Lately James and I have been talking a lot about food, farming, and nutrition. We've been watching "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" obsessively and contemplating getting a CSA (community shared agriculture) from a local urban farm called Sweetwater Organic farms. Tonight we watched a great documentary called "Ingredients" which highlighted the local farm movement and how it is one of the many ways we can save our planet and our health. While we might have to wait on buying a CSA until next year (it just wasn't in the budget this year) we still want to go volunteer and learn more about urban/sustainable farming at Sweetwater. I will admit that I've had to humble myself a little because it's been awhile since I've weeded a garden and more importantly--I don't know as much about farming as I thought I did. But because we're committed to eating better--nutritionally, environmentally, and socially--I'm willing to admit that even though I'm a farmer's daughter, I don't know everything about having a garden. Plus, we hope to meet crunchy, enthusiastic hippies like ourselves in the process! There's no better way to make friends than when dirt and sweat are involved, right?

The bigger picture here is what do we do with this information and passion? James and I have always had a deep connection to food and nutrition. One of the things that drew me to him was his skill and love of cooking. Our journey in becoming vegetarian has really been a positive force in not only our health but our relationship as well. We also love trying to make positive change for others and educating. We hear so many studies and statistics on the news about the obesity epidemic and childhood diabetes. It especially concerns me as a public health professional and James as an exercise physiologist. That's why we think that when the time is right, we would love to somehow get involved in changing how our food system works. We both feel very strongly about growing your own food and supporting local farmer's markets. It makes sense in many different ways; it prolongs the diverse tradition of farming and its connection to community, it allows for farmers to set their prices and control the quality of their crop, it gives the community access to better quality food and healthier options, it creates a sense of community, it educates children and families about where their food comes from, and it cuts down on the need for non-renewable energy like petroleum. How comforting is it knowing exactly where your food came from? Knowing the person who gave you the food took great pride and love into growing, tending, and delivering your food to you? We have such a unique and deep relationship with food; the taste, smell, memories, emotions, and preparation that is wrapped up in food culture is complex. I love knowing that the food I eat is directly helping someone maintain an income and furthering an ancient tradition like farming. There's a sense of investment--in our health here and later on, in our community, and in demanding that the structure of food quality and delivery be changed. My dollar is my vote for better food and that is empowering. I would encourage anyone reading this blog to invest just a little time in finding out when and where a local farmers' market is in your area.

We hope that someday we can have our own little plot of land (or maybe big plot) where we can take time to grow some delicious food. We've even considered having a bigger farm where we could sell our produce to a local restaurant and/or a farmer's market. There's been a push for more public and private schools to team up with local farms to feed and educate children on agriculture and food. I laugh a little writing this because I remember growing up thinking "I'll never be a farmer--it just doesn't seem that interesting." While I don't think I'll be the farmer my father is, I can still take a lot from his experience and potentially make it my own. It's funny to think my family has been doing this for years (growing food for themselves and selling their crops) and yet it seems like such a new concept. For now, I can only volunteer and start a small herb garden in my apartment. That's okay though--we all have to start somewhere.