This New York Times Magazine essay in the October 8, 2010, edition of the paper has been quietly working on my subconscious for the past couple of weeks. I keep going back to it and rereading. Muhlke, who is the food editor for the magazine, really hit on some of the most poignant ways in which the recent resurgence of emphasis on local food and small-scale farmers materializes - in relationships among people, a rich web "of producers, of customers, of eaters and enthusiasts."
My favorite part:
In even simpler terms, community is built upon conversations. People like to eat, and they like to talk about it....Working and living around food allows you to interact mainly with people who find pleasure in similar things -- which could, of course, become frustratingly limiting. But according to the men and women I've interviewed for Field Report, this sense of connection with and appreciation by the people around them makes the crushing work and razor-thin margins worth it.
What do you think? How has becoming a food producer changed your community life, or has it?
Comments
Hello Lauren, you have a nice blog. There is a lot to read there. We recently joined a CSA here in Japan. The vegetables taste great, even if they are strange shapes and a bit bug-eaten. Your article is right: the nicest thing is going to the Thursday pick-up spot and talking to the farmers and the other CSA members. We recently had a potluck get-together where members prepared dishes using the organic vegetables. It was lots of fun. We hope we can get more people interested so that the farmer couple will increase their income stream a bit.