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.