Salaam Alaikum

And jam nyaali to all...

Alright I know what you are going to say: "Food again? That's all you talk about is food!"

So maybe it's true. I do talk about food often. It is on my mind a lot. However, I'm taking a different angle this time. Instead of fantasizing about ossobucca and risotto I'm going to get a little hippy dippy.

Each day I walk or bike to my marché. I buy vegetables, bread, and sometimes meat to prepare food for the day. The people, or the families of the people that grew, made, or raised and slaughtered the food are generally the ones that sell it. For these people, the connection between food and the earth is undeniable. Furthermore, things like grazing, rainfall, and wind can have an adverse effect on a family's ability to support itself. These are issues that the world faces on a day to day; and that we as Americans have become somewhat disconnected from. I can hear the groans from some people. "Oh man Evan goes off to Africa and all of a sudden he's some big hippy thats going to lay on guilt when I go to McDonalds". Not so, I would give a lot for a double cheeseburger at this point. I'm not asking anyone to change their day to day habits; simply pointing out a very obvious difference between America and developing nations.

In the U.S. we spend lots and lots of money shipping food across the country. We have all types of produce year-round. It is an extreme luxury that has become the norm. We also consume a ludicrious amount of meat. Not only is beef expensive to raise, but our eating habits bog down our health system with astounding numbers of people with heart disease. I suppose what I'm saying is that dinner isn't just dinner. There are thousands of factors at work that bring the various components of your meals to you, and global effects associated with eating trends. We remain mostly oblivious to this. Agriculture has had the single largest effect on our environment in this history of man, this is a fact.

I'm going to cut myself short and say that I've been doing a bit of research on urban farming lately. I like the idea a lot. It offers people the ability to reconnect with the food that they eat. These are people living in an urban setting that have most likely never set foot on a farm. It also builds pride in a community, and has the potential for generating money, and improving community health. Detroit seems like a prime candidate for programs like this. It occupies a huge footprint, and the population is dwindling, resulting in large vacant spaces. Much of this land is inexpensive, and there is an ample community minded student population in and outside the city. I don't believe that I need to mention the advantages of eating local food.

Soo in conclusion. Instead of going to the big supermarket this weekend, make a trip to a farmers market, and buy what is in season. Prepare what you can with what is available. Talk to the people that grow your food. It's really not that hard. Plant an herb garden, you can even do it inside. It will serve as a reminder that your meals are more than just meals, and that you are undeniably connected to the ground you walk on.

Thats all for now thanks for reading, and shouts to Mike Fresh and growerr.com - I'm looking forward to it man.