I was stunned when I was grocery shopping, the price of a head of lettuce is terrible. 3.00 a head. Needless to say, I will not be buying any, even romaine was high, They say because of poor crops in arizona, and calif. I can"t use spinach because hubby is on coumadin, How are you all up in New York area, I see where your lakes are way down, and on news, the apple farmers are real scared. the drought goes all the way down the east coast.

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), March 14, 2002

Answers

The price of lettuce in central Wisconsin is $1.99 a head and it looks awful. Of course, people aren't buying it so it gets all wilted. It's very dry here too since we haven't had much snow all winter. I'm not putting in a big garden. Much as I love to work in the garden, it is so dry! And, being that the garden is behind the barn, it's difficult to water it. So, this year, I think that I'll just put in enough tomatoes and such for eating and forget the canning.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002.

Down to only 99 cents a pound here right now. Was up around 1.69 or so. Price of a head varies a lot with weight. Right now the quality isn't too bad, but sometimes, even at the very high prices, it is nasty, yellow, bitter smelling stuff. Or that wilted, slimy stuff that I wouldn't give to my pig. Not edible at any price, IMO. At this rate, dh may build me my greenhouse yet!

-- Lenette in OR (kigervixen@webtv.net), March 14, 2002.

Gee! And I thought I had it bad here in Mass. paying $1.59 for a head. When I got it home it was really shabby so I took it back. At least the store allowed me to exchange it for another one. At these prices, I'll have to make it last.

Wishing you enough.

-- Trevilians (Trevilians@attbi.net), March 14, 2002.

$1.89 and with brown slimy streaks inside! I'm using cabbage until we get some lettuce or spinach of our own to use. Meanwhile, sandwiches are strange.

-- Rosalie (Dee) in IN (someone@heavenbound.com), March 14, 2002.

lEAF LETTUCE IS USUALLY about 1.29 to 1.99 a pound. I can get icebufg for about 99 cents, but to tell the truth I just don't like it! I had fresh lettuce in my bed until December and I am going to plant some of those 10 cent packs this weekend. For $1 worth of seeds, I can get a LOT of lettuce!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), March 14, 2002.

With the drought situation looking bad we are putting in extra gardening this year. By using heavy mulch we get by with very little water and still get a decent crop. Me and the wife hauled in 192 bales of wheat straw last week and have started putting it around all the beds. To day we stripped the leaves off a load of canes to stake the beans and other stuff that climbs. We got the onions in today and planted lettice and spinich. The english peas are up and growing got a good stand. If we have a bad dry summer we can pump water from the pond but from the mulch hopefully we will get by.

-- David in North Al. (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), March 14, 2002.

Nearly $3.00 here today in Northwest Kansas.

-- Barb Fischer (bfischer42@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002.

1.29-.59 here. Have no idea on the quality as it's something I rarely buy. We eat a whole lot of different vegtables but lettuce just isn't one of them. Cabbage .08-12cents a lb. Cucumbers 12cents each. Tangerines 6lbs for 98cents. Green seedless grapes 67cents/lb.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002.

Wow - I guess when I go out to the supershopper place tomorrow I better check out the produce prices!

We grow our greens through the winter, so don't have to purchase any, and I didn't realize how expensive they were in some places.

More praise to the Father for providing for us in our situation!

-- Michaela (flhomestead@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002.

Vicki says it's 98 cents (converting from reais to dollar), but she claims it's a third to a half the size of your lettuce there. (I had to ask her; we have a deal: I don't grocery shop, and I don't ask her how much she spends. Though I did break the rule while she and Leila were in the USA for two weeks.)

-- Randal at home in Brazil (randal@onebox.com), March 15, 2002.

Wow! Cabbage here is on sale for .19 a pound this week, usually it's around .39. I bought one cucumber yesterday for .69. Normally more like .89 (each). Grapes I don't buy unless I can get them on sale for something like .99 a pound.

Usually I won't buy lettuce much in the winter unless it's at a decent price and decent quality. Since starting this diet though, I've been eating more salads and putting lettuce on sandwiches to add more "filling". Lately I've been buying those bags of prepackaged salad even though I don't like them as well, because the price is usually much better and there's no waste.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), March 15, 2002.

Huh!! I'll Have to start some extra lettuce inside. Spring is so short here (about 3 weeks) I wasn't going to try for any in the farmers market sales, maybe I should risk a little. It usually goes bitter quickly, just as soon as it gets hot, but if prices are still high it may move quickly enough to sell a reasonable amount before it goes bitter.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 15, 2002.

Wondering where Dave lives that produce is so cheap?? I haven't bought lettuce lately so I don't know about that. I had a craving for cauliflower a few weeks ago but Aldi didn't have any for weeks. Finally I broke down and bought some at another store - at 1.98 a pound!!! $3.98 for a small head of cauliflower! I must be nuts!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), March 15, 2002.

Hubby & I decided to start our bean & seed sprouts again----we haven't done it for a while----so I'll start sprouting---greens until our own lettus & spinach seed in pots takes off-- & until it is warm enough to plant outside.

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), March 15, 2002.

Sorry I forgot to mention that above- southern california

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), March 15, 2002.

Here in Alberta head lettuce is going for $3.99 a head, and leaf lettuce for $4.99.

We're going salad-less right now.

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), March 15, 2002.

Todat at our store a head of lettuce was $1.59,actually all the prodce looked good and was reasonable in price.willa in IL.

-- willa in IL. (goodall6@hotmail.com), March 15, 2002.

I went to WM today and got some nice leaf lettuce for $1.47. Hope ours doesn't get that high, I won't buy it. I usually overwinter lettuce, by growing it late in the season and then covering it with the big bubble wrap (old pool cover, cut up). Keeps it nice all winter and I just cut it as I need it. Didn't do that this year and have really missed it. Will correct that next year!

-- connie in nm (karrelandconnie@msn.com), March 15, 2002.