Food & boom-boom

As you’ve probably noticed, food prices have gone up, up, and away, due to sky-rising fuel costs, the biofuels boondoogle, and the legal mafia that is the commodities market. Actually, I haven’t noticed all that much. I get an extremely good price for my food, for I subsidize it with my labor; that’s the nature of a food cooperative, at least a member-worker one like the Park Slope Food Coop. The prices there have gone up, of course, but it’s still one of the best deals in the city. The work requirement, 2.75 hours every four weeks, is much bemoaned, but considering the benefits, it’s rather insignificant when you don’t have a television. Meanwhile, I just got a note from my CSA saying they were adding a $30 dollar surcharge to this year’s share for fuel costs. That boosts the price to $450 for the 28 weekly deliveries of fresh vegetables, starting at the beginning of June and running through early December. Just under $17 a week. Our farm, Green Thumb, is at the tail end of fish-shaped Paumanok (Long Eylent to you Dutch), an almost 200 mile round trip. Seems fair to me.

At this fishy-eyed end of Paumanok, I went to see the fireworks last night for the BB’s 125th Anniversary. There were two barges on either side of the old bridge, synchronized. Rather orgasmic, right down to the plaintive cries of “Is that all?” heard from late-comers. The colored lights on the bridge’s arches were silly, though. Gothic Archies might look good in pink, but neo-Gothic arches look best in stark white.

A magnolia warbler was twittering in a linden/basswood/lime tree in Cobble Hill Park this morning. The roses on the fence at the NE corner of Congress and Henry are popping. I think I’m going to miss their glory next week, while I’m out of town.