But for a buyer that is not a grocery store, the resort is one of the bigger customers, and the kind the cooperative likes to have, for two reasons tinged with a bit of irony. So Breitenbush is buying while gardeners at lower elevations are harvesting and sharing tomatoes, squash and zucchini, cutting into coop sales. We appreciate their support year-round. But we especially appreciate it in July, August, September, October. Second is that Breitenbush does not insist on the prettiest produce.
Buyers know that appearance has nothing to do with quality or taste.
And even customers at organic groceries fall into the cult of appearance. If more people followed Breitenbush's approach, farmers would have fewer incentives to douse fruit and vegetables with chemicals. I'd have to rank them at the top in terms of support. Buying from Organically Grown, Breitenbush is backing a company that aims to strengthen the region's sustainable agriculture. If produce is not available regionally, the cooperative will import from outside the region.