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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Costco farm and Gardens..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

These oranges are great and they don't even say "Sunkist" on them!


Aloha, Check out my opinion article in the (02-22-13) edition of the Kaua'i Garden Island news,"Farmers market or Costco?"
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-friday-feb/article_2fc5deac-7cce-11e2-a7da-0019bb2963f4.html



Papayas  are not as easy to come by at the local farmers markets in the winter months, and when you do come across a nice papaya you can pay upwards of $2.00 per papaya whereas in the summertime when they are plentiful you can buy them, 3 for $1.00.

I noticed at the Kapa'a farmers market  that many of the vendors have the same looking medium sized uniformed shaped papaya and others have really nice Pineapples. I ask the vendors did you buy these at Costco? They all respond, "no were not allowed to do that," however when I pointed out a label hanging off one of the Pineapples a woman finally  broke and admitted she bought it at Costco.

I can recognize a Costco papaya and Costco Pineapple a mile away. I have no problem with people making an honest buck, in fact the free enterprise system is what America is all about. I do not want to go  to a farmers market and buy inflated Costco produce, it's not  fair to the  vendors that are actually farmers selling their own products which is what the farmers market is all about. 

A visitor told me she was surprised the local oranges said Sunkist on them, I guess the vendors  tell them that's how they picked them right of the trees.

Now if only Costco had a guy with a machete opening up coconuts and selling them for next to nothing we'd have it all.



http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-friday-feb/article_2fc5deac-7cce-11e2-a7da-0019bb2963f4.html

2 comments:

John Mancini said...

They're selling Costco fruit at the farmers market, and they lead you to believe its local produce!!!??? What a rip-off!!! Those vendors should have their licenses revoked! Go get 'em, Kimo!

KimoRosen said...

John point is many local farmers rely on the farmers market for income and when you get retailers in, it's not fair to the farmers.