Of greengrocers, farmers markets, Seeds and Greens ... and urban food.

Like I was saying just the other day.

Applying the Bloomington solution to New Albany's farmers market.

... We'd be moving the center of farmers market gravity a few blocks west, which is good for Westendia. Putting some love into this area might encourage Schmitt Furniture to uncover its windows. Furthermore, there'd be a natural affinity between the farmers market and the forthcoming Seeds and Greens Natural Market and Deli.

You remember the forthcoming Seed and Greens, right?

Seeds and Greens Natural Market and Deli coming to downtown New Albany in Fall, 2014.

 ... Stacey Freibert, owner of Seeds and Greens Natural Market and Deli, says the re-model will begin June 1st and the store expects to open the fall of 2014 in downtown New Albany. Seeds and Greens will sell organic and local produce, natural hormone free dairy products, local meats and free-range eggs.

Not to mention the old Wolfe's grocery building, awaiting adaptive reuse. I'm headed toward a link to NPR (thanks B), but before we go there, a gentle reminder that the words "big-spending locavores" should be lofting more than a few red flags. We have enough problem with inequality as it is, wouldn't you say?

How do we make the connection between localism in food and those of us incapable of being "big-spending"?

Urban Greengrocers Are Back, To Serve Big-Spending Locavores, by Maanvi Singh (NPR)

 ... It's a new version of the old-school neighborhood market, which is popping up in cities across the country. There's Urban Radish and Cookbook in Los Angeles, Farm to Market in Austin, and Milk and Honey Market in Philadelphia — to name just a few.

These aren't your parents' big-box grocery stores. They're closer to the places your grandparents might have shopped — but updated for the modern foodie.

Tesco, cheap food and farmers markets.

Tesco is ubiquitous in the UK. On our recent visit, there was one located two hundred yards away from Jennie's house in Plymouth, and immediately behind the Brook Green Hotel in London. Eyebrows arched just a bit when we identified Plymouth's older public market building downtown as a destination; even though our hosts lamented the British public's proclivity to buy only what is least expensive and on special at supermarkets, obviously it would be a much longer commute from the northside to the market than merely walking to the Tesco. We enjoyed the market, nonetheless: Butchers, bakers, green grocers and pasty makers were there, alongside the usual ephemera. As an aside, we visited the New Albany Farmers Market on Saturday before heading to Indianapolis, and I've never seen it more crowded. Is it time to commence Saturday morning block parties?

Tesco boss says cheap food era is over; Philip Clarke admits prices will rise as poll finds UK shoppers would pay more to back farmers, by Jay Rayner (Guardian)

Major food price rises are all but inevitable, the chief executive of Britain's biggest supermarket chain has admitted. Speaking exclusively to the Observer, Philip Clarke of Tesco, which was heavily implicated in the horsemeat scandal, said that rising global demand means the historic low prices to which British consumers have become used are now unsustainable.

"Over the long run I think food prices and the proportion of income spent on food may well be going up," he said. "Because of growing demand it is going to change. It is the basic law of supply and demand."

Biofueled world food crisis? Whaddya mean, the Shrub fibbed … again?

Let's all join together in a rousing chorus of "DUH!"

Not to take anything away from holiday distractions, but while we're indulging in the 4th of July holiday, here's some Lite reading:

Secret report: biofuel caused food crisis; Internal World Bank study delivers blow to plant energy drive, by Aditya Chakrabortty (The Guardian).

Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian ...

... The figure emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises. It will add to pressure on governments in Washington and across Europe, which have turned to plant-derived fuels to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce their dependence on imported oil.

It's also worth reading this piece from the New York Times by Thomas Friedman.

Mr. Bush, Lead or Leave

It’s as if our addict-in-chief is saying to us: “C’mon guys, you know you want a little more of the good stuff. One more hit, baby. Just one more toke on the ole oil pipe. I promise, next year, we’ll all go straight. I’ll even put a wind turbine on my presidential library. But for now, give me one more pop from that drill, please, baby. Just one more transfusion of that sweet offshore crude.”

With respect to the worst president ever, I'm liking the "leave" option, but the probable fact of the matter is that we're in the midst of mass pychosis, or more likely, a spate of congnitive dissonance like nothing we've experienced previously as a nation. It would explain the short tempers and panic that are becoming commonplace hereabouts.