OT - Ugh, this is really awful:

Is this tomato too ugly to sell? Here’s an in-depth look at USDA & supermarket standards http://t.co/pnTnPsIbQe pic.twitter.com/uh4em2euIw

— Bon Appetit Magazine (@bonappetit) July 29, 2014

Are the Beauty Standards for Fruits & Vegetables Unfair?

According to a report from the USDA earlier this year, Americans let 25 billion pounds of produce go to waste in 2010. So, why are supermarkets rejecting all this ugly-but-delicious produce?

Appearances Matter
“The only thing a customer can know about a piece of produce bought from a supermarket is what they can see,” explains Leonard Pallara, a farming consultant with Organic Sage Consulting who used to grow vegetables at Upper Meadows Farm in New Jersey. “If they’re really being thoughtful, they may smell it—but most supermarket produce has been refrigerated, which kills the aroma. So the single greatest determinant factor that a person has for picking a piece is appearance.” […]

http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/fruit-vegetable-beauty-standards

Effing #FirstWorldProblems

Then again, there’s this:

Beautiful heirloom tomatoes being sold @USDA Farmers Market. A favorite among gardeners the 1lb+ pink brandywine: pic.twitter.com/fAW0rCGpnW

— USDA People’s Garden (@PeoplesGarden) August 22, 2014

I wish there was a farmer’s market near my place. :-(