Back to nature...

It's fall and many of us associate apples and apple-picking with autumn. We have some old and frankly neglected apple trees at the farm - one of which has astonishingly good apples.

These apples are ordinarily so much more flavorful than commercial fruit, but then only available for a limited time. Still, like the magic of tomato season, the appearance of these fruits is an annual treat.

Foodies are into this mystique as well.

Apple picking is a cherished rite of fall, a wholesome and fun family outing, a throwback to a simpler time when people weren't so disconnected from the production of their sustenance. I look forward to it every year. It's also a wasteful scam. [More]

That may be a bit harsh. To be sure, modern fruit producers can put a good apple in your grocery cart every day of the year, but I certainly support those who choose to make food buying more of an experience. This business strategy encourages a growing agrarian/agritainment sector in agriculture.

But I have had a epiphany in the old apple department. A few years ago Jan brought some apples home during the winter and served them simply sliced at dinner. The first bite was an eye-opener - it was like what apples were meant to be.

It turns out the apple was a Braeburn from New Zealand. And after one, we became confirmed fans. There is a lesson here for COOL proponents: make darn sure your product is the best before you demand labeling. After that conversion experience, we began to prefer NZ fruit, especially in winter. No amount of patriotic appealing would have changed our preference.

American producers who depend on the export market know this, but some have yet to find out. Slapping the Americna flag on your product does not offset inferior quality - here or abroad.

In fact, given America's popularity in the world, I think I would do what today's politicians are doing - downplay my party affiliation. (Notice how the yard signs don't have elephants and donkeys on them anymore?)

Globalization has slowly trained US consumers to buy what they like, I believe. Where it comes from usually has lesser importance.