The Race

For ages, there has been an unspoken race that takes place in neighborhoods all across the country. Who will be the first on the block to have fresh warm weather vegetables? Whether it is the first vine-ripened tomato or the first hot pepper, there is something to be said about enjoying the desired fruit before the seed catalog says you can. While some like to attribute this race to the petty competitive nature of suburban housewives, I like to think otherwise.

This race to have the earliest fruit speaks to an integral part of our lives that the land occupies. In the past, diet was not a function of taste and preference, but rather of season and environment. What people ate was directly related to the time of year it was and to the ability of their land to produce. Imagine being so closely tied to the land you tend, that your health is dependent on the outcome of your efforts to make that land productive. What glory.