by Tim Girton
Ville Voice Eats Correspondent

Methinks there is a conspiracy afoot. And when a conspiracy gets into the head of someone who believes in conspiracies, you understand that there are no coincidences.

As evidence, I give you the Strawberry Gambit. What other fruit has managed to put itself in the news, and in the public consciousness, in the same city on the same date in different publications? Coincidence? Reread the first sentence.

So here’s where I first noticed the Strawberry Gambit and began to try to unravel the threads of its plot so that you will have the information necessary to decide whether you wish to buy into the scheme and buy a pint or two. On Wednesday, May 27, the published an article by Marty Rosen with the headline “Strawberries’ day in the sun is now.” On the exact same May 27, Courier-JournalLEO Weekly publishes “Locavore Love: Springtime’s star revealed – behold the strawberry” by Holly Clark.

Apparently both publications have been led to believe that late May/early June is the perfect time to consume strawberries. Mr. Rosen spoke to a couple who grows the fruit in Madison, Ind. where they handpick them from their 3,000 strawberry plants. The couple sells their harvest at the Norton Commons farmers market for 4 bucks a pint. Did Mr. Rosen like the fruit? Put it this way: the article quotes Horace, a Roman poet, at some point in the text. Hmm.

Meanwhile Ms. Clark’s LEO Weekly article touts the health benefits of the antioxidants found in strawberries as well as the vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B5 and so on. She even gives an interesting recipe that involves dandelions. But guess where she says you should buy your strawberries? The Smoketown/Shelby Park farmers market at Meyzeek Middle School.

Is this the common thread that links the conspiracy together?

In order the test this theory, I visited several farmers markets on Saturday and time and again, I came to the same conclusion. First, there is no Strawberry Gambit. Several of the markets have them and they realized that I was just yanking their chain, just like I was just doing to you. The real conspiracy depends on us. If more of us support farmers markets, we will continue to help our own local economy by partaking in locally grown food. And we’ll reduce the carbon footprint it takes to get food to us because less of the fresh fruit and vegetables (and the occasional rabbit, as I found out) won’t have to be shipped to us from other states and countries.

So the publication of strawberry articles from rival news organizations was a fortunate “co-occurrence.”

Remember, there are no coincidences.