It's funny, in an absurdist kind of way. But on the other hand, it isn't. You know, apples used to be what NY was known for -- "New York Apples" (promoted by the legislature as the state fruit) were a national symbol of produce quality.
Today, it's Washington Apples. The legislature in NY stopped caring, decided we needed to be a suburban not a rural state, so all the apple farms are gone, and there are no more "New York Apples" labels on produce in the grocery store.
So on the one hand, it seems ridiculous that the state would spend time on this. But on the other, to the farmers of these crops, it's really important that the state spend time on this. Because it symbolizes the state's involvment and commitment to agriculture. When the legislature gets too busy to care what the state crop is, it's pretty rapidly downhill from there.
Yes, yes, I know, I did my p.r. stint. It's the language being used to describe all this that is just too much for my irony meter. The potato farmers felt "slighted"? Bah. And I mean, is there such a thing as a "Walla Walla potato" that is internationally known (in culinary circles, at least)? Bah, again. Legislation getting bogged down over labels like "edible bulb" versus "official tuber"?
Well, that part is funny. Although I think it's cute your newspaper has a story on this. Round here, it's about which rich person is shagging which other rich person, and murders.
Re: *I'M* just a Bill, darnit!syrenatricksyApril 13 2007, 01:32:21 UTC
Shammy, he may be a Bill, but not "just a." So let's call him an edible bulb as well! Oh, wait ... that sounds waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay dirty, and I just wanted to be able to type "edible bulb" ...
Ohhhh. Now I'm getting all nostalgic for a Walla Walla Sweet onion. My local grocery store occasionally tries to foist off some imitations. They go so far as to label a section of onions as "Walla Walla Sweet" and then you pick up one of the onions and it has a little sticker revealing it to be just some general 'sweet' onion from Bolivia or some such. *sigh*
Ya know what the potato industry needs--and I've been thinking about this for awhile now--is an ad campaign that lets people know potatoes have nutritional value. Because after Atkins, and maybe even before, nobody thinks they do.
Actually, Denise Austin does a pitch for Idaho potatoes. My roommate and I are unabashedly obsessed with her daily workout every morning on Lifetime, and that commercial pops up at least twice a half hour.
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It's funny, in an absurdist kind of way. But on the other hand, it isn't. You know, apples used to be what NY was known for -- "New York Apples" (promoted by the legislature as the state fruit) were a national symbol of produce quality.
Today, it's Washington Apples. The legislature in NY stopped caring, decided we needed to be a suburban not a rural state, so all the apple farms are gone, and there are no more "New York Apples" labels on produce in the grocery store.
So on the one hand, it seems ridiculous that the state would spend time on this. But on the other, to the farmers of these crops, it's really important that the state spend time on this. Because it symbolizes the state's involvment and commitment to agriculture. When the legislature gets too busy to care what the state crop is, it's pretty rapidly downhill from there.
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DANG.
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No one got it for me for Christmas. And I told *everyone* about it.
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