Cauliflower getting heat

The dispassionate cauliflower has become the unfortunate lightning road for recent concern over soaring food prices — specifically fresh fruits and vegetables. Paying $6 to $7 for one cauliflower has sent shivers up the spines of vegans and sent other shoppers heading for store exits. We had already seen recent big increases in the price of local beef and pork and now we are getting hammered elsewhere.

It’s winter and obviously most fresh fruits and vegetables have to be imported. The low Canadian dollar is largely to blame for high prices for imported seasonal vegetables like tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower and corn. Some are grown here in local greenhouses but they are hard-pressed to meet the demand.

Grapes, oranges and other tropical fruits have also increased because of the dollar. There are reports of weather-related issues in the southern U.S. and other areas, which haven’t helped matters.

Root vegetables, such as potatoes, turnips, carrots and parsnips, store well and lots should be available locally at regular prices.

It all suggests that Islanders should expect boiled dinners to become regular fare on supper tables.

The high cost of food puts the onus on large supermarkets to buy more fruits and vegetables locally and perhaps invest in more storage capacity.

Home gardens could also be expanding this coming spring and summer as Islanders look for ways to reduce sky-rocketing food costs.