Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
September 1941. Yakima, Washington. "Work Projects Administration instructor demonstrates proper method of wrapping apple at apple packing school at FSA migratory labor camp." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
I can't put my hands on it right now, but somewhere I've still got my apple packing school diploma.
To me, wrapped fruit is a weird Harry & David/Japan kind of thing. Maybe it was a make-work WPA practice?
[This is back when boxed fruit was generally wrapped in paper. Oranges, too. - Dave]
This made me think of my local supermarket bins full of apples, each of which has a tiny PLU tag suitable for scanning. I have imagined what kind of labor force would be condemned to apply these--but it must be done by machines, mustn't it?
An ecological website tells me that these stickers are generally made of plastic or vinyl, that they are not edible (but "won't kill you", thanks), not biodegradable, and not suitable for composting. Ironically, "Non GMO" fruits sometimes carry stickers.
On the plus side, they are "a supply chain marvel."
"No, this is the Wooden Apples class. The Wooden Nickels class is down the hall on the left."
Hat tip Monty Python.
I thought my eyes were deceiving me but I know a wooden apple when I see one (not that I ever have, before) so ... straight to the comments. My instincts having proved correct, I was left wondering -- why not just teach them how to wrap with real apples? Teach the packer, wrap a box of apples. Kill two birds and all that. Would it be too much handling of the fruit? I am left to muse until one of you brings me up to speed.
When I was in Grade School every year Washington State Apples (red and shiney and perfect looking and nicely packed in a box) would arrive, and each of us in our 200 student school would be given one. The teachers presented them one at a time to each student. That was quite a ceremony to me. Something so special! The teacher would say, "These are sent to us from Washington State."
"Apple Packing School", huh? Wonder what the teacher got for presents.
I don't know that I've seen wooden apples before. They make sense for training purposes, I suppose.
[Also for making hard cider. - Dave]
when you're wrapping apples. Still, Depression-era migrant laborers would be glad for the work.
On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5