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Oso
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OK, Dios de Los Pedos, if you say so. I guess we can say this pertains to specialized knives for specialized purposes. I wanted to be sure I could
get this picture in before I start in on agroeconomics. This is looking WSW from my house. The tree line on the horizon in the upper right hand is
what's left of the Colorado River. Beyond that is Baja, a little below Algodones. To the left about a mile south is Sonora. The people working in
the picture are indeed making at least $9/hr. Those with experience, a desire to hustle and the physical stamina for the equivalent of touching your
toes hundreds of times a day can do even better.
The closest fields in the foreground have already been harvested. As you can see, more than half the lettuce is still there and will be plowed under.
This is because it isn't marketable. The consumer wants nice round firm heads of Iceberg and will not buy any that are too small, too open or in any
way misshapen. Mechanical lettuce harvesters have been invented. But, like cotton or wheat combines, they pick it all. That would mean selection
and quality control would have to be done somewhere else down the line because if the consumer won't buy it, the grocer doesn't want it taking up
space. So far, growers here have found it most efficient to do QC in the field and not waste space on the truck or in the cooler (warehouse). That's
why you see "Field Packed" on the boxes at the supermarket.
Field work may not require much formal education, but it does take a certain amount of training and skill. One has to learn which head of lettuce to
cut and which to leave behind. That's why lettuce is "labor intensive". Now, it's true that you can cut people off of welfare. In fact that's being
done and has been the trend for several years now. But that doesn't mean you can force them to work in the fields as has been suggested for
prisoners. Paying more is also unlikely to attract the kind of people found on welfare. Not as long as there are easier alternatives in
prostitution, drugs and time-share condo sales. Also, this isn't the same as cutting weeds along the highway with shotgun-toting guards watching.
Even if either form of "forced" labor were available at little or no cost, ask any grower if he would want it. At zero cost it would be too expensive
in terms of liability and inferior product.
There are hundreds of people within a few miles of this picture ready, willing and able to do this work, who would be happy with even current U.S.
minimum wage. The problem is both demagogic politicians and an outdated, inefficient port of entry system and except for the equally inefficient H2A
program, a non-existent guest worker program.
OK, who's next on the soapbox?
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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Oso
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Big Al
Looks to me like the 24 hour market might be giving lettuce away for free, self serve of course. |
In fact, growers don't mind people gleaning once the fields have been picked over as what's left will just be plowed under. Stealing produce from
fields that haven't yet been harvested is a prosecutable offense, however.
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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Big Al
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Oso, I am not sure what I said to get you going. I was just commenting on how easy it would be to get a five fingered discount from those fields.
I thought this was going to be moved off topic
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Oso
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Al, sorry if that last response seemed testy to you, it wasn't meant to be. With that much sensitivity, you definitely don't want to take this to
off-topic. Have you seen the vile insults and even absurd physical threats going on there lately? Sounds like a 5th grade playground. I decided to
continue after getting the green light from Summanus, who started this thread.
You are quite correct, the 5-fingered discount is easy enough. Nobody posts guards in the fields, although passing Border Patrol might want to know
what you're doing out there at night. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to be much of a problem here in spite of the fact that lettuce costs just as much
in the supermarkets here as anywhere. Maybe it's the fact that locals know they can get all the free lettuce they want in broad daylight with no
problem if they'll wait for the crews to go through and settle for less than "perfect heads". The imperfect stuff works just as well for salads and
sandwiches. It just doesn't sell.
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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Big Al
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Correctamundo
In traveling to Mexico, where fruit is not always perfect in apperance but usually has a lot more flavor than we are used to, it seems like a waste.
You would think that these bagged salad companies could use the less than perfect heads.
If that much goes to waste, than I guess we found the reason why a head of lettuce costs so much.
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Oso
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Big Al
You would think that these bagged salad companies could use the less than perfect heads.
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Good point. I don't know why they don't either. I could be wrong but apparently they unpack the boxes that are packed in the field and use the
perfect heads. Me, I don't like that prepackaged salad. With all the e. coli scares lately, I want to wash and cut my own. All the farm labor buses
now tow trailers with porta-potties and hand washing stations. But, sometimes they can be a long walk away...
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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Big Al
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I don't like them either they are very dried out but they sell like crazy.
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DENNIS
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I havn't followed this thread, just tuned in and was caught by Als last post. It brought back memories of Campo Siete, near Mazatlan, forty years
ago. A huge hoar-house district.
Does anybody remember the area?
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Big Al
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Are there any fresh ones still around?
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DENNIS
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Maybe on main street, El Cajon
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Oso
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OK, now I'm really off the subject. This was triggered by lettuce or knife sharpening or...?
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Oso
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The South Park kids are in the 5th grade...
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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FARASHA
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NOW - checked this thread again, to see what is it, that can be so interesting
about KNIVES. Let me see: beside knives, I know now about SALAD and prices -plus harvesting it; then about Cajon's hoarhouse, and the OT namecallings
of 5th graders. I love this Forum - you never know what to expect when opening a thread!! 
OKAY Question: - can the knife you use for filleting fish, also be used for filleting MEAT? Seriously - never could figure it if there IS adifference
or not.I just use in my kitchen whatever knife I get hold of, and seems sharp enough.
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Summanus
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FARASHA (..geez...using all CAPS, I feel like I am shouting..)
No, a fillet knife makes a poor choice for cutting meat in the round. Not all knives are created equal. WHEN WILL WOMEN GET THIS THROUGH THEIR
HEADS!!...arrghh...sigh.
What are you using that knife for? It is important to select an appropriate knife for the task to be performed.
This will be for MEATS.
Without betting into a very lengthy discussion here, a skinning knife, boning knife, and steak knife will fulfill most needs.
Generally, a skinning knife is used for sticking and skinning farm animals.
The boning knife, which can be used for sticking, is most frequently used for muscle boning, trimming meats, slicing small cuts, and cutting a
chicken carcass. Sometimes this knife is used for trimming vegetables and slicing cooked meat if appropriate knives for these tasks are unavailable.
The steak knife is most frequently incorporated in the slicing of larger meat cuts and may be used for the separation of a carcass into smaller cuts,
carving, and even slicing other foodstuffs, if the appropriate knives are unavailable.
Well, I hope that help your choice, Farasha?...(..and see how much softer your cute handle is without the caps?)
happy slicing and dicing....
Summanus....ancient Roman Nightly Thunder God. He liked refrieds too.
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FARASHA
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Summanus
WHEN WILL WOMEN GET THIS THROUGH THEIR HEADS!!...arrghh...sigh.
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Thanks GOD OF NIGHTLY THIUNDER for the lecture.
It's appreciated, farasha
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Summanus
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ssshhhhhh....it's the middle of the night...
Are you up sharpening your knife?
Summanus....ancient Roman Nightly Thunder God. He liked refrieds too.
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FARASHA
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watch out <f>
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FARASHA
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BTW - talking of sharpening - my Dad used a tool that looked like a long DAGGER, but blade was round - seen Butcher using it too (whats that name in
english?).
Anyone experience with it??Would like to use it - since Dad can't anymore.
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-79128232623743...
edited for adding link
[Edited on 5-1-2007 by FARASHA]
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Summanus
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Farasha...
Your Dad's tool was most likely a very popular 'rod sharpener.' Great for putting an already angled edge back on a blade in a hurry. This is used by
a lot of butchers and chefs. Hang onto it, it will be of use...and it IS a keepsake, after all.
Did it look like this one?
Summanus....ancient Roman Nightly Thunder God. He liked refrieds too.
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FARASHA
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YES - that is also what I found and attached in the link. Actually it is from my fathers dad - so it is a special keepsake.Must be 50 plus years old.
But I wonder if it is still useable??
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