JOHN F. writes from Lemoyne, Pennsylvania:

Not a day does not go by without checking out your  blog. It is a must read for me every day if I want to hold onto my sanity, or what it left of it after six years of the great Obamgogue.

I have a small anecdote about “The Decline of Chopping” story.

I work part-time at a grocery store in Pennstlvania, in the produce department.  (This is in addition to my full-time job.)

One evening a number of years ago, this woman came up to me and asked “howscum” her Food Stamps would pay for a bunch of celery, but would not pay for the celery if it was already chopped?

I told her I guess food stamps would not pay for it because it is processed in such a way that anyone could process it on their own.  (I chose my words carefully.  I know from my full-time jon with the PA Department of Revenue as a revenue forecasting analyst, that processing, which is defined in the law in a very expansive and vague way, sometimes makes a difference how things are taxed under the Sales and Use Tax.)

She was not very happy with my answer. I again emphasized that I was only speculating.  I cannot recall what she decided to do.

I still have no idea if my answer was correct back then. I am willing to bet that if it was true then, it is no longer true due to the expansion of food stamps in the last six years.

Please keep up the great work.  Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Laura writes:

Thank you.

I’m wondering. Maybe government agricultural specialists could come up with a method for farmers to grow chopped celery. Chopped onions would also be nice..

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

— Comments —

Neil writes:

This is really incredible since few recipes use celery in large quantities. Either you make a pot roast and quarter a few stalks or use it in tuna salad and chop one stalk fine.

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