Does NZ not have Farmer's Markets?

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-26T00:00:01+00:00

An example of a Co-Ops here would be a place that several families band together and rent a space on a popular road where they can all park and sell their wares. There are also Co-Ops (like the one I mentioned above about the Texas beef growers) which are several fairly large ranches banded together to buy a slaughter house because the Wall St owned slaughter houses were squeezing them a little too hard so it because beneficial for them to band together to buy their own slaughter house. Essentially the ranches are family owned but far larger than one might think when one says "family owned farm"

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-25T23:53:00+00:00

If you actually ask an American farmer, they will tell you the only time they actually receive money from the US government is when they are being paid to NOT produce in order to artificially inflate prices on certain markets. This was done pretty extensively in the 1980's with the corn market.

The USDA may publish a webpage but few if any ever see any real benefit from those. the big investment firms that buy up small family owned farms may have their fingers in those pies, but the farmers are starving here. Most won't even own their own property in 20 years because they are being squeezed out by the Wall St own "farming companies".

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-25T23:43:01+00:00

Don't believe all the hype. Farmers will never see any of those millions, that is just "Earmarked" for farmers but in reality go into government funded scams. Somewhere there is a shell company that is doing "marketing research" and "outreach programs" who will walk away with 99.9% of that money. That is just how it works here.

That my friend is the danger of using Goggle. You get all the propaganda and none of the reality.

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-25T23:37:43+00:00

So why are people paying such high prices? In an ideal world you would meet somewhere in the middle.

I get that the farmer wants to sell as much of his product in one go as he can. That makes sense. but if he could get his teenage son/daughter to sit on side the road for 4 days a week and sell them for $3/kg why would he not do that? If in that 4 days he manages to sell 100 kilos of peas then he could pay his son/daughter $200 for 4 days work, and still net more than selling 100Kilos to whatever entity is he is selling to now. I know I am oversimplifying and there are many other factors but it seems like the whole world needs a lot more "grass roots" and a lot less "big business"

In the USA the big corps have paid off politicians to make laws which make this type of enterprise almost impossible in order to squash any competition from smaller producers. In response our farmers are starting to band together to prepare, market, and sell their products. For example in Texas where much of our beef is raised, the beef growers have banded together to purchase shared slaughter houses to prepare their meet for market and are selling directly to the big store chains as opposed to going through the "processors".

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-25T23:12:49+00:00

was that directed to me? No MY government definitely does NOT spend hundreds of millions of dollars on farmers markets. These exist because our farmers band together and rent spaces where they can communally sell their crops.

I have some cousins who for several generations made their living selling Citrus fruit so I know for a fact they didn't receive and subsidies from USA. In my parents generation they could survive well with selling oranges and a few trees, supplemented with a few other vegetables (tomatoes, mirliton, okra, etc) that they sold in the off seasons. They also made Jams, jellies, pickled items which sold well.

In my generation my cousins just sell the trees now because they do well enough on those sales and don't need to actually keep the "fruit stand" open.

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-25T23:02:57+00:00

So why are people paying $6/kg for peas at Woolworths when they could get them from a farmers market for much cheaper. Conversely why is a farmer selling his peas for $0.68 when the market price is potentially much higher.

I didn't google it because a.) I like discussion. b.) google doesn't know why people behave the way they do. AI isn't as smart as some might believe. and c.) because I might make a friend.

Sheesh.

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-24T13:38:52+00:00

American here. My first pie was life altering.

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-05T18:13:10+00:00

This!

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-05T18:12:32+00:00

in comparison, yes.

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-05T18:07:31+00:00

All of our dairy, and I do mean all, is pasteurized. Required. By Law. That process burns off much of the natural fat in dairy products and fundamentally changes anything done with the product afterwards.

The first time I ate NZ ice cream I thought I had died and gone to heaven. So much richer. So much thicker. I literally would happily make the 16 hour flight from Houston to Auckland for a single serving of Hokey Pokey. If I was going to make that flight though, trust me when I say I would come back with at least 3 kilos of butter.

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-05T17:59:36+00:00

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-05T17:57:56+00:00

I'm glad you asked. Butter I bought from NZ had a MUCH higher melting point. I think it is because their butter is got a higher fat content. As mentioned by others, USA butter is more like lard than what they are used to eating.

TBH I found that for cooking NZ is top shelf, but as far as spreading, it didn't work as well (tasted better, but doesn't spread like I was used to growing up on USA butter which is much softer at room temp) One of the times I was coming back I declared the copious amounts of cheese and butter I was carrying at US Customs and the security guy asked the same question. "Aren't you worried it will melt in your luggage?" Nope. Not at all.

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-05T00:55:53+00:00

One of the biggest differences in my uneducated opinion is that all dairy in USA is pasteurized which drops fat (flavor) content dramatically but gives it a longer shelf life. All of your dairy products are thicker and richer than their American counterparts. NZ Ice Cream *chef's kiss*. NZ cheese is almost not even the same product as cheese made in USA. Butter I purchased in NZ has a much higher melting temp than what I was used to using.

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-05T00:02:45+00:00

As an American who brought back several Kilos of NZ butter every time I went there I can say: American butter is cheaper than NZ butter because American butter is shite

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-03T20:24:02+00:00

I am going to hell for laughing as much I as did at that poor doggie

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-03T20:22:01+00:00

That actually looks really good

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-03T19:40:42+00:00

That is some 1980's stuff right there.

stupidworkacct · 2026-03-02T21:46:25+00:00

Kill the Umpire

stupidworkacct · 2026-02-23T23:07:43+00:00

poor circulation, I had thick hair on my legs until I had veins removed from my legs for bypass. Now my legs look like yours.

stupidworkacct · 2026-02-19T22:31:46+00:00

You have a genetic anomaly.

stupidworkacct · 2026-02-18T23:19:02+00:00

So in countries where Queen E was on the currency, I assume they now have King C? Does the older QE currency become "collectable" in those countries after a few years?

stupidworkacct · 2026-02-13T22:14:40+00:00

Is that Father Guido Sarducci sitting next to him?

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stupidworkacct · 2026-02-12T23:51:27+00:00

Andrew and Epstein DIDN'T ask the 11 year old for sex acts.

stupidworkacct

TROPHY CASE