By Sarah Mayer | Benji digs. I pull and select, with yeas and nays from the peanut gallery. Jaci designs a big, beautiful bunch. And we repeat.
Now, what is it that gives the single carrot the right of passage to the almighty bunch? We all seem to agree that a carrot should be, for the most part, long, slender, without blemish, and orange. Or that’s what we know an attractive carrot to look like. And at Gwenyn Hill we tend to be in agreement with this ideal.
But are we really this superficial? If Miss America can toss out the swimwear, vegetable lovers can certainly respect and enjoy a two-legged carrot with a few extra hair roots. After all, isn’t it what’s on the inside that counts?
Well, we think you can have your carrots and eat them too. Flavor, moisture, and texture are important criteria to weigh in on during this tryout period, as with all fruits and vegetables. Carrot breeders have been selecting the tastiest, most uniform, crunchiest orange carotene carrots since the 16th century. By trialing and selecting the best varieties for our site, soil, and growing season, along with maintaining loosely structured and weed free seedbeds, we can greatly reduce the carnage post-tryouts.
That being said, even in our most diligent of seasons, mother nature throws some twists and turns at us and we pull 2-, 3-, 4-, even 5-legged carrots out of our heavy clay soils. Is it time we simply change our perspectives and give the lonely carrot a chance?