Re: Where does food come from?
Steve Hall (sgh1@cornell.edu)
Thu, 7 Sep 1995 15:11:51 +0800
My anecdote is from planting tomatoes in my front yard in the small city
where I live. Few people have gardens in the city, and even fewer put them
near the road. Mine is surrounded by concrete and asphalt on all sides.
Some folks have wandered by saying "What are those things?", since they are
obviously not grass. When red, comments like"are those tomatoes?!" or "Do
tomatoes grow like that?!" are fairly common. Lots of folks go by and
complement the "nice tomatoes" that offer a "different view" or a "nice
change" from other front yards with manicured grass. These people know
perfectly well that these are tomatoes. I also grow sunflowers, mint,
various other herbs and flowers in front and side yards, with similar
responses. Things like mint are almost never recognized at all. People
simply are not looking or do not know what mint is like when growing.
I hope you have some nice stories. I would note that, at least
here, most folks do know or recognize the tomatoes, and it seems to be only
a few who do not know.
Steve Hall
Ithaca NY