Show and tell

On Tuesday I went to the 15th annual Fruit Field Day held by the University of Idaho’s Parma Research and Extension Center. This year it was held at their orchard and vineyard. Hundreds of people showed up to hear Dr. Essi Fallashi, the director, speak about their results. 

Essie didn’t just tell us. Instead he showed us. He held up samples of some varieties and discussed their advantages - how they provided more yield per acre, could be stored longer, etc.

There were tables full of samples of peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, plums, grapes, almonds, walnuts, etc. You could see, touch, smell, and taste them. Then you could walk over and watch and listen to descriptions of how they were grown.

It’s easy to forget how powerful demonstrations of products and techniques can be. They aren’t easy to do, but are very effective.