When you walk into the produce section of a grocery store you often see signs that say "fresh" plastered everywhere. But how fresh is it actually?

If your fruits and vegetables have to be sprayed post-harvest with pesticides, a shiny artificial wax coating and an antifungal chemical to protect it, preserve it and prevent mold from growing on it during long distance travel, it ain’t fresh.

If your apples have to be treated with a gaseous compound called 1-methylcyclopropene and then kept in a “Controlled Atmosphere Cold Storage” so that they can last for over a year, it ain't fresh.

If your tomatoes were harvested unripe, rock hard and green and gassed with ethylene so that they turn red just before being trucked to the grocery store (known in the industry as "de-greening"), it ain't fresh.

Truly fresh food comes from local farmers. Most of your food is harvested the day before you get it. THAT'S fresh. Since local farmers use short supply chains they can wait until their food is at peak ripeness before harvesting it. This allows the flavours to fully develop. This is why grocery store food tastes so bland compared to locally-grown food. It ain’t fresh. It just looks fresh.

They may be able to trick your eyes but they'll never be able to trick your taste buds.