The Blog of Knowledge

Daniel Gross makes the case against DIYorchards. Ezra Klein agrees. Kay Steiger, who went on the apple-picking trip Sara (pictured above, at the orchard) organized last weekend and that I attended under the time-honored principle "go apple-picking when your girlfriend tells you to," retorts that apple picking's not inefficient, it's "a form of entertainment." This would be a lot more convincing were agricultural labor entertaining. In reality, these are the jobs Americans won't do.

At any rate, it seems to me that there's a clear gender divide on this issue. Basically, ever since the era of Adam and Eve woman has sought to ensnare man in her apple-related ventures, while man has endeavored to uphold the division of labor and buy his apples at the store. And this, ultimately, is what Gross leaves out of the picture: apple-picking isn't just inefficient, it's actually evil.

Photo by Kate Steadman