If there is one thing Job likes it is food Like most people he eats morning noon and night Pizza of course is one of his favorite foods Of the approximately 3 billion pizzas sold in the United States each year Job estimates that he eats about half of them Okay that might be a slight exaggeration But still Job is a fictional kid named Jeremiah Oliver Baumgartner His initials are J O B so his friends call him Job for short His parents think it’s the perfect nickname because it’s hard work having a kid like Job It’s not that Job is a troublemaker He’s a great kid But trouble seems to go out of its way to find him And when Job gets hungry trouble turns into double trouble When he and his dad go to the supermarket to restock his family’s kitchen shelves Job makes new discoveries about how food gets there Come along with Job as he works up an appetite at the local grocery store While he explores the aisles you can explore the different jobs people do to fill grocery store shelves with the delicious foods we all love to eat Food Bite An estimated 3 4 million employees work in U S supermarkets 4
Chapter 1 Job Picks Some Produce What did the lettuce say to the celery Are you stalking me 5
It was Saturday morning and Job slept in He was starving when he woke up Job shuffled downstairs and started rummaging through the kitchen in search of food He found take-out boxes in the refrigerator One whiff and it was clear that they were too old In the pantry Job found a box of stale crackers some teabags and a can of split pea soup Not what he had in mind breakfast Feeling like I landed in a nursery rhyme here Job hinted when his mom came down the stairs You know the one about Old Mother Hubbard and her bare cupboards Unfortunately Job’s mom did not get the hint Yeah it’s time to stock up again she said grabbing her gym bag and heading for the car Here’s a list You and Dad can pick up what we need at the grocery store Farms are where many of the foods that people eat are grown Some farmers manage large farms for major food companies These farmers focus on growing one crop such as potatoes or broccoli Other farmers own small farms where they grow a variety of fruits and vegetables These farmers sell their foods at local farmers markets or through produce boxes supplied through community supported agriculture CSA cooperatives I don’t think meatloaf is supposed to be Ugh green 6
An agronomist is a scientist whose main goal is to raise more food on the same amount of soil This is important because there is only so much land on which food can be grown These crop doctors often specialize in one type of crop such as strawberries or corn A produce sourcer links people who have produce to sell with people who want to buy large amounts of fruits and vegetables Big grocery store chains sell a lot of produce A produce sourcer might put together a deal between a group of farmers and a distributor for a chain of grocery stores Produce buyers work for distributors companies that process packaged foods or large grocery store chains Their job is to find the best produce for the best prices They also make arrangements for transporting products from their sources to the stores Some produce buyers specialize in products grown in certain regions such as citrus fruits in Florida or avocados in California Produce buyers must be knowledgeable about both business and agriculture Some agronomists specialize in corn Have you had your fruits and veggies today 7
