Sustainable Tarpon Springs - The Uglies

You might wonder what the Uglies could possibly be!  It’s the term a friend of ours fondly uses to refer to the ‘less-than-picture-perfect’ produce from his garden.  They taste just as good but are not quite as attractive as the ‘prime’ produce he takes to market.  

Most of our sweet potatoes fit into the ugly category this year, but we expected that because of how coarse our new mulch was, and how new we were to growing sweet potatoes.  Truly, the ‘uglies’ don’t taste any different at all.  Seeking out ‘picture perfect’ produce may satisfy an OCD psychological need we have, but it has nothing to do with food vitality.  The expectation for perfection does have a profound ‘trickle down effect at a number of different levels however.

When Jimmy’s father retired from his medical practice in San Diego and sold the family home and avocado grove, he bought an apple orchard in Washington’s Okanagan Valley.  He’d always enjoyed growing and harvesting avocados, and probably thought orchard farming would be the same.  Had he known how challenging the environment would become, we know he would have chosen a different course for retirement!

In Washington, growing fruit was subject to temperamental weather, freezing, hail, wind, and other calamities that quickly took a crop of prime Delicious eating apples and turned them into ‘process-only’ apples.  Beyond the heartbreak of working all year on a healthy crop only to lose the majority of the profits - unpredictable factors could mean a complete loss of farm, home, and livelihood.  Each year, farmers borrow against the next crop.  If a crop doesn’t pan out well, the loss can be devastating.  It is no wonder how these small independent farms get gobbled up by the huge corporate entities.

When consumers expect and demand visual perfection in organic fruit, just how realistic is it?  I worked at a health store many years ago, and in spite of being vigilant to keep all tiny critters out of the bulk grains, occasionally we’d see a moth flying around in the bins.  We had signs near the bulk grains stating: ‘If bugs can’t grow on it, neither will you.’ Our expectations of a bug-free world of picture-perfect fruits and vegetables often implies artificial means.

Given the choice between organically grown or picture-perfect, I will take the uglies!  Of course, most organic growers employ many natural methods for meeting both requirements, but I’d rather not be concerned about how perfect the external appearances are if it means the farmer is at risk of becoming extinct over the demand for perfection.

The same can be applied to retailers who receive products wrapped in multiple layers of plastic or styrofoam, all with the goal of maintaining the absolute visual perfection of the new toy.  Every level from manufacturer to retail outlet is keen to avoid any cosmetic reductions, even if it means scads of un-recycleable plastic wrap going into the landfill for a bicycle that is certain to get scratched up anyway, maybe even on the trip home from the store!

After working for years for a company trying to reduce its waste, this was the number one challenge - the expectation of perfection balanced against the loss of margin over a slight cosmetic imperfection.  To a farmer, it’s much more serious than a loss of margin.  Imperfections could mean defaulting on one’s farm loan.  So it is no wonder how a majority of farmers get convinced to use all the latest GMO biotechnology with the false hope of more stable crops in the future.

This just illustrates our power as consumers.  What are our expectations and how do our expectations impact the environment and the whole food chain, all the way back to the farmer.  After this season of growing plenty of ‘uglies’ - I’m glad our livelihoods don’t depend on perfect appearances!  We’re eating them, enjoying every bite!

In the same way true animal lovers have started educating others to adopt the older, injured, and less-likely-to-be-loved dogs or cats, I hope time will change our opinions on the appearance of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Adopt an ugly!  Your farmer will be saved from extinction and it’s a positive choice for sustainability!