"Steve Pope" wrote
> cshenk wrote:

>>The most obvious rise to me was Beef (probably due to corn = ethanol).
>>The
>>most obvious difference was addition of huge swatches of organic veggies
>>and
>>fruits which take up lots of space so have reduced the overall variety
>>offered.

> The total absence of local salmon is the major shock. I guess that's
> two years running but it's still a shock to the system.

Being well away from the 'local salmon runs' I'd not notice such. I'm one
happy to use farm raised fish and if it cooks a little different, I've
learned o cook around that. Checking stock, we have the last 15lbs of Don's
catch from his fishing trip last year (deep sea pacific trip).

> The grass-fed meat availability seems to have steadied and
> stabilized... now there are most meat products I would want available
> more of the time.

So I have heard! I see that local here too.

> Dungeness crab is more available than in past years, when
> it has run out earlier than this. It's still around (although
> I think it was a little better earlier in the season).

Here it's the atlantic blue crab. Still lots of them. Not much meat on
them so not really much commecial interest but they are excellent live and
fresh.

> I do not see much change in fruit and vegetable availability
> (or really, cost) relative to the past several years.

I do but this probably has a good bit to do with differences in how you and
I eat. A normal meal here will have 2-3 fresh veggies and usually some
fresh fruit. Meat is more a garnish (medical reasons mostly).