My wife and I try to buy from the local greengrocer types in their tents by the side of the road. It's almost all local (or at least in-state) produce, usually produced by small, family farmers. Some is organic, some is not.

I'm not sure if developing a hierarchy of respectability based upon occupation is necessary. It doesn't matter nearly as much what we could do without in a different society, because we don't live in a different society, we live in this one. In this society, if the power grid shut down over the winter (in cold areas) or the summer (in hot areas), many, many people (particularly the elderly) would die. Many thousands of homeless people *DO* die in (for example) Chicago every winter for lack of a warm place to sleep (this I know from when my ex (we were still married then) worked at a soup kitchen in Chicago).

Many different people contribute to our survival, or to the overall good of society (teachers?) and all are (IMHO) deserving of our respect and of a living wage/salary.

But what do I know?

cheeseless in Seattle,
Alex
O..O
=o=