This Sunday, my roommate and I decided to go pumpkin picking. I was in favor of finding a small, organic farm for our outing we opted to join the Lafayette Hillel group to go to Grim’s Orchard & Family Farms. As we pulled up to the farm, I realized this was like no other apple and pumpkin farm I had been to as a child. This was massive, crowded, and much more commercial. Though the farms in New Jersey (such as Alstede Farms in Chester) were quainter, they certainly drew a large crowd on autumn weekends. The large-scale of Grim’s was overwhelming. The shop for kettle corn, ice cream, and cider donuts was long and there was a large barn-like structure where jams, butter spreads, cider donuts, and fall decorations were sold.

rows of cars in the parking lot

how to harvest your apples!

wagons for your bounty

I find it interesting that autumn is the time when people (particularly in the Northeast) are most connected to harvest – autumn conjures images of corn, pumpkins, and apples – mainly taking the form of mazes, jack-o-lanterns, and lattes, donuts, pies or cider, respectively. How did it come to be that the the apple and the pumpkin became the iconic harvest of fall? We use a great deal of land for the production of these goods, yet we do not celebrate nutritious, organically grown produce to the same extent.

Take a look at the difference in the Grim’s website versus the Alstede website. Alstede also advertises organic diary products,  a commitment to “quality of life,” and a variety of vegetables in the today’s harvest section, while grim’s is dedicated to it’s maze, fall festivities and pumpkins. What if celebrating good, nutritious, diverse foods became the norm? How can Americans become more perceptive to seasonal foods instead of the commercial concept of seasons?

http://grimsgreenhouse.com/

http://alstedefarms.com/