North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Evelyn" <e.mellott@xplornet.ca>]

Sarah.
I haven't grafted Swt. Rowan onto Apple but I did graft a piece onto 
cottonaster last summer and it over wintered and is leafing out quite nicely. 
 I  am going to graft a bud onto a smaller cottonaster and then plant it a 
little deep to encourage the mtn ash to root. 
Evelyn
>From docshiva@docshiva.org  Sat May 21 20:53:21 2011
Return-Path: <docshiva@docshiva.org>
X-Original-To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Delivered-To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Received: by lists.ibiblio.org (Postfix, from userid 20217)
        id 04037E8CA0; Sat, 21 May 2011 20:53:21 -0400 (EDT)
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.5 (2008-06-10) on 
mailman1.ibiblio.org
X-Spam-Level:
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.6 required=5.0 testsºYES_00 autolearn=ham
        version=3.2.5
Received: from qmta04.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net
        (qmta04.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net [76.96.30.40])
        by lists.ibiblio.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 214ACE8C6E
        for <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>; Sat, 21 May 2011 20:53:19 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from omta16.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.30.72])
        by qmta04.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast
        id mQlq1g0031ZMdJ4A4QtKqH; Sun, 22 May 2011 00:53:19 +0000
Received: from DocshivaPC ([76.114.12.82])
        by omta16.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast
        id mQtJ1g0011mCuGk8cQtJsC; Sun, 22 May 2011 00:53:18 +0000
From: "Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>
To: "'North American Fruit Explorers'" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
References: <20110520203832.18ADDE93E6@lists.ibiblio.org>       
<SNT140-ds142BBFAB9F45F7B99F186CA7710@phx.gbl>
        <FD49F738-46E0-4EEE-A442-5738AE06265C@frontiernet.net>
In-Reply-To: <FD49F738-46E0-4EEE-A442-5738AE06265C@frontiernet.net>
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 17:53:18 -0700
Message-ID: <004301cc181a$a446a010$ecd3e030$@org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
        charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 12.0
Content-language: en-us
Thread-Index: AcwXNaZw1xwNJrnMRlGVQurPVyHoYwA4beYA
Subject: [NAFEX] farmers' market manners
X-BeenThere: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.9
Precedence: list
Reply-To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Id: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex.lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex>,
        <mailto:nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/nafex>
List-Post: <mailto:nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Help: <mailto:sympa@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=HELP>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex>,
        <mailto:nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 00:53:21 -0000


At our local farmers' markets, people can taste samples of nearly anything -
I've never seen a request turned down. It can be very helpful, especially
this time of year with small fruit, which were not good at all last year.
Worst year I can remember for them. This has made me nearly desperate for
the extraordinarily good strawberries and cherries I hope to find again
soon.
However, when I don't like something, or might want to sample from a few
stands and come back, it can feel awkward. Some people will look expectantly
as I sample - the expectantly being an expectation of a compliment and
purchase. Others allow tasting privacy, turning to other customers. Still
others want feedback, positive or negative, and are most happy with an
honest response. Last Sunday I did little tasting, but an inversely
proportional amount of regretting. Some rich-smelling strawberries reneged
on their promise, less-than-sweet and pale on the palate.
I'm not looking for free eats, nor to offer anything inconsiderate. If it
hurt no feelings, I would taste at every strawberry stall then go back to
the one with the best. When I haven't liked something, the worst response I
get is a look of resentment. The best I get is, "Oh, no, these aren't the
best yet. My midseasons are amazing - come back in a month and I'll give you
some to try."
Perhaps I'm at times oversensitive, and at such times more acutely perceive
sensitivity in others. I think that the farmers/sellers probably know when
there produce is great and when it's not; but some days I want to leave no
feather ruffled.
What are the manners and sensitivities one might consider? How do you
shoppers and sellers of produce feel about tasting and walking away? I do
give an honest critique when asked, but the ones who ask seem to already
know the answer. This is not, of course, a problem with the farmers/sellers
I know; but I shop several markets, and some sellers come and go.

~ Stephen

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Road's End Farm
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2011 2:34 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] strawberries


On May 20, 2011, at 5:17 PM, Bob Hartman wrote:

> Sticking your nose on or near fruit doesn't sound good to me.  At
> fruit
> shows some people want to pick up the fruit to smell it.  We have to
> put out
> signs for people not to pick up the fruit because we are going to have
> people tasting the fruit and having someone's nose next to a fruit
> is not
> appetizing.
>
> Bob

When I do this in groceries, I'm not sticking my nose on the fruit.
And I'm not blowing on it, or exhaling towards it. I'm inhaling in its
general vicinity. I suspect Ginda, who's the one who originally posted
about choosing strawberries by scent, does the same thing.

If I could only smell it with my nose touching it, I wouldn't expect
it to taste like much (for strawberries, or tomatoes, or other
aromatic produce).

If there are samples actually out to taste, I don't need to smell it.
But in any case, I never assume that fruit on the shelf in a grocery,
or on a market stand, is untouched. Even if people only touched it
with their hands, they may have touched their noses with their hands
since they were last next to soap and water.

If I put out samples to taste, I wash them first.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale