Foodie

After I left class on Thursday, I found myself thinking about the question Will posed in class:

"What are you going to do with all of this, what role do you play in the food movement?"

but I realized that I am not sure how to answer the question. However I do know one thing for certain, I love food. I love eating it, sharing it, growing it, learning new recipes to make with it, and connecting with those I love over, with, and through it. Food is powerful, it can be a force that keeps us alive, or one that kills us. I believe that although food in the general sense is a universal language, good* food is not universally accessible. This is because there are barriers, big and small, that cannot be overturned simply by labeling socioeconomically depressed areas as food deserts. In fact, it might be wise to throw that term out of the window--as these areas are not dry, they are alive. Soaked in culture, social connections, assets, and stories. 

I want to be a part of a movement that teaches people how to feed themselves. It doesn't mean that everyone has to become a urban farmer, attend farmers' markets, or be apart of a CSA. It means finding good food for all (across race, socioeconomic status, and neighborhood), rekindling social networks that were once present in the market place, and reconnecting with our farmers. As we have learned this semester, the food movement is not a silo-ed mission--we must board the collaboration station getting our educators, researchers, policy makers, movers and shakers, and neighborhood champions, united. Although I'm not sure where I fall on the list, I do know that I want to take all that I've learned this semester and jump in. 

*As I understand it, "good" can be boiled down to mean food that is green, fresh, fair, and accessible.