great stuff[we are unique]...re the vegie garden
point of caution..watch out..for possums
[most need to put up mesh..to keep the greedy bug-gars out]

with gardens its feast or famine
[we either have too much...[so we trade to with the green grocer]
or too little...and the chooks get the last peck at the roots

chook's is the best think...[but watch out for carpet-snakes...so small mesh is recomended]...i loved my chickens....8 hens..6 eggs everyday

let em out when the kids come home...and lock up the roost at night
[or feed them the dinner peelings and leftovers]

you got the best..chook-do-do...[old stuff]
but not to be ignored is liquefying it...especially for the greens

also ...there is rotation...cycles...[and moon plantings]
i like to rotate peas/beans in between crops...and especially the ols ckoko-vine growing on the chook-run..[pumpkins behind it]..and potatoes in mulch..[in old tyres stacked on top of each other]

thanks for bring out good memories...perma culture...thats great too
and ducks...in a pond with water chestnuts...then the rabbits/goat..yes they were the good times

*but I draw the line at being sold a water logged, chemical cocktail as food for 3 times the price of the real thing!*

Well then don't buy it, RawMustard! OTOH I can show you the overwhelming bulk of goods, that are extremely good value, if you are any way objective in terms of production costs etc. There are far
bigger rip offs in the world then food, which is highly competitive.

Just stop and look at what people put in their trolleys, you'll find
it commonly has a direct relationship to their butts :)

Its not basic ingredients that are expensive. Its all those snack
foods and junk foods, which when you work it out per kg, are
very expensive and usually full of sugar, salt and lard, all in pretty packages. Some people, often those least able to afford them,
live on that stuff.

So all I ask is that supermarkets give me the choice, which coles and
woolies do.

*And it surprises me being a farmer that you would defend these scoundrels, they are far from friendly to your type?*

Why should I lose my objectivity to judge things? As it happens,
Coles and Woolies buy some of the best livestock in the business
and pay some of the highest prices. There are far bigger sharks
in the meat industry then them.

I can also list you a whole lot of industries, that if they were
as competitive as the food sector, we'd all be better off.

Just look at what doctors, lawyers, accountants, mechanics,
electricians, Govt depts and others charge, for services rendered.

Meantime I can go to the supermarket and buy a week's worth of
food, for 50 bucks. That is great value IMHO.

""" Well then don't buy it, RawMustard! """

That's what I said and DO! :)

""" Its not basic ingredients that are expensive. """

Well why does their sliced bread which comes off the same conveyor line cost 2 1/2 times that of other stores?
Not joking Yabby, I've seen them change the bag machine at the bakery from one wrapper to the other and filling it with the same bread!

Anyway, as I said. There are plenty of ways to greatly reduce ones weekly grocery bill and not shopping at the two majors is a huge one :)

*Not joking Yabby, I've seen them change the bag machine at the bakery from one wrapper to the other and filling it with the same bread!*

Exactly RawMustard. That is why supermarkets produce things called
home brands. No need to pay Kellogs a fortune for their name etc.
But Coles bread, its cheap as chips, buy a fancy name, you pay more.
The list goes on. Its not the same for all home brand goods, but
with many. I prefer to have that choice with all items, not have
Aldi tell me what I should be using or what not.

Fact is that Coles turnover is up, more people shopping there, for
good reasons. The place was taken over, management largely fired,
new management starting fussing over the customer, supply lines etc.
I think they are doing a great job. I'd much rather see Coles
stay in Australian hands, then get taken over by the Americans,
which nearly happened.

In our district, all those women working at Coles supply jobs for
what are largely unskilled workers, so they matter in the community.
If they sacked most of them and put in self scan checkouts, you
guys would complain about those evil supermarkets, even if then
your groceries were much cheaper.

Take a look at the vegie section and watch people pick through
them, leaving anything with the slightest blemish. Huge amounts
of fresh produce are dumped. Somebody has to pay for that.

Once again, I don't think that a 3c in the dollar net margin is
ripping people off. But operating a supermarket chain is a complex
business, full of rules and regulations. Its so easy to knock
the two big chains, a bit harder to be objective and realistic.

So I try to bring a balance. You, uninformed knocker versus my
wisdom :)

.

Yabby,
We all shop where we shop for the reasons we do, if you get a deal with the big two good luck. My experience is that most shop there due to laziness and then complain. There are always alternatives.

Shadow Minister,
If what you say is true then we are simply being gouged. There is not a chance in hell that price rises in energy prices will be discounted by the 1/3 you speak of if a carbon tax/ ets is introduced. Funny, i would bet it would be one of the liberals first moves should they gain government. Similar to the never ever GST. Also not being smart but can you supply links to this info, i would like to ram it down my local members throat.

Nairbe,

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-electricity-bills-to-soar-20100318-qgjw.html

I can't find specific reference to the portion due to the CPRS, but I heard the discussion with Energy Australia back in March.