Where's MY beef?

[BruceCole]

Kim Severson's article in todays Chronicle:

Niman Ranch kicked out of the Ferry Plaza Market because they make too much money?

Knee-jerk political correctness, as far as I'm concerned...

[jhlurie]

Great lesson for the marketplace ("marketplace" in a larger sense, I mean)...

...punish success.

Bloody brilliant.

[Stone]

I don't necessarily agree with the decision, but there's always going to be trade offs. If the food court were filled with Niman ranch and it's equivalents, trust me, the SF antidisestablishmentarians would be all aflutter about corporate domination.

As I always say, if you can't please everyone, you might was well try to please me.

[jhlurie]

Like I said Stone, for some people its all about punishing success. The antidisestablishmentarians insist you operate at a sustenence level OR ELSE.

Not that little guys don't change when they get big (Ben & Jerry's, anyone?) But if the place is local, and keeps their money locally, you might want to actually support them in a business venture like a local marketplace. Don't give them a space any larger than anyone else... but to punish them? And AFTER they were promised a space, apparently?

And its not like they are a faux-front for the corporatization of "naturalness", like Paul Newman's little empire.

[essvee]

Feh. I shy away from any place that advertises NR beef. I consider it tasteless. Even their hamburger's not good (Burger Joint, for instance). Harris Ranch, on the other hand, is beefy heaven. If'n you don't believe me, go to Berkeley Bowl (if you dare), where they sell Harris Ranch, Niman Ranch, and Western Grasslands. Mebbe Whole Foods does too. Do a taste comparison. You'll see.

NR is a classic example of food snobbery gone wild. Aidell's sausage is another. Not good. It all tastes like kielbasa. They smoke their Italian sausage, fer chrissake! The lone exception is their fresh (important) chicken apple sausage. That stuff is quite good.

Folks out here will believe anything if the right person or persons tell them.

[Rail Paul]

Not that little guys don't change when they get big (Ben & Jerry's, anyone?)  But if the place is local, and keeps their money locally, you might want to actually support them in a business venture like a local marketplace.  Don't give them a space any larger than anyone else... but to punish them?  And AFTER they were promised a space, apparently?

I'd be surprised if the social planners who run the market considered the needs of the thousands of people who actually buy their food at the market. I'd suspect the criteria were weighted more toward a demographically representative selection of gender, preference, ethnic, organic, vegan, small / sustenance vendors, etc than what the customers actually want. "We know what's good for you, and the government will provide it."

Based on the article and the success of Nman Ranch, many people like their product, and will pay a premium for it. Why shouldn't the government make it easy for them to get what they want? It's not like hundreds of organic meat providers are lined up to fill the slot, is it?

BTW, Ben & Jerry's is now a subsidiary of UniLever, maker of food products, cleaning products, and other good things. On the way out, B&J nabbed an endowment for their good works foundation, along with oodles of cash.

[Stone]

NR is a classic example of food snobbery gone wild.  Aidell's sausage is another.  Not good.  It all tastes like kielbasa. They smoke their Italian sausage, fer chrissake!  The lone exception is their fresh (important) chicken apple sausage.  That stuff is quite good.

There was a FoodTV show on SF this weekend that did a spot on the Aidell's sausage guy. They told all about how he decided one day to make great sausage, and how he still makes the best. They also featured Cowgirl Creamery goat cheese. (And one more item that I can't remember.)