I recently went to my local Thrifty Food store fully intending to avoid US products. I was able to buy Kiwi from Greece, bananas from Peru, and a Canadian cabbage instead of US greens. I ignored U.S. oranges until I came to Buck Brand Organic Navel Oranges. Now I was faced with a dilemma. I remembered the event that led to Lisle Babcock, the owner of Buck Brand, and the owner of Thrifty Foods becoming good friends.
About 20 years ago, large fruit growers in California banded together and lowered their prices in order to destroy small-scale farmers. Privately owned Thrifty Foods had been buying Buck Brand for a year when the owner said he needed $4 a box above the set price in order to survive. Instead of $4 the owner of Thrifty's offered an additional $16 a box, and agreed to take the whole crop. The farm has thrived ever since.
The kindness was returned later when due to a drought, oranges were scarce, and Mr. Babcock sent his entire crop to Thrifty Foods.
At the time, I was very touched by the heartwarming story of a Canadian business man, and an American farmer helping each other. What a contrast to the revolting person south of the border who is turning friends against each other, destabilizing the world, accelerating climate change, and causing suffering and possibly death to untold numbers of fellow human beings.
I bought the Buck oranges and under the circumstances, I will continue to do so.
Shelagh Levey
Cordova Bay
