Every few years, a new study or news segment comes out demonstrating how kids today are so disconnected from their food, they aren’t able to recognize even the most basic fruits and vegetables. As adults, we (hopefully) are much better at identifying various types of produce, but what about what it looks like before it gets to the grocery store? Even if you regularly shop at farmers’ markets and are used to seeing some dirt on your carrots, there are still several steps required to get to that point.
In an attempt to rectify that—and highlight the important and frequently overlooked work of farm workers—United Farm Workers of America have been providing behind-the-scenes look at the ingredients used in some of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes all week. Here’s how to watch them and which fruits and veggies made the cut.
How to learn where fruits and vegetables come from
On Sunday, November 22nd, the United Farm Workers tweeted a call for requests: “Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we’ll share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.” And after inviting people to participate, the dishes started coming in hard and fast.
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In response, the UFW sent photos and videos with brief explanations, providing some details about the growing and harvesting process. For example, Brussels sprouts grow on a very tough, woody stem, and there are not one, but two ways to harvest cranberries.
Here are some of the fruits and vegetables highlighted:
Cranberries
Potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Green beans
Carrots
Apples (with bonus Dolly Parton reference)
On a day where so many people spend a lot of time cooking—and usually not much time eating—a Thanksgiving meal, taking even a few minutes to learn more about where our food comes from will make you especially thankful for farm workers.
