What’s up, Clock? Ready or not, here comes your DST.

This one’s a little longer...so start at the end, there’s something seriously yummy at the close of this post-- and then come back up here.

Ready? Have your snack and read away...

Do you like Daylight Saving Time? Read that again. Did you catch that? There’s no “s” at the end of “Saving.” That’s just one of the things about DST that you may not have known. It’s the same with “Women and Babies” (you know, near Park City mall?). It’s not “Women’s and Babies,” and it’s not “Savings” it’s “Saving.”

So important that we cleared that up. My work is done here. But seriously, do you like DST? Here at Kauffman’s Fruit Farm we’re still discussing it.

For the most part it’s probably good for our business. Retail and wholesale probably benefit, but fruit picking, cider production, and fruit butter production would probably prefer not to have DST.

• Pro: More daylight at the end of the day gives drivers more daylight to finish their routes.
• Con: Extended darkness and earlier start times make harvesting fruit harder, because most harvesting is done first thing, making time for processing to get it to market (wholesale/retail). If it’s still dark at 6-7a, it makes it harder to meet deadlines that exist because of market demands. These demands don’t depend on daylight. However, one hour of daylight does effect harvesting.
• Pro: Most likely, you as our customer enjoy stopping at our grocery store on the way home from work, then driving the rest of the way home while it’s still light, and still have time to do some yard work before the sun sets.

So, probably like the rest of the country, we would have reasons for both wanting it and not wanting it. As an example of this ambivalence, consider Arizona and Hawaii, states that do not participate in DST. (Shout out to Brian in our Wholesale Department for that fun fact!)

When it’s not DST, we’re on “Standard Time.” However, Standard Time applies for only 4 months out of year. So why is it called “standard” if it’s become the exception? In 1967, the Uniform Time Act was implemented . Clocks were set ahead an hour on the last Sunday of April and set back an hour on the last Sunday of October, giving the United States 6 months of ST and 6 months of DST. In 1986 DST start time was moved to the first Sunday in April. And since 2007, DST begins the second Sunday of March, ending the first Sunday of November. The United States began with an even split of the year, 6 months of each. The split is now 4 and 8.

I was ok with 6 and 6. 4 and 8? Not so much.

In fact, for the sake of my sleep rhythms, I’m thinking of moving to Arizona!

But why was DST adopted in most the United States? The short answer is that the real reason is not easy to find. Those who advocated for its use, cited studies. These studies, conducted by various private and government agencies, were then used to draw conclusions that supported the motivation of the senators or representatives who eventually drafted the legislation. By and large, these political leaders were lobbied by various groups who concluded that they would benefit from the institution of DST. Two of the lobbies were the charcoal lobby and the candy lobby.

On the morning after the “switch,” are we talking about DST history or lobbyists? No, we trot out the reason we like best. We’re talking about whether we like it or not. Here are four common “reasons” people use to explain DST:

• to help farmers
• makes us healthier and happier
• conserve energy
• benefits businesses

Each “reason” is just part of the story, but apparently not even close to the whole story. Suffice it to say, both sides of the debate seem to have used the same studies to support their arguments. Thus, the reasons remain vague.

So why are we yawning and rubbing our eyes this morning? Look no further than the interpretation, selectivity, and influence wielded by the winners of the votes. The links I’ve shared make it clear that the reasoning is unclear--and not necessarily for the common good. I found that Wikipedia’s article goes into excellent detail on DST history. But like most learning, it just leads to more questions...so just keep Googling.

Or maybe you’ve had enough? Time for a break? Go back in time and make the delicious recipe below. Try this treat or here’s two other ideas: Boysenberry Cream Cheese Braid or Pear Butter Crepes. Yummy!

Go Back in Time to This Kauffman Treat!

BRIE & FRUIT BUTTER DESSERT QUESADILLAS

COOK TIME: 5 mins

TOTAL TIME: 5 mins

SERVES: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon salted butter
• 1 flour tortilla
• 3 slices/chunks of brie
• 1 tablespoon pear or apple butter

Instructions:

Melt butter in a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Gently fold tortilla in half. Place brie in inside center of tortilla near fold. Spread fruit butter evenly over brie. Close, folding tortilla in half. Lightly brown both sides of tortilla in buttered skillet. Tortilla should be crispy & golden brown on both sides and brie should be melted and gooey. Rest for a minute, cut in half, serve & enjoy