Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. ~Groucho Marx

produce.

Produce vs. fruit
I was searching for an AP photo for a pretty bland little story I was writing about a new health food store in my home-town. I put in the word “produce” since I wanted some pictures of fruits and veggies to highlight the fact that the store sells organic, locally grown produce.

My search did not return any pictures of produce. I guess it read my query as “produce: to compose, create, or bring out by intellectual or physical effort (thanks again M-W).

How do you categorize a picture of produce (to compose, create…) without being literal? About 70 photos popped up. There were some farmers stooping on bare ground sifting dirt through their fingers (no production?).  There were some weather maps (clouds producing heavy rain). And yeesh, boiled eggs used to produce the H1N1 vaccine (ok ok, shameless popular keyword thrown in for good measure). Vice President Joe Biden letting us know about an auto-maker that will produce hybrid plug-in cars. And a picture of…Tom Hanks? Producer? I guess, as in the movie type.

I just wanted a picture of fruit. Rows and rows of fruit – and vegetables. So I searched AP for fruit and I got: a MinuteMaid carton of lime juice, Afghan road vendors selling bananas on the streets of Kabul (hey! I’ve been there), homemade cranberry sauce ~ just in time for Thanksgiving, a mommy and baby monkey – the baby monkey’s name was chosen by his dad who ate the most fruit in front of the name: Charles, and a picture of Sony Corp. Chief Executive Howard Stringer. Go figure.

I implemented a search for “vegetables” and that is what I got. So I went with vegetables for the article.

I have no pithy ending, I’ll just end with this,

Even the richest of soil, if left uncultivated will produce the rankest weeds. ~ daVinci