Old Vegetables

I buy vegetables from our local market, Richard’s Market Basket. The prices are better than major stores, and I like the owner. Richard, the shop’s namesake, knows everything about produce. He has been in the business since he was about twelve, and is now in his seventies.

One shelf in the store is reserved for wilted, bruised, or aging vegetables. This morning, I asked Richard who would buy these packages. They don’t look appetizing or healthy. He looked shocked at my question, and told me that value-minded people buy the old stuff. Looking past the spoiled outer layers, folks can get a good deal on the inside of an onion or the good parts of a squash.

He told me to watch a lady looking at grapes. She picked them up and quickly put them down. Richard said, “See, they don’t look pretty. In the big stores, produce is all about looks. If it’s not pretty it won’t sell.”

Marketing materials are like that, too. Our patrons are used to seeing high-end professional graphics everywhere they look. Why should things be any different at the library? Finely crafted handouts exude integrity. Given the choice, people will trust a message that looks good.

A side note on Richard: I was picking out a cantaloupe one day, and he came up and informed me that the one I had was not ready. He selected a melon that had brown streaks forming at the bottom end. Richard said that fruits begin to turn brown when their sugar is sweetest. Then, pointing to the top of his liver spotted hand, he said, “Just like me.”