Mr Greens: Established in late 2000 We are proud to offer the finest produce in all of New York We pride ourselves with quality and customer satisfaction. Thats why people keep coming back.
Earliest years: Throughout its history, the United States has produced fresh fruits and vegetables. In the 1700s, 90% of the people lived and worked on farms. They grew their own fruits and vegetables, and what they didn't grow, they got from their neighbors.
1800s: It wasn't until the 1800s that an industrial and urban base and advancing technology allowed commercial produce production to gain a foothold. In 1819, canning in glass jars was introduced, and in 1839, the tin can made its first appearance. Railcars refrigerated with ice debuted in the 1850s and 1860s, permitting longer-distance shipments. Pesticides were introduced in the second half of the 19th century. The U.S. Department of Agriculture was established in 1862 and gained Cabinet status in 1889.
20th Century changes: Despite these advances, consumers produced 50% of their fruits and vegetables at home as recently as 1910. At that time, canned produce accounted for 12.4% of consumption.
During World War I, producers mobilized to feed Europe. Chemical fertilizers arrived as a production tool, and researchers were getting serious about plant hybridization. In 1920, a century after canning began, another revolution hit the produce industry -- freezing.
In the era before World War II, canned and frozen produce were popular. The fresh industry turned to new varieties to extend commodity seasons and to packaging for retail sales. At this time, producers added herbicides and plant growth regulators to their arsenal of tools.
The 1940s brought growth of chain grocery stores. Throughout the 1950s, fresh produce consumption declined. During the 1960s, use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides grew. Fruit and vegetable production became more concentrated geographically -- with four states growing 60% of the product -- California, Florida, Texas, and Arizona.
How much we eat: Fresh hit a low mark in the mid-1970s when fresh consumption represented only 43% of all fruit and vegetable consumption. At that time, stores carried about 65 fresh produce items. In 1986, fresh consumption had risen to 47%, and in 1988 stores carried more than 240 produce items. The resurgence of fresh produce is attributed to several factors: new products, strong efforts by retailers, rising consumer demand, better quality and selection, consumer health and nutrition awareness, and convenience.
The growth of fresh produce consumption has been dramatic in the last 30 years. In 1970, Americans ate 70.5 pounds of fresh vegetables and 79.5 pounds of fresh fruit each per year. In 1988, they each ate 100.3 pounds of fresh vegetables and 97 pounds of fresh fruit. Ten years later, they consumed 188 pounds of fresh vegetables and 132 pounds of fresh fruit.
The future: Yet with all this growth, the produce department could be only in the early stages of development. There are 20,000 to 80,000 edible plants in the world, and the U.S. market has tapped into only a small fraction of that variety. New specialties from around the world will make their way onto U.S. supermarket shelves.
