Farm Focus: “Perfect” Fruit

photo (2)

 

When I was all done packing the CSA boxes with tomatoes, I found myself with some extras.  My co-worker’s daughter was visiting, and I asked her if she wanted to pick out a few tomatoes to take home.  She was delighted, and I watched as she carefully put some tomatoes in a bag.  I was intrigued by her choices.  She skipped the round, red, tomatoes and selected the fruits that were most colorful and odd-shaped.  I asked her, “why did you chose that one?” she responded gleefully, “because it is so funny looking!”  It suddenly occurred to me that she was not yet jaded by our societal norms of perfect, classically colored, blemish free food.

Even our customers that actively seek out local, organic produce, still want “perfect” fruit.  I was working at the farmers market last week and a customer asked me to pick her out a nectarine.  I obliged and chose her one with a visible sun burn, taking the shape of a scar down one side of the fruit.  I did this because while this nectarine was not as beautiful as the rest, the sunburned fruit is always the sweetest.  The customer crinkled her nose and said “No, I don’t want that one.”   I explained my theory of sun burns and sweetness, but regardless she chose a different nectarine, one that was more visually appealing.

I am happy that local, organic food choices are becoming more common.  But I am saddened that the customer base still has such high cosmetic standards.  The demand for visually perfect food, coupled with agricultures growing reliance on mechanization, leaves unique and often more delicious fruit and vegetables in the dust.

Posted in Blog

Recent Posts

  • Recipe: Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

    Pork Chops with Apples and Onions
    via Martha Stewart

     
    Ingredients:
    6 bone-in pork chops (loin or shoulder), cut 3/4 inch thick
    Coarse salt and fres…

  • Farm Focus: The Buzz with Bees

    Spring is synonymous with blooming flowers and where there are blooming flowers there are bees! And while most people think  of European honey bees, we  w…

  • Fruit & News of the Week: April 9, 2018

    This Week’s Fruit:
    Minneloa Tangelos
    Twin Girls Farm, Dinuba, CA
    The Tangelo is a cross between a mandarin and grapefruit. Its skin is easy to peel and its f…

  • Recipe: DIY Orange Soda

    Via Food52

    Ingredients:

    4 oranges
    1 lime
    1 cup granulated sugar
    Lemon lime seltzer water

    Method:

    Zest the oranges and the lime and add all o…

  • Farm Focus: Jim Churchill of Churchill-Brenneis Orchard

    Jim of Churchill-Brenneis Orchard, never imagined himself becoming a farmer, though he grew up walking through friends orchards on weekend trips from LA. His pa…