The Strawberry Dilemma

Local strawberry farmers are dumping their fresh ripe crop to make a point. They can't sell them.  The imported strawberries which the large supermarkets buy are cheaper and the local growers can't compete.

This is a big dilemma when you take a closer look. The local Metro Vancouver farmers are already using cheaper farm labourers but the fact is that the Mexican farmers are using even cheaper labour.  On the outside someone looking in may say "who cares if strawberries come from Mexico". Well, when it comes to the carbon footprint local strawberries aren't shipped very far thus making a small carbon footprint impact.. Also consumers can know that their local  strawberries are grown with appropriate and safe agricultural methods.

Our local farmers need our support otherwise they will not continue. Imagine the trucking industry shuts down and no produce is brought in from the US or Mexico, wouldn't it be nice to know you can still get your fruits and vegetables from local farmers. The more we are dependent on importing our basic food from other countries the more vulnerable we are.

 I say it again, lets support our local strawberry farmers and help them out of this dilemma. We can wait for the government to do something or we can be proactive. Be a conscientious consumer.