Former UC advisor writes indignant piece for local paper

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Is retail grocery giant Vons Supermarket co-opting the local food movement? The retired director and farm advisor for UC Cooperative Extension in Ventura County, Larry Yee, seems to think so. In an opinion piece published in the Ventura County Star over the weekend, Yee expresses displeasure in Vons' loose definition of the term "local."

His curiosity was piqued, Yee writes, when he noticed cherries labeled "locally grown." A Ventura County ag professional for 24 years, Yee said he came up blank trying to think of a cherry orchard within 200 miles, a generally accepted and even liberal definition of "local." He asked the produce manager where the "local" produce was coming from.

"(The produce manager) quickly responded, 'California,' and then added, 'some of it is coming from Texas and other states, so I guess, it would be the USA,'" Yee wrote in his column.

Vons proudly promotes its "locally grown" produce in the store, on TV and on the front page of its Web site, alluding to the company's 50-year commitment to local farming. "In addition to the quality benefits, buying locally grown fruits and vegetables reduces greenhouse emissions by limiting transportation miles, and helps to ensure the vitality of local farms," the Web site crows.

However, Yee for one resents the company's claim on the adjective "local." He concludes his article:

"I am tired of false advertising and deceptive marketing practices by the big corporate world that values profitability above all else. Our global recession should give us all a huge pause to seriously rethink and redesign for a more 'sustainable' economy and future. The true 'local food' movement can help lead the way and that’s not loco."

Larry Yee