Swiss Spaghetti Harvest
Annual spaghetti harvest yields 'strand'ed investment for Swiss farmers!
JP Press
[Ticino, Switzerland]: A bumper spaghetti harvest in
southern Switzerland brings strands of joy to Swiss farmers. The success of the crop was attributed
to an unusually mild winter.
“The spaghetti harvest here in Switzerland is not, of course, carried out on
anything like the tremendous scale of the Italian industry,” stated harvester
Richard Dimbelby.
“Many
of you, I'm sure, will have seen pictures of the vast spaghetti plantations in
the Po Valley. For the Swiss, however, it tends to be more of a family affair.”
“Another reason why this may be a bumper year lies in the virtual disappearance
of the spaghetti weevil, the tiny creature whose depradations have caused much
concern in the past.”
Asked why, if spaghetti grows on trees, whether it comes in uniform lengths,
Dimbelby responded,
“each
strand of spaghetti always grows to the same length thanks to years of hard work
by generations of growers. This is the result of many years of patient endeavor by
past breeders who succeeded in producing perfect spaghetti.”
The life of
a spaghetti farmer is not free of worries, however.
“The last two weeks of March are
an anxious time for the spaghetti farmer. There's always the chance of a late
frost which, while not entirely ruining the crop, generally impairs the flavor
and makes it difficult for him to obtain top prices in world markets.”
For assurance, Dimbelby told the reporters,
“For those who love this dish,
there's nothing like real, home-grown spaghetti.”
Interested in growing your own spaghetti tree or purchasing a spaghetti bush? Dimbleby's advice is to
“place a sprig of spaghetti in a
tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”
References / Further Reading:
Spaghetti Trees
& Spaghetti Farmers