I ate a lot of asparagus last night, which I do from time to time because a) it’s delicious and b) it’s hilarious.

It’s a total mystery to me why people object to eating produce.  Nearly every fruit or vegetable has some property or potential that makes it well worth eating.  Come on, how could you not want to eat something that makes your pee smell funny?

And I’ve always wondered why there aren’t ads promoting these properties.  ASPARAGUS: YOUR PEE WILL SMELL FUNNY.  BRUSSELS SPROUTS: A GREAT EXCUSE TO EAT BACON.

Today I learned that it’s because vegetables are an undifferentiated commodity:

A single grower could promote its product but who looks for a specific brand of grape or tomato? (Some do, but not many.) The meat and dairy industries have solved the collective action problem so we have seen advertising for those products (”The other white meat.” “Got milk?”) The question is, why are some food industries able to organize and not others?

I know I should be learning that, hey, economics is an interesting discipline, but instead I’m thinking: Maybe what we need is a 527 — an independent expenditure.

“Citizens for Asparagus”?

-andy