Diversity

This week, Jeff asked me to write the weekly newsletter that we give out with our vegetables. I decided to write about an issue that irks me a bit: how people expect their produce to be perfect without caring too much about taste or health or just how many chemicals it took to make each vegetable look the same. I had to tone it down a bit, since what I really wanted to write is "look people, you are dumb. Every vegetable looks different. Deal with it." But I can't put that in a newsletter. So here is what I did write. I'm rather happy with it.

Is it just me or did that potato give me a funny look?

In the human world, diversity is precious. We believe that though we may look different from each other on the outside, it is the inside that matters. Though we differ in the color of our hair, eyes, and skin, though we all have different abilities and none of us are perfect, we are all to be valued equally, and we all have something unique to offer.

But Mother Earth help you if you are a squash with a wart.

Most people are privileged to see only the prettiest and most uniform vegetables; the squash unblemished, the carrots straight. One of the things I enjoy about working on a farm, however, is seeing all the produce that is a little quirky. I have harvested carrots with two or three legs, (and sometimes other unmentionable appendages,) kohlrabi with big grins on their faces, and zucchini that are vying for the position of bat in the next pickup baseball game.

Sadly, this diversity is not reflected in the supermarket, where all the vegetables have a genetically modified and chemical-induced sameness as they stand at rigid attention in straight lines on the shelves, with no trace of personality or expression on their vegetable faces. Kind of sounds like a George Orwell novel, doesn’t it? Here at Wellspring, we allow our vegetables to fully express their personalities. Instead of worrying about uniformity, we strive to make sure that all the vegetables we give you are the tastiest and healthiest they can be. In fact, an odd exterior often hides the best and fullest flavors, partly, I believe, because they are so interesting.

So this year, I invite you to embrace the diversity of the vegetable world. Let a little of the human charity and understanding of differences extend to the plants that nourish us. Remember that there are no perfect things in this world, only many imperfect things that are delicious.

And yes, that is a Joker kohlrabi I'm holding, and the one beneath it is a Batman kohlrabi. And this one is a frog kohlrabi.