March 16, 2009

Fruit picking; jobs of last resort



As the mega bubble of virtual wealth blows itself out, we are left with the fruits of the real economy: the local food system is central to that.

"Picking strawberries is the last resort, but it's all there is," Mr. Gómez said, stretching his back on a recent morning as he stood between rows of plants covered by polyethylene tunnels. "The fat cows have gone, and now the lean cows are here."

As jobs disappear across Andalusia, workers like Mr. Gómez are returning to the fields they abandoned for construction sites, hotels and shops during Spain's decade-long economic boom."

Read International Herald story: Fruit Picking;Job of last resort.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A sad commentary easily translated to our own state of affairs here in North America. We might not end up in the strawberry fields but a lot of us will have to readjust our expectations. And all we're hearing, really, is a lot of complaining, blaming and stimulus talk but we're still short on results.