You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

[Keith Seymore]

One other amazing tidbit (...to me, anyways) is that Ford shut down cold at the conclusion of the Model T production run.

They did not produce any vehicle for an extended period of time, like a year, while the design of the replacement (the Ford Model "A" - apparently a significant enough departure to warrant starting the alphabet over) and while the massive assembly complex, known as "the Rouge" was completed.

The media hubbub surrounding the introduction of the Model A was unprecedented. I've never seen an automobile company shut down completely like that during a model changeover since.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/20....n-eager-public






The Rouge is still in use today, producing Ford Mustangs and full size pickup trucks. (Tours of the Rouge plant are available through the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Michigan). https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/f...rdrougefactory

K

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

Next time you’re enjoying a glass of freshly squeezed OJ in the Sunshine State, say thanks to the Florida Department of Citrus for making sure that it really is 100% Floridian orange juice, which can legally only be made from mature Florida oranges grown by licensed citrus dealers.

[Lee Stewart]

The potato is not as humble as you might think. Grown on the island of Jersey for more than 140 years, Jersey Royals are considered the cream of the crop thanks to their nutty taste and firm texture. In 1996 they were awarded Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status and can only be grown, cultivated and harvested on Jersey, where their unmatched flavor is thought to be influenced by the island’s unique soil and locally collected seaweed is often used as a fertilizer.

[Lee Stewart]

Thanks to onion farmers in Georgia, who sought to trademark the uniquely sweet flavor of Vidalia onions, they are now protected by both state and federal law. Grown exclusively in the Peach State, these onions are also Georgia’s official state vegetable.

[Lee Stewart]

The name tequila carries legal weight in many countries around the world, including the USA and Canada. Almost all tequila produced in Mexico is distilled in the state of Jalisco. According to legal requirements, it has to be made from 51% blue agave with an alcohol content between 31 and 55%, while in America it has to be above 40%.

[Lee Stewart]

The first Indian product to receive protected status, Darjeeling tea is often called the Champagne of teas. It’s grown in 87 gardens in the foothills of the Himalayas, where some of the bushes are more than 150 years-old. According to the Tea Board of India, this tea can’t be grown, harvested or produced anywhere else in the world.

[Lee Stewart]

In Japan, Kobe beef is a registered trademark and can be labeled as such only if it meets a series of conditions, including the marbling ratio and gross weight of the animal. Cattle must also be born and bred in Hyōgo Prefecture. While exports of Kobe beef began in 2012, much of the beef sold outside Japan is still mislabeled.

[Lee Stewart]

This Swedish delicacy – the roe of a small salmon-like fish called vendace – is perhaps one of the most specific PDO products in Europe. The roe must be harvested from the Bothnian Bay in the Baltic Sea, with the harvest only lasting from late September to late October. It’s served at royal dinners and Nobel Prize banquets, among other occasions.