Theresa Scholl can appreciate the beauty of a carrot, whether it be knobbly, wonky, pronged or bulbous.
The fifth-generation Scenic Rim farmer grows carrots which look decidedly different to the perfectly straight, uniform, vividly orange variety sold in most supermarkets.
Ms Scholl’s varieties include wispy dutch carrots, which come in purple, yellow, white and orange hues, as well as the paris carrot which grows in a bulbous shape.
She said many shoppers had no idea the normal one-pronged supermarket carrots were the result of centuries of selective breeding, farming techniques and careful curation.
The Valley Pride Produce grower said much of her produce was ploughed back into the ground when shops deemed them not straight enough.
Ms Scholl said the knobbly carrots tasted exactly the same but were deemed unsellable by retailers.
“It’s an astronomical amount of food waste that goes out to land waste each year,” Ms Scholl said.
“We as consumers have to change our view on what is good and what is bad food because this is still an edible product and it would stop a lot of waste.”
Ms Scholl has been hosting visitors to pick their own vegetables during Scenic Rim Eat Local Month, which is supported by ABC Radio Brisbane.
She said it was an educational experience for city visitors, particularly the children who were delighted to dig up carrots with extra legs or vibrant purple hues.
Ms Scholl said digging around in the dirt gave people a new appreciation for the unique varieties of oddly-shaped vegetables which would otherwise end up as worm food.
“When we explain that all gets thrown away, they can’t believe the waste,” Ms Scholl said.
“There’s a fair few of us in our region who are encouraging people to pick their own and learn where their food comes from.”
Ms Scholl said she would hold a pick-your-own vegetables day on Sunday for the final day of Scenic Rim Eat Local Month.
Customers trained by supermarkets
The Supermarket Pricing Select Committee report cited concerns that supermarkets had “trained” customers to expect perfectly uniform fruit and vegetables.
It recommended educating shoppers about the benefits of buying “ugly” fruit and vegetables.
Matt Bourke, who owns several independent Brisbane fruit shops, told ABC Radio Brisbane he told his customers about the benefits of wonky-looking produce.
“We’ve been almost brainwashed by the supermarkets to picking up the exact same sized banana and apple that they have required for years and years,” Mr Bourke said.
“They have the power to dictate what the market produces and if the farmers don’t want to grow it, they find they lock themselves out of a large part of market share.”
Get local news, stories, community events, recipes and more each fortnight.