As I walked up to the pickup location for my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) on the Upper East Side in New York City, I noticed a man standing and staring at the table of displayed vegetables.
He was wearing a light blue jumpsuit with a company logo on it. He didn’t say anything. He just stood there… staring at the veggies.
I gathered my CSA share for the week: one head of cabbage, a bunch of collard greens, a bundle of fresh thyme, four shallots, bunch of celery, four plum tomatoes, a box of cherry tomatoes, and a few bell peppers.
When I finished, I noticed the man was still standing there. I turned to him and said, “Are you a member of this CSA?”
He said, “No. I’m just working across the street in that building. But, I noticed that purple pepper. It stood out. I’ve never seen a purple pepper before. What kind of pepper is that?”
“Oh, that’s a bell pepper.”
I pointed out the other bell peppers on the table. Some were red, some were green, some were red and green or orange and green, and then there were the purple peppers. The peppers were all different sizes and shapes as well.
He said, “Wow! So that’s what they look like when they are naturally grown! When I shop at my supermarket the peppers all look alike. They are exactly the same size and shape. Like they were popped out of a factory or something. These are very different.”
“That’s exactly right! These peppers are unique. Just like us. There are no two things exactly alike in the natural world. Not even twins.”
He smiled and said, “I’ve got to go and visit a farm that grows natural food.”
I love that something as simple as a “different” colored pepper grabbed someone’s attention and made them wonder about the food they were consuming, how it’s grown, and where it comes from.
Whether it’s a purple pepper or a meditation class, whatever it takes to spark human consciousness and get people reconnected back to a more natural way of eating, is a good thing.
Have you seen any purple peppers lately?
Want to learn more about how to join a CSA? Check out LocalHarvest.org or if you are in the NYC area, check out Justfood.org.
Or you can learn about CSA’s, how to purchase the best food money can buy, plus get awesome recipes, in my book, Health is Wealth – Make a Delicious Investment in You!
Now get out there and purchase some great quality food. It’s good for you!
Andrea Beaman is an internationally renowned Holistic Health Coach, Natural Foods Chef, Speaker, Herbalist and best-selling author who helps people feel happier, healthier and in control of their health. She was named one of the top 100 Most Influential Health and Fitness Experts, is the recipient of the Natural Gourmet Institute’s Award for Excellence in Health-Supportive Education and a Health Leadership award from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Since 1999, Andrea has been teaching people how to harness their body’s own preventative and healing powers using food, herbal remedies and alternative medicine.
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