On a recent stroll through the produce section of the supermarket, it occurred to me that by virtue of spending my entire life in Northern Jersey, I am agriculturally challenged. It is quite humbling to spend a lifetime buying fruits and vegetables, but having no idea about how they look to the person who grew and harvested them.

So, for the heck of it, I compiled a list of fruits and vegetables that I have seen while they are growing, and things that I have never seen on the vine, on a tree, or in the ground. As you can see below, I definitely am agriculturally challenged, but it is not quite as bad as I had originally suspected.

Fruits and Vegetables I Have Seen Growing
Note: All seen in Jersey, except the citrus fruits and coconuts, which I saw on numerous vacations to Florida.

Apples
Corn
Carrots
Celery
Corn
Cucumbers
Dill
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Gourds
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkins
Radishes
Soybeans
Squash
Strawberries
Basil
Tomatoes
Cherries
Peaches
Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Coconuts

Fruits and Vegetables I Have Never Seen Growing

Potatoes
Beets
Lettuce
Cabbage
Peanuts
Pecans
Avocados
Watermelons
Plums
Asparagus
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
Escarole
Garlic
Leeks
Mushrooms (other than wild)
Onions
Casaba Melons
Honeydew Melons
Spinach
Turnips
Yams
Beans (kidney, lima, garbanzo, or navy)
Bananas
Mangos
Currants
Blueberries (and Jersey ranks second among the states for production of these)
Papayas
Kiwis
Pineapples (and I was in Hawaii too!)
Plums
Grapefruits (missed those in Florida)
Olives
Pomegranates
Cranberries (and Jersey ranks third among the states for production of these)
Pears
Walnuts
Pecans
Hazelnuts
Wheat

Seems I should put on shoes that I don’t mind getting dirty and travel a bit more to places where the things I like to eat are grown. I will, however, leave the farming to those who know what they’re doing. Besides, I have delicate hands, and manual labor gives me a rash.