North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@uslink.net>]

   Bob Melvin mentioned the 'Spinach Scare.'  We should all be scared about 
some of the food we eat.

   When I lived in California, besides doing market gardening, I was a 
salesman who called on farmers.  I have seen alot of migrant workers 
harvesting produce in the fields and I have never, ever, seen a portapotty 
in any of those fields.  The 'rule' among many toilet-paperless societies is 
you eat with your right hand and wipe with your left.
   Now, I am sure that a great many of you didn't want to hear that but it 
is a fact of life that is not likely to change any time soon.  Think about 
that the next time you are tempted to not wash that strawberry, or that 
lettuce, or that broccoli.
   I take that back about never, ever, seeing a portapotty in the fields. 
I have seen one exception to the rule:  When a big company such as Del 
Monte, et. al., buys tomatoes for manufacturing ketchup or other tomato 
products, I have seen portapotties, but not always in the same field the 
workers are in, or maybe the potties are at the other end of a field that 
could be up to one-quarter mile away - workers are paid by piece-work so how 
much time are they going to spend finding the potty?  I only observed 
conditions in California and I would doubt conditions are any different in 
other countries.
   Then there's the downside to consider:  Most (all?) of us have E. coli 
in our gut.  How did it get there?

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
www.bberryfarm.com
(218)568-8483 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]