My mother used to get an orange in her Christmas stocking. 🍊
Just one. And it was magical.
That seems foreign now, when we can grab a bag of whatever kind of oranges you prefer, any day of the year.
But before mobile refrigeration transformed shipping, fresh citrus in the depth of a Canadian winter was an insane luxury. Anything grown but a durable root vegetable was normally off the menu until late spring.
I learned about this evolution while working with a company that installs refrigeration units on truck trailers (they call them “reefers” in the industry). The project opened my eyes to how this technology literally changed our food culture.
Think about your grocery store’s produce section:
- Bananas from Ecuador in December
- Avocados from Mexico year-round
- Fresh berries in the dead of winter
- Oranges… whenever we want them
Before refrigerated transport, none of this was possible. Produce had to be local and seasonal, or preserved. An orange at Christmas was special because getting it there took a miracle of timing and luck.
These cooling units didn’t just enable food transport — they transformed agriculture. Growers could standardize their operations because they weren’t limited to local markets. Stores could ensure consistent supply. New varieties could be developed for shipping durability rather than just local climate and pest hardiness.
That one innovation enabled the global fresh food ecosystem we take for granted. It’s the most elaborate logistics and supply system on earth — and our survival now depends on it.
In I Need That, I talk about how needs evolve based on what becomes possible. My mother’s generation saw an orange as a phenomenal Christmas blessing. (And I will never know the trouble my grandparents must have gone to in keeping it from getting frozen post-purchase.)
My kids can’t imagine not having fresh fruit whenever they want it. Running out of bananas is cause to hit the panic button.
Action for today: Look at the infrastructure behind your product. What innovations do your customers take for granted? What seemingly simple capability actually requires a complex system to deliver? AI systems alone are mind-blowing in terms of resource and infrastructure needs.
Sometimes understanding these systems helps us spot the next big opportunity. Or what breakthrough we’re waiting for that will change our customers’ world.
What “miracle” are you helping create?
Laurier
P.S. The first successful refrigerated rail car was designed to ship dressed beef from Chicago’s stockyards. The meat packers called it “Ice King” and it transformed the American food industry in the 1870s. Every time you buy fresh meat at the grocery store, you can thank the Ice King. 👑