Mexican Figs

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cyberfarmer

Registered:1293483474
Posts: 544

Posted 1402950385	Reply with quote #1

If you don't mind a little radiation, Americans will soon be able to purchase fresh figs from Mexico: http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Mexican-figs-clear-hurdle-to-US-access-263308631.html Not sure if this will affect California fig growers since most of our commercial crop is dried anyway. __________________ Paul the Fig Tree Destroyer in Fallbrook, CA (Zone 10A )

armando93223

Registered:1318984112
Posts: 1,164

Posted 1402952367	Reply with quote #2

RADIATION: Not sure, that its a good thing. Not fair to the farmer who is trying to get a good product out. Not good for US consumers eating radiated figs. __________________ Armando in the Heart of California

cyberfarmer

Registered:1293483474
Posts: 544

Posted 1402954542	Reply with quote #3

I was being sarcastic about the radiation. I don't have any facts regarding safety of the irradiation process, but I'd rather not risk it. Here in Fallbrook, most of the avocado groves are being cut down. Why? It costs more to buy the water to grow avocados than to just buy the avocados from Mexico. Maybe avocados are the wrong crop to grow in a state with water problems. However, figs are ideal for our climate. I guess the USDA is only concerned about disease vectors and not so much economic impact. __________________ Paul the Fig Tree Destroyer in Fallbrook, CA (Zone 10A )

Aaron4USA

Registered:1375832059
Posts: 2,969

Posted 1402956557	Reply with quote #4

oh great ! now I have to deal with glowing poop?

cyberfarmer

Registered:1293483474
Posts: 544

Posted 1402957235	Reply with quote #5

Quote: Originally Posted by Aaron4USA oh great ! now I have to deal with glowing poop? You mean poop isn't supposed to glow? __________________ Paul the Fig Tree Destroyer in Fallbrook, CA (Zone 10A )

Aaron4USA

Registered:1375832059
Posts: 2,969

Posted 1402958222	Reply with quote #6

no, what am I missing in my diet gold and diamonds? ;/

susieqz

Registered:1372082549
Posts: 971

Posted 1402968166	Reply with quote #7

i gotta say that i'd love to get fresh figs from mexico. never in my entire life have i seen fresh figs for sale. that's why i'm growing them. __________________ susie wish list: nothing. i can't grow cuttings . right now, i have 6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.

needaclone

Registered:1346812939
Posts: 604

Posted 1402968867	Reply with quote #8

Aaron, Gold and Diamonds will give you sparkling poop. For glowing poop you need Phosphorus ;-) (My young son would be so proud that I'm talking about poop instead of figs...) Jim __________________ Clarksburg, NJ - Zone 6b Wishlist - A wise man recommended: Nero600M . Malta Black . Tacoma (Takoma) Violet . Gino's . Adriatic JH . Vista Mission . Florea . Atreano . ...also...RdB, Bethlehem Black, Negronne, Grise de St. Jean, Livano, Col de Dame Blanc/Gris/Noir, Vasilika Sika, Longue D'Aout, Italian 258, Pennsylvania 6-5000

cyberfarmer

Registered:1293483474
Posts: 544

Posted 1402972082	Reply with quote #9

If there is a demand for fresh figs in the US, why don't the California fig farmers ship them around the country? Are we growing the wrong type for fresh eating? If I thought I could sell them easily, I'd plant a couple acres of figs. The produce guy at my local market told me he has tried to carry fresh figs in the past and they haven't been winners. If there really is no significant market for fresh figs in the U.S., then import of figs from Mexico or anywhere else is irrelevant. __________________ Paul the Fig Tree Destroyer in Fallbrook, CA (Zone 10A )

drphil69

Registered:1390113240
Posts: 803

Posted 1402973876	Reply with quote #10

Quote: Originally Posted by cyberfarmer If there is a demand for fresh figs in the US, why don't the California fig farmers ship them around the country? Are we growing the wrong type for fresh eating? If I thought I could sell them easily, I'd plant a couple acres of figs. The produce guy at my local market told me he has tried to carry fresh figs in the past and they haven't been winners. If there really is no significant market for fresh figs in the U.S., then import of figs from Mexico or anywhere else is irrelevant. The problem is they are best when picked very ripe, but don't ship well, i.e. they spoil quickly. And Americans don't know much about them, in general, because of this. So when we see them in the grocery store for $1.50 each in Delaware, then we buy one and it is subpar because it was picked early, we never buy another... I believe if they could be picked dead ripe and transported without spoilage, a market would develop. __________________ Phil - Zone 7A - Newark, DE Newbie fig lover just trying to learn.

schaplin

Registered:1392175246
Posts: 662

Posted 1402973926	Reply with quote #11

From what I understand fresh figs don't ship that well. Short shelf life. It hard to lose money while trying to develop the market. Many Americans would not know what to do with a fresh fig. Paw paw have the same issue. Once in a blue moon a high end shop will carry them at crazy prices which reflects the care needed to get them to market. I'm looking forward to my first fresh Paws Paws from a friends grove. __________________ Wish List: @Hmari, @Maltese beauty, @Col de Dame Grise, @Bryant Dark, @Lynhurst White, @Melcedonia Dark, @Panevino Dark, @Paradiso

HarveyC

Registered:1212433117
Posts: 3,294

Posted 1402980169	Reply with quote #12

I think the motive for importing from Mexico is so that they can try to market cheap crappy figs instead of expensive crappy figs. At the farmers market at Ferry Plaza in San Francisco a couple of growers have done very well selling there. I reported here about my visit with the farm manager last summer. They do ship fresh ripe figs around the country with some orders going to Las Vegas every week. I think the cost was something like $100 per 7 pound flat (shipped). It takes a whole different level of commitment to picking/shipping very ripe fruit and not many are willing to do it. __________________ Harvey - Correia Farms Isleton, CA (Sacramento County) USDA zone 9b, Sunset zone 14 http://www.figaholics.com https://www.facebook.com/Figaholics

shah8

Registered:1339623766
Posts: 657

Posted 1402987026	Reply with quote #13

irradiated fruit aren't radioactive, just in case anyone took it too serious... California avocados would have had a hard time competing with Hawai'i or Mexico if they did not have protection, anyways. Drought just may be putting paid to any sort of hope. There are better fruits that Mexico can grow and irradiate for sale in the US. Mangosteens, for example--those keep alright, from what I know. __________________ Especially desired figs: UCD 187-25, UCD 200-48, UCD 157-17, UCD 309-B1, Princesa, Black Madeira, high quality sugar fig that ripens Sept-Oct. Probable desired fig: Smith, St Jean, JH Adriatic, CddB, Gulbun, Pastilliere, Sucrette Rooting: Smith, CDDB--this pretty much means I have my fun tries (tho' important since they are truly desirable), and only interested for this year: Gulbun, BM, 187-25, or something wildly exotic or precious that nobody has any good reason to send me.

Aaron4USA

Registered:1375832059
Posts: 2,969

Posted 1402987331	Reply with quote #14

I tasted some awesome ripe-overripe Black Missions from Korean Market on Wilshire & Mariposa Ave... last year for $3 per 5x5 basket...really amazing taste. They get those really nicely ripped ones.

ako1974

Registered:1393356294
Posts: 299

Posted 1403006446	Reply with quote #15

Quote: Originally Posted by cyberfarmer I was being sarcastic about the radiation. I don't have any facts regarding safety of the irradiation process, but I'd rather not risk it. Here in Fallbrook, most of the avocado groves are being cut down. Why? It costs more to buy the water to grow avocados than to just buy the avocados from Mexico. Maybe avocados are the wrong crop to grow in a state with water problems. However, figs are ideal for our climate. I guess the USDA is only concerned about disease vectors and not so much economic impact. Same thing with almonds. There has been a huge boom in almonds because the price has steadily risen. Only trouble is, you need to water almonds. I've been reading how some farmers are finding it more economical to start ripping out some of the trees they've spent so much time growing. __________________ Arne Zone 6a - NJ

cyberfarmer

Registered:1293483474
Posts: 544

Posted 1403019639	Reply with quote #16

I just had a long talk with the produce manager at my local market. I asked him if he ever tried selling fresh figs. He pointed and said, "Right over there". He had Brown Turkey and Black Mission available for $6 a pound. He said they were grown in northern California. I asked him if he thought they would sell. He said, "I know they will. They sell out every time I can get my hands on them". So, he let me sample some. They were both good, but not great. He went to the cold storage room and found me a really ripe black mission. Now, that one was very, very good. Problem is that most of them were not as ripe as that one. I told him about figs from Mexico. He said that as far as he knows, all fruit imported from other countries is irradiated. He also said that any fruit may be irradiated, even organic fruit, and he would not know it. There is no labeling requirement, so he has no way of knowing unless he is buying direct from the grower. I asked him, if I someday have so many figs that I don't know what to do with them, would he buy some from me. He said not only would he sell them, but he would make them their own display case. So, at least in my town, fresh, local figs are in demand. __________________ Paul the Fig Tree Destroyer in Fallbrook, CA (Zone 10A )

HarveyC

Registered:1212433117
Posts: 3,294

Posted 1403024084	Reply with quote #17

USDA Organic produce may not be irradiated. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateN&navID=NOSBlinkNOSBCommittees&rightNav1=NOSBlinkNOSBCommittees&topNav=&leftNav=&page=NOPOrganicStandards&resultType=&acct=nopgeninfo It's been a while since I've read much about it, but irradiation does change the molecular structure of the produce, something similar to cooking does, if I recall correctly. I don't believe it's unhealthy, just different. __________________ Harvey - Correia Farms Isleton, CA (Sacramento County) USDA zone 9b, Sunset zone 14 http://www.figaholics.com https://www.facebook.com/Figaholics

susieqz

Registered:1372082549
Posts: 971

Posted 1403027858	Reply with quote #18

wow! my local market finally got some sorta fresh figs in. look kinda like black mission, with some wear n tear. they are selling at seventy-five cents apiece,so once my trees start producing full crops, they'll pay for themselves in no time. now i feel less guilty about all the money i spend growing figs. __________________ susie wish list: nothing. i can't grow cuttings . right now, i have 6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.

cyberfarmer

Registered:1293483474
Posts: 544

Posted 1403029238	Reply with quote #19

The fresh figs I bought this morning are the first I've tasted in many years. The two on top of the basket were almost ripe enough. The bottom layer not so much. Either way, I remember the taste of my mom's fig tree very clearly and it is better than any of these. Glad I can get these at the store. Better than nothing. Looking forward to enjoying my own. __________________ Paul the Fig Tree Destroyer in Fallbrook, CA (Zone 10A )

susieqz

Registered:1372082549
Posts: 971

Posted 1403029593	Reply with quote #20

last year, i got one, one, count them one, fig from my genova paradissio. i let it shrivel a bit on the tree. that was the best tasting fruit i've ever had. the supermarket figs are kk, but not even close to what you can produce yourself. __________________ susie wish list: nothing. i can't grow cuttings . right now, i have 6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.

jimmychao

Registered:1347690066
Posts: 285

Posted 1403090341	Reply with quote #21

Irradiation will break large molecular, such as protein and DNA. It has been used for preseving food (longer shelf life). __________________ Jimmy Northern NJ - zone 6 ebay ID: jillji Wish List: Aubique Petite, Japanese White, Jolly Tiger, Maltese Beauty, Norland, San Giovanni...

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