USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market Prices

Design, Production

Since 1915, the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service division has published Fruit and Vegetable Market News reports. Through the Department of Information, Tomato Lab lovingly (and mostly-faithfully) brought these public domain archived reports back to life to inspire and educate.

NYC, 1969

The New York City edition features USDA fruit and vegetable price indexes for 1969. The pamphlet features a screen printed cover on evergreen linen 100lb French Paper Co stock. On neon pink paper, an inside spread utilizes archival photographs from the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library of the historic Hunts Point Produce Market. Additionally, printed lettuce seed paper was bound into the book.

Los Angeles, 1972

The Los Angeles edition features USDA fruit and vegetable price indexes for 1972. The pamphlet features a screen printed cover on bright yellow French Paper Co stock. The interior spreads use accounts from archival news articles and the Los Angeles Public Library to paint a picture of market life for laborers and workers in the early morning hour shifts of the 1960s and 70s. Vibrant red tomato seed paper was included as well.

Seattle, 1971

The Seattle edition features USDA fruit and vegetable price indexes for 1971. This version features a screen printed cover on craft black French Paper Co stock. The interior neon green spreads document the flyers and advocacy work local activists and community members engaged in to successfully save the historic Pike Place Market from destruction in 1971. Carrot seed paper was included in the Seattle book.