TOMATO!

My life has been a little crazy lately---a rollercoaster of ups and downs, really. But, this little guy has made me ridiculously happy.







Now, I don't like tomatos, actually. I like tomato sauce and a lot of tomato based items, but a regular tomato I could do without. So, R. will be the recipient of this little guy, but just the fact that I grew him and have more growing I feel is a real accomplishment.

Making a Difference

There are many reasons why I buy every book Barbara Kingsolver comes out with. I enjoy her writing style, she writes, most often, about things I enjoy/care about, and I feel so often as I read her words that "aha" or "yes" moment. A moment where either I agree so completely it's amazing or a moment where her words so perfectly describe my feelings and therefore makes them that more tangible and expressable.

There's another part of that equation--whether it's her fiction, nonfiction, or creative nonfiction, she has the ability to make problems seem surmountable. I'd say this goes double for her writing on environmental and food issues.

Changing the world is no easy task, and I think we live in a culture where (despite David and Goliath parable) chnage is viewed as negative and nearly impossible. If we put a conservative Republican and a liberal Democrat in a room together--do we really expect peace or a calm resolution of some political problem? Perish the thought.

I have often felt that I will never change a person's opinion, I could never have the kind of influence to save something of importantce, and no manner of talking, writing, expressing will change the government, the policies, the ideas, the beliefs of the world in which I leave. And because of all that it's so easy to say, WHY BOTHER? My voice doesn't matter and it won't ever matter. The end. This is a philosophy that goes beyond my own personal crusades. Something won't turn out like I want it to, why bother? It's a habit ingrained in my own personality and ingrained in some portion in the culture in which I grew up.

However, reading Barbara Kingsolver often makes me realize that it's not so much the results as it is the try. I may not make a world of difference, but a person of difference works can be just as important.

"Small, stepwise changes in personal habits aren't trivial. Ultimately they will, or won't, add up to having been the thing that mattered." "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle."

I especially would recommend this book because of one simple fact: it isn't all about giving up. It's not about sacrifice or deprevation. It's about what you can do if you try. It wasn't about totally changing to local food and cutting everything else off. It was about trying to change and making more responsible choices. If you feel you must have something you can't obtain locally--try to find organic, free trade options.

I have to remind myself that change is not a over-the-night thing. There's so many things I'd like to change about myself--that I've tried to change for years--and still haven't succeeded. I can't expect to go local and be done with it. But, making smarter choices and integrating a different food ethic will help start taking steps toward change...and right now, that's the best I can do.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

One Meal a Week Challenge

Now that Farmer's Market season is starting around here, I have been trying to find farmer's markets in my areas. I have found a few that claim to be farmer's markets in my direct area, but sell mainly California or other imported food stuffs. Because of the summer followed by winter weather we had in March/April, a lot of fruit growers in the area suffered--and according to a local article, fruit is where the moneys at. So, call in California. This isn't to say they won't carry ANY local food, just not very much.

There are some fairly decent farmer's markets in my extended area. And by extended I mean upwards 30+ miles away from me and nasty construction and traffic on the way. As I'm not much of a driver, especially a city driver, I like to avoid those areas if possible. I know that radius still means it's local food, and likely food from closer to my apartment than it is to the city, but nevertheless I'm not to the point where I'm willing to make that drive at least once a week. (Yet, anyway).

I found a possible Farmer's Market a little bit closer, so R. and I are going to go check it out on Saturday morning. And, I'm like a little kid ready for a trip to Florida. I keep reminding R. we're going, lest he forget. And, currently, it looks to be the highlight of my week.

I have been reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, as I mentioned earlier. There are a lot of statistics included, and typically I distrust statistics because it's so easy to manipulate a number, or to conduct research in a way that makes whatever you have to say seem authoritative or to find statistics to back up ANY opinion under the sun. But, I found this statistic particular interesting, even if it's only partially true. "If every U.S citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we could reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week."

That's a lot of people doing one small thing and making a big difference, no matter how you look at it. I'm not at a point in my life where I think I can make a drastic change like living a month on local goods or even a week. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to go totally local--partially because I am a very picky eater and partially because I am notoriously lazy. But, I feel one meal a week is COMPLETELY doable. And it could lead to two meals a week--a meal a day--and on and on until maybe my diet is mainly composed of local.

Now is the perfect time to start this challenge. Farmer's Markets are opening up everywhere and the summer bounty will soon be upon us (I had my first tomato flower pop up on Sunday!). If we're not really eating locally at all, why not try just one meal a week. It could be something as easy as 2 locally laid eggs and perhaps a piece of locally grown fruit for breakfast.

My success will depend on what we find at the Farmer's Market on Saturday and my ability to convince R. to try this little experiment with me (and continue to return to the Farmer's Market). (I promised to do a few things for him if he promised to read the book when I am finished with it).

If there's anyone out there still not integrating local foods into their diet, I think this would be an excellent first step.

Strawberries!

Thursday R. and I both had the day off and R. heard that a farm about 45 miles away was having a pick your own strawberry deal. The same farm had apples back in the fall that we went and picked a gajillion of, so we decided to head out to pick strawberries.



It was an absolutely beautiful and perfect day weather wise. Low 70's, blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. It could not have been more perfect. We ended up picking 12 pounds of strawberries!! I kept telling R. to stop, but he was obsessed. So we gave 1/2 to R.'s family and some to mine as well.





It was a fun outing and the strawberries are absolutely delicious. I've been eating strawberries as snacks, deserts, drizzled in melted chocolate. There's no white middle--it's all deliciously red. I learned that nothing tastes as good as a strawberry warmed by the sun. DELICIOUS.

I'm Back, For Good

I didn't expect the last few weeks to be so crazy, but maybe I should have. With the end of school, my sister graduating college, visitors and project upon project, I've been running around like crazy trying to get everything accomplished and in order. Thus, no brain or time for posting.

Well, school is over until the fall (when I'll be student teaching). And I have a few weeks before my job goes to full time. So, I'm hoping I can get a lot accomplished and organized for the upcoming summer rather than wasting my time away... like I usually do with a break in schedule.

All of my grand plans for a more eco-friendly life have, admitedly, gone by the wayside in the time being. I've been thinking more about making enough money this summer to support myself while I student teach in the fall than about how I can stop using ziploc bags or eat organic and locally produced food. I want to get back into the mindset where I'm trying to be a more responsible consumer--both in the sense of buying and eating.

Luckily, some REAL farmer's markets should be opening up around the area soon. In fact, tomorrow R. and I are going to go to a pick your own farm and pick some strawberries. Some storms rolled in last night leaving the next few days in the low seventies--rather than the mid-high eighties we were having. So, it will hopefully be a lovely day.

My vegetables are doing fairly well. I'm at the point where I am getting impatient...which is why I'm not the best gardener in the world. I don't need results immediately, but waiting a handful of months drives me a little crazy. Especially since this is my first attempt, they are in containers, and they don't get quite as much sun as they probably should. I just want to know that some are going to produce.

So, anyway, enough of my ramblings. I should be back to posting fairly regularly and hopefully more interestingly!

Farmer's Market Travesty

So, I've mentioned a few times that there was a farmer's market getting ready to open fairly close to my apartment. I've been excited, eagerly looking for new signs as I drove by.

It opened May 1st, so R. and I headed over yesterday to see what they had. Obviously, it's still really early for most fresh produce, but I was still... optimistic.

We walk in and there's a stand of bags of chips. At first, I think they must be organic chips or something... but nope, regular old Tostidos and Lays. Huh. Then there's a display of soda. Okay.

I quickly move to the produce with a sinking feeling. There's displays of mangoes, plums, pears... all things that I know can't be Fresh or Local. I begin to read tags: Product of California, Georgia, MEXICO. The signs say "Fresh" and "Delisious" (spelled with an s, yes). But, THESE ARE NOT FRESH--THEY HAVE BEEN SHIPPED FROM MEXICO.

Needless to say I was angry. Angry because I got my hopes up, but also because the place claims to be a "FARMER'S market" and... I guess maybe the produce came from a farm SOMEWHERE, but I don't think the farmer is reaping the rewards of a sale. And the signs say FRESH--something from Mexico CAN'T BE FRESH.

But, the saddest part is, I don't think the owners are trying to trick people. They just don't think about it. Food is food is food. It's fresh if it looks ripe, but they're not really thinking about the trip it took that Mango to get here from Mexico. They're thinking, hey let's put a cute little market right here. Let's sell produce. Cool.

So, I'm disappointed and irritated that they're calling themselves a farmer's market. R. thinks it's a mob front, but being a police officer shifts his paranoia into overdrive =)

Looks like I'll be searching out somewhere else to get my local produce this summer. I just hope I can find somewhere not too far out of my way.

Spring is REALLY here

Wow, real spring weather finally arrived and I'm practically giddy with it. It's not too hot like it was in March, but not too cold like the winter we had in April. It's sunny, sixties with a cool enough breeze to necessitate a jacket. My favorite kind of weather.

I've been getting my seedlings transplanted in pots, hoping the meager sun and meager space will do well enough for some of them to give something. I'm not looking for enough to live off of by any means, but a tomato or pepper or two would be nice. My strawberry seedlings never popped up, so that was a bit disappointing. I might see if I can find a strawberry plant somewhere instead of trying to grow them from seed.

I'm eagerly awaiting the opening of a farmer's market down the street. It's not quite close enough to walk to, but it is close enough that it makes sense to make regular trips for fruits and vegetables, instead of getting them from the grocery store. And, it's on the way to the grocery store, so it makes sense to stop by there first, then continue on to the store for other necessities. I am very excited about supporting some local farmers and getting some delicious, healthy food out of the deal!

I want to start making my own bread, though admitedly I am a bit intimidated by the whole process. It seems like bread takes a lot of patience, and I do not have a wealth of that! But, I think that will be my project for this weekend/week.

I've fallen off my projects lately. Funks and fogs are not really conduscive to making changes. So, I've been indulging in things like kiwis from Greece and fast food and sitting around, ignoring all the little things I should do. I'm trying to break out of that and get myself together. I need to get back on track with all aspects of my life, being more conscientious in my environmental decisions is just a small part of that.

Hopefully this weather will help get my butt in gear =)

A Jumble of Things

Whew, back in my own apartment! I have to admit I enjoyed curling up with a kitty at night and the broad cable selection of my parent's house, but it is good to be back in my home. My parent's home doesn't feel like my home anymore, much to their disappointment, but I only lived their 5 years--and now I am almost seven years removed from it, so it's just not mine. All right, onto my jumble of things:


Jumble 1:
I have quite a mess on my hands, because R. was sick all week and couldn't finish my unpacking efforts while I was away. This is his excuse anyway, but I don't think the place would have been any different on my return had he been feeling any better. He'd just have some other excuse in the wings. :) So, that is my project for this afternoon since I finally got my taxes done this morning. I think if I can get things put away and organized, I'll feel a lot less... jumpy.

Jumble 2:
One of the things that being home did was give me time to respark my creative juices in the fiction writing department. I have been writing short stories and novels since I was in elementary school, and the past few years have been an up and down dedication to my series of novels based on one family.

Over 2 years ago I began self-publishing these novels through Lulu Press. Somehow I have the heart to sell them to friends and family, but not the heart or fortitude to submit them to publishers.

As I am getting ready to finish up my fifth book in the series, I realize I didn't have anything on this blog about my novels. So, I'm going to be adding a little button to the sidebar. My novels are family-oriented romance novels. I don't think they would fit into the mainstream romance novel market today, because they are not very racy... if you could call them racy at all, and they're character focused and driven. No spies, vampires, murders, etc. It's the story of a family, and the people they fall in love with. Anyway, there's free previews of the first chapters of each if anyone likes romance novels :)

Jumble 3:

I need to get my seeds started! I finally got some containers lined up last week, but I need to get some soil mix to get stuff started. I'm hoping I can get this project accomplished by the end of next week. Then we'll be on our way to an odd assortment of vegetables.

I am, however, worried about sun. Our porch only gets sun in the afternoon, and even that it has to filter through the deck slats. I'm not sure what I can do about this except watch the porch to find the best sun spots and place the containers there once they are ready to be outside.

In the end, the project of growing at least one thing I can eat will probably fail, but it will be a learning process. And, hopefully next year I will have a house and a yard with sun to plant my veggies in.

In other news, I was driving not too far from our apartment last week and noticed a big sign for a farmer's market coming soon in a strip mall only a few miles down the road. I could not be more excited to see where this food will be coming from, but hopefully it will be an excellent resource for local food this summer!

~~

I hope to get my posts more... cohesive now that there's no big (planned) changes, vacations, etc looming on my horizon. Back to the old grindstone of routine. Thank God!

It Feels Like Spring, But It's Still Winter: What Should I Be Eating?

Oh, my, but it’s been a busy few days. We’ve actually gotten some cleaning and packing done (not quite as much as I’d like though). Not to mention the weather has been delicious. I sat outside yesterday morning eating my breakfast realizing this was the first February in a while that seems to have flown by… and now it seems like the last week will last forever.

I am ready for warmth and sun. More ready than I thought I was. Sitting there, soaking it all in, even with the cool slightly chilling breezes, I was desperate for those gorgeous spring days of low 60s, sun, still a little cool but in a nice, refreshing way.

Still, despite the warmer temperatures it’s still winter and still a long way off from fresh produce. So, I have a bit of a question for all you lovely people out there: what are you eating this time of year?

Since this is my first year entering the whole eating local/eating organic lifestyle, I don’t have anything frozen or stored from last year. Also, I’m really picky and don’t like a wide variety of vegetables that most people would consider staples (potatoes, peas, spinach, basically any vegetable that is cooked and green… or cooked at all).

I was planning our meals for next week, trying to come up with a few meatless dishes—or something where meat wasn’t the main part of the meal, and I was having a hard time thinking what I should be eating right now… what would be local or in season? Add to that, what would I like? I’m open to trying new things (which is why I have some squash recipe in my meal plan), but I’m also woefully ignorant.

So, what are you guys eating this time of year (whether it's from your freezer or from the store)? What kind of good winter/early spring recipes do you use that utilize more seasonal/local/organic ingredients?

A Post About Food

On Losing Weight


I have been thinking a lot about food lately—in a variety of capacities. First of all, I want to lose some weight. I am not overweight, but I know if I ate a little better and exercised a few times a week, I could be at a much more satisfactory weight—not to be “skinny” but to be healthy and feel more energetic.

I happened across this amazing website that helps you track your meals, gives you ideas for what to eat and how to exercise. For someone like me, this site has been a revelation. (And it’s free!)



Get a Free Online Diet

First, it allows you to really easily track your food intake and the calories/fat/nutrients you’re getting in the process. I used to think I ate pretty well since I don’t like a lot of fatty things, I had no idea the amount of empty calories I was taking in on a day. And how much I lack in eating good things like fruits and vegetables. And how little water I drank in a day, and how much fat and nasty stuff comes from just one meal eating out.

Which is where all this weight loss talk ties into this blog—it’s all about the fruits and veggies—fresh ones, preferably. I haven’t really been eating much fruit or many vegetables because nothing is really local right now. Now that I know I want to buy local, I am hoping this will help me plan for the next winter season—so I have local on hand to eat.

It’s also about planning so it isn’t easier to say, hey, let’s get Taco Bell. It’s going to take a lot of planning and work and dedication to wean myself off the desire to eat a meal out so often—not in an effort to lose weight or save money, but really in an effort to be good to my body.

With all of these outbreaks of salmonella and e.coli it’s a wonder more people aren’t realizing the problem is in our food system as much as it’s a companies mistake. Society puts such importance on quality goods—clothes, technology, houses, perfect lawns—why aren’t we putting any importance on the quality of food—one of those basic needs?

I suppose because it’s easier to just buy a frozen pizza or get a hamburger at McDonald’s. It’s easier not to think about food and what it is—and if we’ve grown up knowing no different, why should we be expected to change?

I’m not one for super activism. I believe what I believe and don’t try to push my beliefs on others. I often keep my convictions to myself because it’s not my job to change someone’s mind. But, I’m beginning to feel a little bit differently on activism and this issue. I think this is one issue (quality of food) that most people don’t think about because they’re ignorant—they grew up as I did with trips to the grocery store, meals out every week, and no emphasis or thought put on to what we’re putting in our bodies. If we don’t know or see that something’s wrong why should we change it?

So, from here on out I’m going to start telling people why I’m doing what I’m doing and why. Why local and organic are better choices. They don’t have to agree, or listen, they can even laugh—but if knowledge is power, then I feel it should be part of my responsibility to spread my knowledge—I am going to be a teacher after all ;)

A Miscellany

I want to thank Liz and Katie for their answers to my question about local vs. organic, when given the choice. I think both their answers reinforced what I had been leaning towards, which is always good!

In terms of the container veggie garden, things are on hold while we move. I was hoping to start the arugula and a few other plants indoors by the end of February, but it looks like the move won’t be a done deal till the last weekend in February, then I have to spend a week at my parents house watching my little sister while the parents go on a Caribbean cruise. Some people have all the luck. So, now we’re looking at mid-March and I’m not totally pleased about it. Still, I think it’s important that we get settled before I tackle a project this big. I want to succeed at least with something so I know I can do it.

Food wise, I have yet to begin making major changes. Since R. does most of the grocery shopping/buying, I am having trouble convincing him of making conscious choices over cost/convenience choices. He’s beginning to see my point, but he’s still in the camp where convenience and price are the number one priority. Therefore, organic only wins if it’s around the same price. And, he has the notion that organic doesn’t taste as good. He’s having trouble distinguishing organic and healthy/low fat. So, we’re working on that. Luckily, he’s very on-board with farmer’s markets and buying food fresh, so once we get to summer he’ll be at least going in that direction.

I’d also like to start being better about our waste. We throw away a lot, and recycle very little since it is not offered in our apartment complex. It’s hard to change from being convenience oriented to being more mindful of what goes into your trashcan. But, I know I need to start making these changes now while I have the time and effort. That way, once I start student teaching and ideally getting a teaching job, the routine will already be in place and I won’t say—Oh, we just don’t have time to reduce our impact on the environment.

The minimizing/simplifying is going well. I filled up a large garbage bag full of clothes to send to Goodwill. R. doesn’t seem as excited about getting rid of all his unused stuff. He’s determined to keep all 8 million t-shirts. I’m determined to cut back significantly.

It’s hard to believe that we’re almost halfway done with February. March doesn’t feel too far off. And April will be just around the corner. Sometimes, I wish I had the patience to savor each season, each week, each day instead of waiting and planning and thinking about the next one, but I suppose it’s partly this time in my life—filled with so much change, it’s hard to focus on the here-at-hand.

Question for the Eco-Blogosphere

As a person new to the whole eating local/organic/green lifestyle, I thought I would propose a question to the blogosphere out there.

Eating locally has become quite en vogue lately, and for good reason. Besides the fact that the transportation of most of the food in the grocery store impacts the Earth negatively, eating locally is oftentimes tastier and even more nutritious.

The organic movement has also gained speed. It’s good for the environment as well, but it’s also focused on not putting all these man-made chemicals in our bodies and in the Earth.

Okay, so say you are lucky enough to have the option of both—which is better to choose in terms of the environment. A non-organic but local farmer, or an organic but not local product? Which one has the least amount of impact?

I’ve thought a lot about this, but I really don’t know enough about either to determine which is more… Earth and body-minded. On the one hand, a local farmer means very little transportation costs. However, the practices used to produce this food might not be all that great for the environment, for the product, or even for the farmer. Would organic, grown or made with the Earth and our health in mind, be better despite the amount and cost of travel?

Like I said, I don’t have an answer and sometimes you really don’t get the choice between the two. And sometimes you’re really really lucky and have something organic and local. But, I was just curious on some others thoughts on the matter.

What do you all think?

Another Move = Procrastination and Convenience

Well, it’s official—another move will be underway by the end of the month. This is my third move in 11 months. I’m really really hoping this one can stick at least until we finish up our lease.

In the midst of a move, my boyfriend starting a new job, school and all the other things that accompany life, I have to admit my dreams of organic gardening, reducing, simplifying and enjoying more of nature have been put on the back burner. The focus has quickly changed from changing the world, to getting through the changes about to come at my world.

It’s a bit hard to change your habits—the way you do things and organize your world—when those habits are about to change anyway. The new apartment will be smaller, so it will be necessary to reduce and simplify the amount of stuff we have. We will have a patio, so I will still be attempting a container organic vegetable garden, but the amount of sun we get I am not totally sure about yet.

But, despite these things, I am not a good cleaner or a good mover, so the things I do in this area will boil down to convenience rather than responsibility. We’ve already started eating out way more than we should again, consuming sweets at alarming rates, we’re in pre-move mode where we just mope around listing everything we need to do without actually doing it.

But, in my many years of many moves, I can’t help but feel a bit excited—a blank slate. I can say, this apartment I will keep clean. This apartment, I will be organized. This apartment we’ll make regular meals in and grow things in and so on and so on. But, my track record is about 0 and fifteen when it comes to keeping these resolutions.
But, I have to try. I have to hope that this new apartment will help us focus on reducing our footprint… reducing our need and reliance on unnecessary things… begin a habit of eating better, eating locally and paying attention to how we’re living. I can dream, anyway. =)

(Eco-Composition Sunday is post-poned until tomorrow)

Cheater, cheater, Clementine eater

I have a confession to make… a deep, dark secret I keep from my “green” side. I love Clementines. These “e-z” peel cuties that travel to my Missouri supermarket from California… or even worse, Spain. The Boyfriend and I have become obsessed, eating about 3 a day and gobbling up nearly 5 boxes in the past month.

I feel guilt. I do, but at the same time, I can’t stop. An addiction? I don’t think so. It’s actually something mildly nobler (I said mildly).

I am a sugar freak. There’s not a day that goes by I don’t drink pop, and barely a day goes by that I don’t eat some horrifically sugary candy like Nerds or Starburst or Skittles. I have been obsessed with candy as long as I can remember—so much so that friends joke about this very fact and my boyfriend buys me bags and bags of candy for most occasions. Sugar is a drug, and I’m a very happy addict.

But, something amazing happened with our first box of Clementines. I had finished lunch, and instead of reaching for a sugary handful of candy, I wanted fruit. I had to do a bit of a double take. Body, you want what? But my body was adamant, it didn’t want candy—it wanted a Clementine.

Since we’ve been buying the well-traveled Clementine, I’ve barely touched my candy stash (I’m still a pop addict). Instead, for snacks and even desserts I reach for a Clementine. I like fruit a lot, but Clementines are the only one’s I’ve ever reached for over candy.
So the dilemma becomes, be good to my body or be good to the environment? I suppose it doesn’t have to be a choice… I could cut back on my sugar with sheer willpower, but that doesn’t work for me for very long. I could find a more local fruit to bow to my sweet tooth, but where’s that going to happen in January?
And so, we buy the Clementines and I feel guilty, but rationalize that it’s good for me! I believe the Clementine season is coming to an end; the last batch wasn’t so good, so until next winter I can be free of guilt. But, hopefully I can come up with a suitable replacement for the Clementine for the end of ’07.

The Little House Cookbook

I was looking through all the junk I keep crammed under the guest bed when I came across something I had forgotten completely.

At some point my Mom or Grandma had bought this orange cookbook full of odd, old-fashioned recipes. When my Mom wanted to get rid of it at a garage sale, I took it for myself. I didn’t know how she could get rid of something so infinitely interesting… and then it got packed away and I’ve barely looked at it since.

The book is The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker. It’s a book full of recipes mentioned in any of the fantastic Little House books or recipes that pioneers would have been making around the time Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family was traversing the Midwest. I’m a big history buff—especially the social aspect of history. Not necessarily wars or political disasters, but what were the everyday people thinking, feeling doing?

So, when I came across this book again I opened it up and looked through it. I was amazed to find just as many (if not more) words and explanations as recipes. I began to read the forward and was struck by how perfect Ms. Walker’s words seemed to fit with the ideas of simplicity, eating locally and even sustainability.

“They [the recipes] turn out to be a wonderful way to rediscover basic connections, links that are often obscured in the complex modern world. By this I mean connections among the food on the table, the grain in the field, and the cow in the pasture. Between the food on the table and the sweat of someone’s brow. Between the winter and dried apples, the summer and tomatoes, the autumn and fresh sausage. Between the labors of the pioneers and the abundance we enjoy today. Between children and their elders. Between the preparation of a meal and the experience of love.”

Walker’s words are undeniably perfect for this generation. She points to a point Joan Dye Gussow also brings up in her book This Organic Life. Many people don’t make the connection between what they eat and the farmers that produce the food. Many children haven’t any idea how onions or celery or peaches grow. There’s no connection. We simply, as a nation, do not seem to care where our food comes from as long as its cheap and convenient.

I think a lot of the local movements and homesteading movements stem from a wish to have all
those connections back. My Dad often makes fun of my love for old things, pointing out that I wouldn’t want to live without plumbing or running water. I try to explain I don’t want to transport myself back to that time, but I would like some of the values of community and food to be transported to our time. Pioneers and all those that came before the industrial age did what they did out of necessity. If they didn’t plant vegetables or have some kind of food source,
they died. Many of us are so lucky not to have that kind of threat hanging over our heads, but it doesn’t mean we should allow our ignorance to threaten our planet and our own health.

I’m getting a bit soapbox-y and a bit rambly again, so I’ll just say this. What I want from my life is to understand those connections between the food on the table and sweat of someone’s brow. I want to pass this to my children should I be lucky enough to have them. These new choices I’m making are to increase my connection to the land, to what I eat and an attempt to rememember my good fortune to have all that I have and not always be wanting more, faster, easier, and cheaper.

Pet Causes

A few days ago I was talking to one of my closest friends on the phone. Somehow, we got on the topic of eating fresh and locally. It’s not a topic I often bring up with people, because it’s still such a new concept for me, I don’t think I can do it justice until I actually start living it.

However, we got on the topic anyhow, and I was surprised that my friend agreed. Yes, fresh food tastes better. Yes, I would like to eat locally. Yes, yes, yes. Until we got to the part where we discuss actually doing it.

My friend had the normal arguments against it, it’s not economically sound and it requires some time and effort that a lot of people don’t have. I agreed that it takes time and some effort, and perhaps it’s not frugal in an economic sense, but I pointed out that it will never be economical or easy unless people start wanting to make the effort. The market generally bends to the majority of consumer wishes or consumer trends. Let’s make eating locally the coolest trend there is.

She pointed out that I specifically couldn’t afford it, and she has a point. I barely make enough money to scrape by, let alone by fresh produce from a farmer’s market. But, I couldn’t help but feel that I would rather make some financial sacrifices along the way and feel like I was at least taking away some of my personal additions to the levels of energy wasted by our food system.

And, I suppose, what it comes down to is this: what are you willing to sacrifice for? Everyone has his or her own pet “causes.” A disease, a human rights issue, our environment. We all determine what kind of sacrifices we want to make based on how we feel about them. I don’t often discuss my pet “causes” because everyone has a right to decide what cause they hold dear to their hearts.

I grew up around farms and people who had tried their hand at farming at some point. I grew up with the wilderness of my Grandparents and the small farm town of my other Grandparents. I grew up with a fascination for barns and cornfields and the people that made those things possible. I grew up occasionally getting a taste of fresh fruit in comparison with store bought. If someone never saw these things, I can imagine how hard it would be to make the connection and hold this cause to your heart.

Unfortunately, there are other issues involved other than just better tasting food. Greenhouse emissions, wasted energy, small farms being bulldozed and wild places being torn apart for million dollar homes. These issues, though not on the hearts of all, have a direct impact into our world and our future. I can’t help but feel we all need to take some responsibility for that. But, I am not one for banging my head against the cement heads of some. So, my activism is doing what I can, showing those interested what we can do, and teaching my children and my future students to care for the world and the wild.

Soapbox-y? Yes, but we can all take a turn on the soapbox every now and again, as long as we remember deep down we’re all trying to do something good—we just don’t all define good in the same way.

Picky Eaters: Fresh Produce Tastes Better!

Another reason I have become increasingly interested in eating locally and growing my own food is something that I have known without knowing since I was about 8 years old: fresh food tastes better!

I say knowing without knowing because I never really gave it much thought. However, as I was reading This Organic Life recently, Gussow mentioning how fruits and vegetables from the grocery store are often tasteless, though perhaps uniform while the foods from her garden had strong, vibrant tastes that surprised many of her visitors and neighbors throughout the years. As I read all of this, it suddenly dawned on me that I had known this all along, but I’d chalked it up to different things.

From the time I was born until college when my Grandmother began to lose her good health, weeks of my summers, spring vacations and winter vacations were spent at my Grandparent’s home in rural Iowa. My Grandfather had a vegetable/fruit garden in the expansive yard. He grew pumpkins and watermelon, rhubarb and strawberries; he even had a grape vine and a couple fruit trees. I don’t remember what the other fruit trees were, but one was a plum tree. This particular summer, I happened to be visiting when the plums were ripe. Being a very picky eater, I was often reluctant to try new things. I never thought I liked plums, but the idea of picking something and eating it was too novel to pass up. Turns out I loved these plums. I ate plum after plum and raved about them to my parents. When I returned home, my Mom bought some plums at the store for me. Guess what? I didn’t like them. I don’t remember what they tasted like exactly, but I can distinctly remember being disappointed. My Mom bought some more, thinking perhaps we’d gotten a bad batch. No luck, I no longer liked plums. My Mom chalked it up to me being difficult and I suppose I was used to getting tired of certain foods after eating too much. Looking back, I would say the difference is the fact that the plums I ate at Grandma’s were deliciously fresh. The ones from the store were from states and miles away, bred specifically for travel and color, rather than taste.

The next two examples are a little more recent. The first involves a trip to a local apple orchard. I saw a commercial and thought it would be a fun day outing for me and The Boyfriend. We picked two big bags of apples. Now, I love a good apple, but I had always thought they were hard to find. A lot of the times I would buy an apple at the store only one out of the couple would be sweet and tangy enough for my picky tastes. I thought it was me being picky. I ate apple after apple of this batch from the orchard, and none had that grainy, tasteless experience that I had grown used to with apples. These were delicious. Because they were in season and fresh.

Then, this November, I was lucky enough to travel to Hawaii for my parents 25th anniversary. I had grown up eating pineapple out of a can. I’d changed from the syrup to the in its own juices, but there was something odd about how I liked pineapple—only from a can. I thought the “fresh” pineapple from the store was too… something. Low and behold we get to Hawaii and I decide I better try some fresh pineapple in Hawaii, just to know I ate pineapple in Hawaii. Imagine my surprise when I loved it. Every day I had some fresh pineapple. I exclaimed to my Mom how I had made this miraculous change, and she just shrugged and said, “of course it tastes better, it’s grown right here.”
Then, reading Gussow’s book I finally put all the dots together. I’d often been afraid of “fresh” because I wasn’t sure I would like it. I don’t like tomatoes or almost any green vegetable (cucumbers and green beans are about all I can stand), I don’t like beans, peaches or even potatoes, but I’m willing to try the fresh versions now to see if maybe what I don’t like is the “jet-lagged” produce from superstores. I have a feeling I still won’t like peaches or spinach, but being willing to try is exciting enough for a picky eater like me.