. . here in California too, and even from New Zealand. It's very seasonal. For instance we've been seeing Mexican asparagus for a few weeks, then it'll be California asparagus for a while, then the Washington crop. A couple months after that we'll be seeing it from Chili again.

I think part of this is consumer demand for better tasting produce and increasing energy costs making out-of-season growing less attractive. With high speed transportation, better packaging methods and eased trade restrictions it's just cheaper and better to get it from where it's in season.

Also easing this situation is the effort being made in Latin America, Vietnam and elsewhere to bring production, processing methods and facilities into compliance with U.S. regulations.

Meanwhile, I haven't heard that California agriculture is hurting any, though there is a steady drift to higher dollar/acre crops.