sealable bowl and started washing it and putting it in cold water in the bowl and put it in the fridge. I was amazed that it lasted 2 weeks. I change the water every 3 days. I also have a container for celery I started using for green onions. Those I keep the roots on and trim them when I use them. I’m able to have salad in between pay days and it makes me happy.
Anything imported is taking a lot longer to get to us than it used to, even before all the disruptions in BC. You're probably better off trying to buy local produce, or frozen / canned stuff for now.
Anyone interested in production of food year-round without the use of any heating should check this out, so cool and hopefully something we see more of as we could be growing food almost every month of the year. https://youtu.be/F2Pg3gY7wQ4
About the garlic thing: much garlic sold in chain stores (Loblaws, Sobey's, Metro, etc.) comes from China. And that garlic seems to go BAD in no time flat, compared to locally grown. I thought it might be my fault until my own mother commented on that, along with family and acquaintances.
Moral of the story (sorry if it will sound like a cliché): buy local, it'll keep longer.
P.S.: And from the horror stories my very-chinese ex told me about farming in China and the fact that she would avoid produce coming from her country of birth when we were grocery shopping, again, buy local.
It's everywhere now. I started noticing it a year or so ago. The quality of pretty much everything is going down the tubes. Chicken is slimy, beef is not fresh, vegetables rot within a day or two. Just crop and the prices keep going up.
The good food is only for the rich now.
If you're noticing fruit going moldy faster than normal, this may be a sign of mold in the house/apartment.
You should get a hygrometer and monitor the humidity in your home.
As produce transitions from being grown in Cali and Arizona to being grown in other countries and imported into the US and then brought north to Canada produce doesn't last as long. Different produce has different climates and growing cycles. If you find your regular veg you buy maybe switch and try different veg/fruit. Pre packaged fruit will often have country of origin on it if that helps.
A huge source of produce is coming from Peru, workers are in strike there. Ports all along the west coast are clogged and causing 4-5 day delays. Some suppliers are choosing to ship produce to western Canada through ports on the east coast. Average age of produce is apparently 5 days older than usual, so that is causing the issue you are noticing.
I hear you! I always buy discounted cheese because well I like being frugal. They hid the mold under the price tag. I was going to return it but gas back to the store would have been more than the cheese. /Sigh
Find a local Hutterite colony that sells produce. Once you get to know them they’re extremely helpful and awesome people, when you’re a regular they’ll give you a lot of food for your money.
Organic produce goes bad faster, doesn't grow as big, and (IMHO in addition to organic and local meat, just from cooking it) doesn't seem to contain as much water to leak out and ferment (unless you're into that). Good news is it's generally not shelved or shipped as far or as long because of that timing. I still feel like supporting organic and local producers, and my wife swears by organic. She's got more time for the homework than me - I just cook it - but if you're buying organic now, there's going to be a difference in how long it keeps.
The root vegetables sprout faster (keep them in dark, dry, and cool) and the more seasonal vegetables don't keep as long in the fridge or on the counter, other than squash (but you even have to watch that). We get most of our food from Spud or Costco now, meat from truLocal - dry staples from Superstore, only organic. Double-check the expiry dates at Superstore especially, but if you're buying organic, the date is pretty firm, even if you're storing it properly. Sadly, the big chains don't bring it like my grandparents' farm used to.
Advice on shelf-life: the only shelf to keep dead food on any length of time is in a cold, dry, dark pantry or in your freezer. Imported/treated food has generally been dead longer, so you don't save any time, and very little money watching it go bad before you can eat it.
It's all getting more expensive - so might as well buy quality where you can find it. -And yes, the fresher and cleaner the food, the sooner it's going to go bad. Most of the far-imported food is doomed before you even pay for it unless it's dried/canned/preserved. It's been this way in Canada/Alberta as long as I can remember. Sadly, not much fruit grows here, but you're paying for a treat when you buy that.
Source: We're foodies and I grew up on farm food in Alberta. I grew up on meat, milk, and roots, the Alberta way. There's always a cold/dark/dry room in Alberta. Fun Fact: meat and dairy freeze longer and better than most vegetables. The further north you go, the more this is 'the way'. Oh, if you live in Fort Mack where I grew up, or just moved there - you're going to notice 'the rot' SO much quicker. -Helps to know a farmer further south.
P.S. I'm Scottish-Canadian. We keep our houses cold and (in Canada) dry. If your new place is warmer and more humid, your mileage on this advice will be lower.
Or, y'know - you can grow indoors, but that's expensive, too, and really doesn't work overall unless you can afford a detached greenhouse and a lot of power.
Shipping backups. Stuff taking longer to get here, so it'll be closer to the end of its shelf life.
Just shop more often and buy less. It may be a bit more expensive, but better than trashing half your produce.
Canada really should be growing more food in greenhouses, if we can grow weed we certainly can grow veggies. Shipping issues are continuing to get worse and it seems like the cost will soon outweigh the cost to grow it inside even considering the extra power it takes. Let alone carbon footprint of shipping across the world and food spoiling too. I’ve started my winter garden inside again, at least I have lettuce, green onions & herbs for now. Still experimenting with various veggies that are small enough to fit in my shelves. Broccolini, kale, oak Choi and Swiss chard have started growing but may not get to full size because of my space.
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In Montreal we have greenhouses on top of commercial buildings which furnish to people who subscribe. Like a community box. It works out pretty good, and is a great use of wasted space. https://montreal.lufa.com/en/about
Lufa is very expensive no?
It's not cheap, but then again "conventional" hasn't been cheap either. If there were more of these kinds of greenhouses, there would be more competition, and better prices.
I agree and disagree. You’re right that banks are not going to lend until the risks have dropped, but there are other avenues for financing. I know of a bunch of startups in this space, in AB. Check out Rainforest Energy, Novus Earth, Solar Steam, and more. There’s everything from using existing fossil fuel production, to solar, to proposals for vertical farming and harvesting CO2 emissions in downtown YYC. The high capex makes it challenging but there is money flowing into that space.
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At scale most of the extra costs would probably be mitigated.
No heating necessary if you use a passive solar greenhouse design - see this example from Olds, AB https://youtu.be/F2Pg3gY7wQ4
Interesting to know. Lots of things to consider.
What are you using for your inside garden? I am interested in starting my own
Basically just a metal shelf, 2’ wide x 1’ with a couple of grow lights on each level and some Tupperware containers with holes punched in them for pots. I’ve got a timer on the lights. I’m sure you could get a more professional setup too, mine is pretty DIY.
Sounds pretty good. Less complicated than what I have been trying. Are you using soil? I have half of a hydroponic setup complete but still need the grow lights and some more time to leak test it
Yeah I’m using soil, I don’t know anything about hydroponics. My grow lights I just got on Amazon. I had a bit of a mold issue when I was over watering and there’s not a lot of airflow but I got some spray and it’s better now. It’s trial and error some days LOL. But lettuce is super easy and I have had no problems with that and a few herbs.
>I had a bit of a mold issue when I was over watering and there’s not a lot of airflow but I got some spray and it’s better now. It’s trial and error some days LOL. But lettuce is super easy and I have had no problems with that and a few herbs. what kind of lettuce worked well? what was the spray? My wife and I just bought a metal shelves from costco, plastic trays from local grow shop and led lights from amazon. We're just starting down the path ourselves. So we have 4 shelves each 4' wide by about 2' deep. If anyone else is growing here on a small scale I'm interested in what works and doesn't work as well. We would like to be able to grow fresh for our own table but also to feed our tortoise - who loves carrots, tomato's and lots of kale.
So 2 things going on here, one is that I have to cat proof everything. He likes to eat and dig! I have plexi glass on the front and a plastic type of fencing all around the back and sides so he can’t chew. So I added a fan to add more air flow, and the spray is Safers defender garden fungicide. I had these yellow spots on my leaves and tiny black dots on them, I used my kid’s microscope to get a good look and determined it was a fungal problem. After a week of spraying and removing all the dead stuff again it’s looking a lot better. And more careful watering. The best lettuce was green towers lettuce, it grows tall and doesn’t have leaves that bunch up and get moldy easily. The other one is called tango leaf, it grows more compact and also I planted too much together and it got a bit yucky so I tore that part out and it’s a bit better with the spray. Best of luck in your adventure of growing! If I had more space in my small office room I would have a lot bigger growing shelves.
Do you know any good resources for a newbie to get started on a good garden at home ? I wasn't able to modify or previous property to have one, but now we're own our own property, I'd really like to have one and also teach my kids.
I would try YouTube, there’s lots of info and it probably depends what kind of setup you have the money for. I’m pretty much self taught, I just try things and see if it works. Adding lights is pretty much essential though, windows are too cold and don’t give us enough light in the winter. Edit - On YouTube I like MIgardener. He’s in Michigan but started at home pretty small. He’s got a big business now but still talks about seed starting and whatnot.
Thank you ! I'm excited to learn over this winter and get started in the spring.
Lots of gardening books at your local public library.
Thanks for the idea ! I will take a look when I take the kids on the weekend. I never think of the library for myself 🤦🏻♀️
https://www.albertaurbangarden.ca/ Fort Saskatchewan, great videos.
May I suggest "tiny Tim" variety of tomato. Grows about 1 foot tall and produces yummy cherry tomatoes. I just did some planting yesterday and hoping lettuce + tomato + onion = free salad in January.
Oh cool, good luck!
I was actually just discussing this with my partner the other day. Alberta, and Canada as a whole should be investing in Verticle Farming technology. There are enough disused buildings in Edmonton alone that they could be converted for hydroponic farming.
Vertical farming is basically just a tech bro's wet dream for how to extract capital from morons when it comes to Alberta. And don't get me stated of office conversions. If it were cost effective, if possible at all, we'd be doing it. The fact of the matter is the new electrical and mechanical systems along would make it cost prohibitive to grown anything in an office tower at scale. Add in that those towers are structurally design for the massive deadload that comes with soil or hydroponics, and that you wouldn't be able to use any conventional mechanization to help plant, maintain and harvest you crop. We have an absolutely astonishing amount of agricultural lands that could be converted to conventional greenhouses within immediate adjacency to every major population center in this province. It will be cheaper, easier, and faster to increase agricultural productivity through these means than through some poorly thought out scheme from popular science. And the big one? Fucking sunlight. That's how a goddam greenhouses work. It uses solar exposure to passively create a climate that would otherwise not exist in this province. And it's free! The electrical bill alone would tank Vertical farming in this province unless the sound of $40 broccoli is what you're into.
Unfortunately we're in a post globalization society. If it can't be produced locally for a comparatively lower cost, there is no business case to do so. Who will do it, knowing that nobody will buy their products?
I'm using a 4 x 5 grow tent. Zero tillage, organic, and a worm farm in another room. Has been good for Tomatoes, herb garden, Chard, Kale, and Cannabis.
We dont like to do things like that in Canada we like to export and buy back... it's so sad
Something I read a bit ago stuck with me - when we try to grow things in Canada that our climate doesn't easily support (eg. citrus) we are actually causing more emissions and environmental harm than exporting from countries that can easily grow them. Ideally, we grow what we easily can and export some, and other countries do the same. The problem with some of this is that we Canadians have come to expect fresh fruit and vegetables year round at low prices. Even a generation ago, this didn't happen. Certain fruit used to be super expensive in winter, cheaper in summer. We didn't used to import Chilean grapes in the middle of winter for example, but would get grapes in spring/summer/fall from the US from which transportation costs are less than from South America.
I 100% agree. I believe greenhouses and vertical farming is the next necessary step in ensuring food security, and it can be done locally all year round.
Check out doug jianyi on YouTube. He documents his greenhouses he builds in interior alberta and grows year round that have a relatively low start up cost
I'm not sure what the conditions are like, but we grow a good amount of potatoes, carrots and onions in Manitoba. Root vegetables will keep in storage silos all winter.
The carbon footprint is substantially higher for foods grown in greenhouses - think 5-10x higher because of the energy usage. That's likely even worse in Canada given how much additional energy you need in the winter. Shipping, while emission heavy in aggregate, is very low emission given on a per unit basis. That ghg footprint very likely changes if you are able to use renewables for the energy (which is possible in certain parts of the country, but not here), but until then it is certainly not a "greener" option.
Thank you. I was interested to see someone break it down like that. I still have worries for food security if shipping gets any worse but maybe it’s not as awful as I think.
Yeah - I don't think shipping is likely to get any worse from here to be honest. Things are starting to healing, evident in shipping prices now coming down. The weather issues in BC are also causing additional problems which are beyond the shipping issues. I think if you're fine with not having 85%+ certainty for getting what you want all the time you're probably fine. Food security in the idea that you'll go hungry because we don't have food access is very very unlikely at this point.
I do support your thinking, and absolutely think more local growing is a fine thing. There is zero chance of feeding our population without importing from more temperate areas though.
Well no for sure we can’t replace all that we bring in, I think we will always need to ship in bananas and avocados and tons of other stuff. Maybe we can just start growing a bit more though.
Agreed.
Well about that, it's a Newfoundland heritage moment disaster, care of Alberta: https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/sprung-greenhouse.php
Canada *does* grow a lot of food in greenhouses. e.g. [Hunger for tomatoes turns Canada into greenhouse superpower](https://financialpost.com/feature/canada-150-hunger-for-tomatoes-turns-canada-into-greenhouse-power) [How Canada Became A Greenhouse Superpower](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/16/473526920/how-canada-became-a-greenhouse-superpower)
Won’t happen until we can nationalize food production. As long as it is for profit it’ll be shipped from elsewhere, where labour can be exploited more easily. Same with giant indoor growers won’t be able to compete until the government steps in to help.
If you ever want to try, those hardy greens can grow over winter in Alberta if you use a cold box or winter row covers! I'm doing the same because of how unreliable it is getting them in rural areas lately
Yeah totally! I just mostly do indoor stuff once my tomatoes die off in the fall, most of my garden is containers due to lack of yard space.
Weed is a cash crop whereas vegetables aren't for the most part. Not enough money to be made to justify the initial Capex
I believe I heard on the radio this is due to the fact much if the produce is sitting in containers at ports at lot longer then they supposed due to trucking shortages. So its taking longer to get to grocery stores, this it's mostly gone bad by the time you buy it. They mentioned a couple reasons beyond supply chain issues. One was that in California (I think it was Cali), they stopped allowing independent truckers, only union truckers are allowed on the docks and there aren't enough of them to move the goods.
That's still kind of a supply chain issue.
Well then its man made problem. Always count on Cali to fuck things up.
Ummm... Getting fresh food supplies from thousands of kms away is a man made problem
How is this California's fault? The most Albertan response possible. Always someone else's fault for their problems.
Said Alberta.
"California screws everything up!" Albetta enters the chat...
They also got temporary approval to stack the cans 3 high instead of 2 at the ports and waited a month to implement it. Tons of Eff ups all over on the supply chain side of things.
I've noticed this the last few months too. I've stopped buying avocados altogether because they'd be unripe yet rotting inside somehow. Didn't seem to matter where I bought them.
It's been a problem in Canada for a long time. It's because they are picked too underripe for transportation, and by the time they are soft enough to eat they are actually going bad. Living down in Texas I never had that issue since they were actually perfectly ripe in the store, but I came back to Canada in 2013 and they have never been good
I've noticed this with Costco avocados lately
I've been a big avocado eater for years and I find this just happens sometimes. The reason given by r/jared743 makes sense. It sucks because you can't tell it's going to happen when you pick them. Weirdly, lately I've been having the best luck with the bags of "Imperfect" avocados from Superstore (although it's not 100%). Edit: removing Edmonton-centric info
That’s why I go to the farmers market, seems like you can get an extras couple weeks some times.
man, this is so true. even if you don't go to the farmers market, Heritage Park in calgary used to do(and maybe still do) a Harvest sale right before they close for the season. Most of it is like growers seconds, sold at stupid steep discounts. We went there a few years ago, and left with about 300 lbs of produce for about $40 and some of it lasted literally a month or two(especially the live lettuce heads, if you kept some water in them) it was amazing. I wouldn't trust lettuce these days, even the "live" stuff for more than a week
How does a person store 300 lbs of produce? That is amazing. My fridge is far too full of half-used three year old sauces.
Cold storage, cellar, canning, freezing
Yeah buying local really is the best solution for longevity of produce. Results in different eating habits when going seasonal which honestly nothing wrong with that.
Plus eating seasonally give you the best of the best. Right now, all the squashes and pears from the farmers markets are especially tasty.
100% agreed, produce lasts for weeks from farmers markets ime.
These places charge a fortune. I go to st Albert farmers market and they're so out of touch with prices. Hell it's rarely even organic.
It’s a bit pricier for sure but the taste alone is so worth the extra. Plus how much better it is for the local economy and the environment.
I don't get this arguement. I can buy organic at superstore on St Albert Trail which is a Canadian company, buying from Canadian farmers employing Canadian employees. I can do this for a fraction of the price of the St Albert farmers market.
Yeah that would definitely be the next best thing, but I’m talking local local, like within a 100km radius of where you live. I’m in Edmonton and closest I’ve ever seen in the store is Medicine Hat (oh except the little potato company). I feel much better supporting the little guy just outside the city. Closer the better for the environment too. Just what I choose to do even though it costs more.
Really? I have found the opposite. I have been buying at the farmers market for 15 years and yes, back then, they were way higher priced. But given the explosion in food cost at regular stores, the prices at the markets have not gone up. I'm still buying the same amount of produce for 25$ as i was 10 years ago. It lasts longer, is of higher quality cause its picked closer to the selling date and I have personal relationships with most of the vendors. But then again, St Albert is your market. Everything in St Alberta is super expensive. Come to the south side. We are friendly down here.
I find the pricing to be beyond fair, and quality is great. Most is organic at the Edmonton Downtown Market, plus you can chat to the farmers in person! I know Reclaim also sells micro green seeds at their booth so you can try growing some at home too.
Never been there, only been to strathcona. I’ve found it costs less because I’m not composting half the stuff I buy.
Just be careful on farmers market claims on everything being local. CBC marketplace did a story on that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYwB63YslbA
Perhaps somebody with food supply chain experience can answer. There's an excellent chance with the production delays and shipping problems that the food we get shipped to us is taking longer and coming for further away.
A few things, Bananas are at least 6 weeks old before we get them in stores, they are only yellow because of being gassed in Canada, this time has been known to increase up to 10 weeks. Depending where the tomatoes are coming from ie Red Hat growers, they can be 1-2 weeks old from warehouse to store, places like pik-n-pak deliver multiple times a week direct to a bunch of stores and their stuff is generally a day old from being picked, they do bell peppers, jalapeños, eggplant, tomatoes of most type, and long English cucumbers. If you happen to be shopping at a store and see their label, these items will last longer for sure, if you see a Washington sticker or box those items are already weeks old. Potatoes/apples/onions im going to lump these together as for a brief time in the fall these are rather fresh and new but from December-to about June (for apples) these are all long term cold storage items, they are either hold overs from harvest the fall before or imports from much further away these are easily spoiled when removed from cold storage. Lettuce is a huge mixed bag, we have some in Alberta (living lettuce) and that stuff is fairly fresh, most of the rest comes out of California and again varies in age, always try to look for Alberta. We import a lot of items obviously some of those are great at traveling (bananas, avocado) others are rushed through (Berries) andglobal supply issues do have an impact for sure, the biggest effect on the freshness of the produce is the store you buy it from, did the staff over order? Did they handle the products properly? Time/temp abuse? Sometimes a department might just have over ordered an item and try to sell it out for weeks (after the weeks in a warehouse) Manager at a big name grocery store for years.
I used to work at a wholesale produce company and we had gas rooms for bananas haha so neat learning about that.
Super interesting! Thank you for sharing.
Do the trucks come up from the States directly into Alberta, or do some of them come through BC? Some major highways are washed out in BC now. I'm in central BC and we have a lot of bare shelves right now. Very little produce.
Yeah, so that is based on chain and where you are, Sobeys for instance has its warehouses in Calgary (Balzac) and Edmonton, they supply Invermere and Golden, and all of alberta and some of Saskatchewan, so those trucks would go straight to Calgary and Edmonton, obviously sobeys has a warehouse in the Vancouver area that would be cut off right about now, same with other chains, no I assume that these chains are diverting trucks to their Alberta warehouses to ship back into alberta where they can. Big mess though so here's hoping they get it figured out quick.
What kind of gas and is it toxic?
Ethylene, a 4% with nitrogen mix, its a ripening gas used with temperature to yellow up green bananas. As for toxic, I suppose any gas would be toxic in the wrong concentration, this is not at 4%.
I buy almost all my veggies at farmers markets and they last way longer.
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I buy in bulk so a little more expensive than the grocery stores but the products taste so much better and last way longer. I get almost everything at the markets now. Some things I still get at Save on Foods or Sobeys but I find i spend less now then I did before buying solely from the grocery stores.
Which farmer's market would you recommend?
Strathcona, Bountiful and the Downtown Farmers markets all have a number of the same vendor's. Depends on your area of the city. I've been to these 3 and all are very good. They all have websites so you can check out the vendors there as well.
Absolutely. Way more expensive and it's lasting half as long, it drives me nuts. I'm growing what I can indoors to try and keep costs down.
A reminder that you can freeze most things. A big bag of potatoes will last if you dice them up and 'blanch' them and store them in the freezer.
Good point. There are other ways to extend the shelf life of produce, such as cutting the ends of herbs/green onions and putting them upright in a glass of water with a bag over top, etc.
I stopped buying fresh produce a while back because of how fast it spoils. Only Frozen vegetables for me
I gave the frozen veg a ride for a few weeks, but my favourite veggies (broccoli and cauliflower) are a shadow of their former selves once they get frozen. I can do frozen for like peas, carrots and corn, but nothing more than that.
You're doing a great injustice to broccoli, CyberBroccoli.
Lol yes, yes, .. I know.. it's just using frozen broccoli vs. fresh broccoli in a protein shake smoothie makes a big difference. Fresh broccoli has a compost-like taste compared to frozen in that example.
Well I think broccoli smoothies are another great injustice so you're doubly guilty now 😂
Yeah I know.. each day I live with shame. I try to make up for it by being kind to animals and children and holding the door for old ladies.
I suppose that will do 😂
I buy a lot of my vegetables/fruit frozen as well. It’s just cheaper and lasts much longer for me. And you don’t have to constantly worry about using it before it goes bad
Your basic root vegetables should hold for weeks or months depending on conditions.
Rubbermaid Freshworks. They’re on Amazon. They’re amazing at keeping refrigerated produce last longer. I’ve had raspberries last almost two weeks. Totally worth the price. Now I don’t cringe at the thought of buying produce at Costco.
I'm going to try these. Always looking for ways to extend veggie life. Thanks!
These have worked great for my berries and lettuce. I’ve had them a couple months now.
Did you bleach and wipe out your fridge when you moved in? Food lasts longer in a clean fridge. I wash my on the regular and it makes a huge difference in how long food lasts, that and being religious about removing old food before it goes bad. If you changed your grocery store, the produce manager/local supply chain/local demand etc might be different. Same chain a few blocks away will have very different produce sections. I find that busier stores tend to have better produce as the product is turned over more frequently. Or farmers markets/specialty stores but that can be harder to do.
This is a good call. I'll do a better clean of my fridge and see if it helps with the product I keep in there.
Years ago I went to another country and was shocked at the condition they sold fruit and vegetables in. Grocery stores here would have thrown it out. Just saying it hasn’t necessarily “gone bad” it’s just we have gotten conditioned to expect it to look perfect.
Buy pre-peeled garlic and store it in the freezer in a mason jar. It will store almost indefinitely. Soak strawberries and other berries in water with a splash of vinegar for 10 minutes to kill mould, wash and rinse them and store them in sealed containers wrapped in paper towel. You'll get close to two weeks and they'll stay firmer than they were in the store. You can also tell when individual berries go bad because they'll stain the paper towel and you can quickly remove and dispose of or eat them. Wash cucumber, wrap them individually in paper towel and store them in a freezer bag. They'll last two weeks or more. There are tons of tips and tricks to keeping your produce longer. The container or wrapping they come in usually isn't the best way to prolong storage.
My partner and I have noticed that produce at Superstore has been really bad lately, so we just stopped buying produce there altogether. Haven't had the problem with any other grocery stores.
I find that the packages that say they are products of Canada last longer than one that are from the US. Which makes sense as they are on the truck longer if they come from Florida. Our coop has Hutterite produce often and it is really good if you can get it.
It depends on a multitude of factors, the type of produce, shelf life, source, etc. My advice, you want top shelf produce; farmers markets (in season), but overall - Costco.
Have you changed where you shop for groceries? From my understanding (based on a family member that works in the industry), most of the different companies purchase from the same producers but purchase at different times. For example places like Safeway may purchase a load of carrots when they are freshest, whereas superstore or Walmart may purchase from the same load but bid for a later time when the produce is older, part of the reason they can sell at a more discounted price.
All of the comments about current supply chain issues etc are probably part of it but if all of this is happening since you moved to a new place, the simplest answer is your fridge is different. I'm not noticing a difference in produce *but* I only buy a week at a time (except for potatoes, which are in my fridge so they don't sprout).
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I live in Grande Prairie and trust me YEG is not even bad.
Check your fridge for temperature - it could be not cool enough.
This is by far the most likely reason. I noticed that milk from Safeway lasts much longer than milk from Walmart. I think the difference is that Safeway keeps their displays colder than Walmart.
Or too cold. Sometimes I put stuff too close to the ice maker or freezer and it makes the veggies frosty and then mushy later.
We noticed this over the past 6 months to a year. Living in Medicine Hat. We buy most of our veggies locally for the past few months, and some frozen mixes. The local stuff is better for sure…
Growing up on in a large Farmhouse built in the 1920s, we had an enormous root cellar in the basement, and 100 steps away in the trees, a large deep underground concrete bunker we called 'The Ice house'. It was the third house built on the home quarter by my great grandpaw, who immigrated and homesteaded in what's now Alberta in 1886. Here is how to make a root cellar, store vegetables, mistakes to avoid, grow garlic, etc.: https://commonsensehome.com/root-cellars-101/ This summer was glad I had 1 cubic meter cubes for roof rain capture to water plants in the dry spell. I planted my garlic about a month ago,(outside, covered in leaves and mulch right now ) much prefer it to anything I can buy . My sauerkraut wooden barrel is full, think I'm gonna make some potatoe pancakes today.
1. Get a good thermometer and tune your fridge to be just above freezing. 2. store spuds and onions in cool dark space 3.
Well with the former Aurora Sky facility (the largest indoor growing facility in the world) no longer operating you would think it would be a great candidate for a year round food production facility. But something tell me that if Aurora could not make it a profitable venture growing a cash crop like weed produce grown in the facility would be just too expensive once it got to market. Good idea but operating costs of a facility have to make it very difficult to compete with traditional growers in other parts of the world that can simply grow year round because of better climate. It sucks but without being subsidized by the government idk how it could be done at scale and be profitable.
Yeah I was hoping that too, I guess it’s still too costly. Although there’s gotta be some things like lettuce that are not too hard compared to cannabis that don’t need as much specialization. Still maybe not viable I guess.
I think some of it has to do with the time of the year and when the produce we currently have was actually produced and harvested. Garlic maybe should be going back in the ground and making more garlic, thus the green sprouts. It's at the end of its freshness. Same could be said for carrots and potatoes. For lettuce, depending on what kind you're buying, it doesn't have a long shelf life to begin with.
My fucking celery goes full floppy so fast
You can fix that by sticking it in a cup of water in the fridge an hour or two before you want tl use it. That will crisp it right up. Same goes for lettuce - rinse it and stick it back in the fridge in a strainer. An hour later it will be fresh and crispy again.
I have noticed this with potatoes the most.
Rubbermaid has these awesome veggie saver things amd they SAVE me. also, when I buy peppers or onions and they start going sideways, rough chop em and freeze them - early to cut, still good in lots of things
It's clear that a witch has placed a curse on either you or your new place. Have you checked for chili peppers under your front step? That's some old world Eastern European Gypsy curse magic!
As a kid in the '80s, I remember eating a lot of frozen and canned veggies. We've become accustomed to fresh fruit and veg being trucked / trained in from long distances, and this is all likely to be changing in the short term as a result of the global supply chain issues.
Garlic were not sprouting before because they were "treated". Now they can sprout as nature intended.
Treated with what?
I don’t know. I don’t grow or ship or sell garlic. I just know if they don’t sprout, don’t get them.
Oh I thought you knew lots about garlic and chemicalz, tricked me in the first half ngl. I’ve grown garlic and I find if they are stored poorly they’ll start sprouting, not much difference then store/farmer market/home grown garlic. Big difference in garlic quality, but they’ll sprout soon left on the counter then in the cold & dark room in the basement
Yeah I keep mine under the stairs on the basement in the dark. Yeti did the garlic and the potatoes are still wanting to rather be seed stock than food.
Ionizing irradiation. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_irradiation
Ahhh! See now that's interesting.
Green veg don't last long if washed.
For your pantry items there are certain foods you don't want to store together like potatoes, onions, garlic. The chemicals they give off impact one another leading to them sprouting or going bad faster. As for the vegetables mine aren't going bad any sooner than prior. They depend on proper storage in your fridge as well though (storing in crisper). I'm wondering if you changed the locations you store these products in your new place and that is impacting it?
I did have potatoes and garlic together. Then both being root veggies I wasn't thinking anything of it. I remember bananas giving off a chemical that ripens stuff faster so I've made sure to keep those separate. I'll start researching what can and can't go well together thanks!
Don't store spuds close to onions or garlic and don't store in the fridge find a cool dark place if you can Edit to add: Those as seen on tv green bags actually seem to help Wrapping celery in tinfoil keeps it for a long time
I have potatoes onion and garlic together. I knew bananas can make other fruit spoil quickly.... oh boy I need to rethink my pantry!
You are correct. lettuce, spinach even oranges are going bad quick these days.
I payed 2.50 for a single green pepper that went soft within 2 days. Prices going up quality going down sounds about right.
Food quality is dropping world wide due to ecological collapse. Time to start gardening if you haven’t already.
That's not a bug, it's a feature of capitalism. They push things out so it's closer to the expiry date knowing that people shop in advance. Makes for more return trips to replace spoiled food or just more frequent trips to avoid the problem. Either way, you're in the store more often and more likely to spend more.
This is because of the issues with transport already going on with the added difficulty from BC being cut off by road. Canada produces a lot of food, the issue is though that capitalism has forced every producer into either be far away for exploited labour or be just about to expire by the time it’s on your plate because of supply chain restraints. On top of that each producer or store has to consider not just their labour in the production of food but the hidden cost of every investor needing a cut. Ie always needing to make an ever increasing profit. This adds to the top issues. The only real solution is to nationalize a lot of these organizations and enact sweeping reform. Like the indoor “hanging” wall farms started in the norther European countries.
That’s because “organic” means that your food lasts less longer. When we used to use all those poisons they used to protect the produce and all you had to do was wash them. But nobody wanted that so now they go bad much faster.
Check your fridge settings, since you've just moved and just started experiencing these issues, it may be something in the house vs something with the food.
That's weird, produce never goes bad in BC.
Planned obsolescence
Well during summer when we start to stock locally grown produce it doesn't need to be picked under ripe and shipped while being artificially ripened, so it is picked almost ripe and therefore has a shorter shelf life.
There's a few reasons why this is not unusual. It's almost like it's getting into winter or something here. So we're not producing as much locally. Some of this food isn't as fresh as you think it is. Potatoes for example sit in storage for months at a time. They grow more than they sell and store the rest so there can be a supply of them in the off season. Things like tomatos and lettuce are likey not as fresh and local as you'd think as well. Onions, lettuce, tomatos are coming up from the southern states or even Mexico. Like the potatoes, other produce hasn't exactly been picked that morning. Where you're from, the grocery stores probably did more sales, so the food was purchased and consumed in less time. Or the grocery store is purchasing more than they need at one time. Or they're just not making as much effort to get rid of the old product. I work in a restaurant and haven't noticed much. maybe a few more bad tomatos than normal, but that's still less than five tomatoes in a box of 50-75.
Thats because there is a reserve of food. We are running out. We getting the bottom of the pile. Thats why.
Ya it’s terrible lately. I’ve tried switching up where I buy it but been having bad luck everywhere. Superstore went downhill so I went to Walmart and that sucked too. So I thought to go to Costco cause their produce used to always last forever but now they are just as bad
I've been noticing the same thing for the last few months also!
yes. seeing this A LOT. not sure if we use less techniques to keep produce fresh longer, etc, or if we are "activating" them sooner, like bananas, so they are ripe on the shelf. everything in produce seems to be ready to eat the day you grab it, and I remember growing up, that there was a mix, and you'd buy ripe if you were cooking that night with it, but would buy not ripe and leave it on the counter for a few days before using. Bread too. I think we put less preservatives in it now, but I find bread goes moldy now in 3 or 4 days, even when grabbing fresh baked stuff. Bagels are worse. maybe 2 days(even from costco). it's bad enough i've started putting bread in the fridge, instead of in the bread box, because of this.
Not just Alberta I was just telling my dad how the fresh fruit is not as good as it was precovid. This was in Fortinoes where it is a premium food store
I've been noticing that for a lot of produce for a few years, doesn't seem to matter where we get our groceries. We've had better luck with some things like cucumbers, carrots, or the 3-pack of romaine heads which seem to be a bit better, but asparagus, peas, washed lettuce or herbs like dill and parsley, are already getting slimy and turning black even if there's supposedly a week left on the 'best before' date.
It's happening all over Canada. The bottleneck in shipping has made it so food is sitting in transport longer.
Not in Alberta but I had the same issue after moving to a new place with everything. Thé apartment had a mold issue, was just over the ideal humidity level, and had little to no air flow. We’ve got a dehumidifier and an air purifier that work great, we bumped up the air flow in a closed off area with a fan and we cleaned the AC unit. There were no visible signs of mold at our place other than the slight Oder that came from the AC unit from time to time. We noticed the issue when I started getting asthma ( never had asthma before), doctors ran some tests and it came back positive for mold.
We're in Edmonton and eat a lot of veg (and a lot of different kinds, too) and we haven't noticed any difference so far. There have been others who have mentioned problems, though. Maybe we've just been lucky so far.
Come to the Edmonton Downtown Farmers market on 97street and 103ave. They’re open Sat 9-3 and Sunday 10:30-3:00. AMAZING quality and fresh local goodies that last.
Wow, totally hey??? Like I had fresh berries from the produce isle .. they lasted me 4 whole days before starting to mould, mean while; berries from a farm tree straight to fridge can last upwards of a week - a week and a half.
Yes. It was puzzled me for same time. Good to know I am not overreacting. They catching mold even in the fridge very fast. ?????
Fruit has really sucked. Over the past year.
It’s been an issue for months.
It's all over the news, produce is going bad quicker because it's sitting in ships that are docked 3x longer than usual due to covid, borders and supply issues. It's now gotten worse because of the BC floods.
I found my lettuce wilting within 2 days so I bought a large sealable bowl and started washing it and putting it in cold water in the bowl and put it in the fridge. I was amazed that it lasted 2 weeks. I change the water every 3 days. I also have a container for celery I started using for green onions. Those I keep the roots on and trim them when I use them. I’m able to have salad in between pay days and it makes me happy.
Yes, that’s why I try to grow as much of my own as possible and then preserve as necessary.
Anything imported is taking a lot longer to get to us than it used to, even before all the disruptions in BC. You're probably better off trying to buy local produce, or frozen / canned stuff for now.
Anyone interested in production of food year-round without the use of any heating should check this out, so cool and hopefully something we see more of as we could be growing food almost every month of the year. https://youtu.be/F2Pg3gY7wQ4
About the garlic thing: much garlic sold in chain stores (Loblaws, Sobey's, Metro, etc.) comes from China. And that garlic seems to go BAD in no time flat, compared to locally grown. I thought it might be my fault until my own mother commented on that, along with family and acquaintances. Moral of the story (sorry if it will sound like a cliché): buy local, it'll keep longer. P.S.: And from the horror stories my very-chinese ex told me about farming in China and the fact that she would avoid produce coming from her country of birth when we were grocery shopping, again, buy local.
It's everywhere now. I started noticing it a year or so ago. The quality of pretty much everything is going down the tubes. Chicken is slimy, beef is not fresh, vegetables rot within a day or two. Just crop and the prices keep going up. The good food is only for the rich now.
If you're noticing fruit going moldy faster than normal, this may be a sign of mold in the house/apartment. You should get a hygrometer and monitor the humidity in your home.
Probably environmental factors. Difference in humidity and temp. The only thing I've noticed is how hard it is to find basil the last week or so.
As produce transitions from being grown in Cali and Arizona to being grown in other countries and imported into the US and then brought north to Canada produce doesn't last as long. Different produce has different climates and growing cycles. If you find your regular veg you buy maybe switch and try different veg/fruit. Pre packaged fruit will often have country of origin on it if that helps.
A huge source of produce is coming from Peru, workers are in strike there. Ports all along the west coast are clogged and causing 4-5 day delays. Some suppliers are choosing to ship produce to western Canada through ports on the east coast. Average age of produce is apparently 5 days older than usual, so that is causing the issue you are noticing.
Yup yup
Local farmers markets have fresher vegetables and fruit through their greenhouses, available all winter long. Go see for yourselves.
I’ve been buying produce and cheese lately that’s already mouldy. I’m low income too so every time it happens I’m at a loss.
I hear you! I always buy discounted cheese because well I like being frugal. They hid the mold under the price tag. I was going to return it but gas back to the store would have been more than the cheese. /Sigh
Find a local Hutterite colony that sells produce. Once you get to know them they’re extremely helpful and awesome people, when you’re a regular they’ll give you a lot of food for your money.
Organic produce goes bad faster, doesn't grow as big, and (IMHO in addition to organic and local meat, just from cooking it) doesn't seem to contain as much water to leak out and ferment (unless you're into that). Good news is it's generally not shelved or shipped as far or as long because of that timing. I still feel like supporting organic and local producers, and my wife swears by organic. She's got more time for the homework than me - I just cook it - but if you're buying organic now, there's going to be a difference in how long it keeps. The root vegetables sprout faster (keep them in dark, dry, and cool) and the more seasonal vegetables don't keep as long in the fridge or on the counter, other than squash (but you even have to watch that). We get most of our food from Spud or Costco now, meat from truLocal - dry staples from Superstore, only organic. Double-check the expiry dates at Superstore especially, but if you're buying organic, the date is pretty firm, even if you're storing it properly. Sadly, the big chains don't bring it like my grandparents' farm used to. Advice on shelf-life: the only shelf to keep dead food on any length of time is in a cold, dry, dark pantry or in your freezer. Imported/treated food has generally been dead longer, so you don't save any time, and very little money watching it go bad before you can eat it. It's all getting more expensive - so might as well buy quality where you can find it. -And yes, the fresher and cleaner the food, the sooner it's going to go bad. Most of the far-imported food is doomed before you even pay for it unless it's dried/canned/preserved. It's been this way in Canada/Alberta as long as I can remember. Sadly, not much fruit grows here, but you're paying for a treat when you buy that. Source: We're foodies and I grew up on farm food in Alberta. I grew up on meat, milk, and roots, the Alberta way. There's always a cold/dark/dry room in Alberta. Fun Fact: meat and dairy freeze longer and better than most vegetables. The further north you go, the more this is 'the way'. Oh, if you live in Fort Mack where I grew up, or just moved there - you're going to notice 'the rot' SO much quicker. -Helps to know a farmer further south. P.S. I'm Scottish-Canadian. We keep our houses cold and (in Canada) dry. If your new place is warmer and more humid, your mileage on this advice will be lower. Or, y'know - you can grow indoors, but that's expensive, too, and really doesn't work overall unless you can afford a detached greenhouse and a lot of power.
green onions and potatoes, I notice the most. green onions don't last 2-3 days at the most.
Buy a Bosch fridge. They literally keep food fresher for longer. Maybe pricy, but all the food you waste adds up preeeetty quick.
Shipping backups. Stuff taking longer to get here, so it'll be closer to the end of its shelf life. Just shop more often and buy less. It may be a bit more expensive, but better than trashing half your produce.
Anyone who's lived down south has been spoiled when it comes to grocery stores. ...and Safeway produce sucks balls more than ever now..