Thursday, December 18, 2008
You know me...
So, I know that my first real post (beyond the initial one, which everyone knows doesn't count) should talk about my family and how cute they are. I should tell you how adorable my husband and daughter were this morning, out in the front yard making a very bottom heavy snowman with an evergreen mohawk. I should tell you how cute my little B-man is as he crawls and cruises around, emptying his bookshelf in about .02 seconds. But, I'm not. I'll save that for another post. Instead, I want to tell y'all about this fascinating book I read. It's called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and it's all about this family who decided to only eat what they themselves either grew or were able to purchase from local farmers. And it got me thinking, could I do that? I mean, Alex and I can't keep a houseplant alive, much less enough food to feed our family. And these people were committed--they raised their own turkeys, they made their own cheese, they even gave up chocolate!!!! But this concept of a "locavore" (no, that one's not made up, at least not by me) has got me thinking. I am 99.9% positive that my family would not make it if we had to subsist on what I pull out of the back yard, but there are things I can do, like go to local farmer's markets and "put up," as my grandma would say, canned fruits and vegetables in the summer that we can eat in the winter, thus eliminating, or at least minimizing the need to buy expensive produce in February. So, next summer, I think I'll give locavorism (ok, that one's made up) a try. Or at least a little more of my awareness than it currently has.
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Hurrah! Sorry I won't be here to put up with you (and your grandmother's sense of the phrase), but living where you are you'll have lots of resources for 'going local.' Bu the way, these are the kind of blog spots I like to read most - photos of family and an anecdote or two are great, but I like to know what's on a person's mind. Sounds like I need to read Animal, Vegetable, Miralce.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I tried Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and was pretty disappointed. I love Kingsolver's other works (Poisonwood Bible!) and really like her voice.
ReplyDeleteStill, I think AVM (as my bookclub snobs started calling it) got kind of tedious... There are soooooo many big issues in our world today, doesn't it seem a little elitist to focus on this one so much?
I just got frustrated with the ladies in my book club comparing notes on the "organic farm cohort" they were a part of, while the rest of us were trying to figure out how to cobble together a menu for our family while paying $5 a gallon for milk and nearly so much for gas. Forget such society issues as Darfur or Afghanistan. It all seemed to be about getting the most fabulous mozzerella.
Not to sound too bitter. Just my thoughts. :)
No, Laura, I totally understand! And as I think about it, that year for the kingsolvers was (or at least appeared to be) ALL ABOUT FOOD. It would be like having a new religion--total and constant awareness and dedication. I don't have the mental capacity for that, much less the time. But I can be more aware, and that's what I took from the book. There are lots of local markets here that sell produce for as much as the grocery store does, and then I can support the local business and have more flaverful food at the same time. Even better if the farms are organic. I can't now and probably won't ever raise my own turkeys, much less breed them. I can see myself making homemade cheese once, as an experiment. So the total life conversion--not likely. But the heightened awareness--that I can do.
ReplyDeleteOh, and you liked Poisonwood Bible? That's probably my least favorite Kingsolver. I like her Arizona books better, I think.
ReplyDeleteArizona books? Enlighten me... I have not tried them yet.
ReplyDeleteI should have known that you would be a rich source for reading suggestions! :)
The Bean Trees, Animal Dreams, Pigs in Heaven. I enjoyed all of them, especially Animal Dreams! They're not quite as epic as Poisonwood Bible, but they deal with interesting themes, and I really like Kingsolver's voice.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thoughts. I agree with Laura-I was at a discussion that focused on food like that and got so in depth it could make your head spin. And what I took from it was-do the best you can with what you have. If you focus too down and dirty you'll go crazy and just feel guilty. So we do little things-I buy wheat bread for my family-is it the most nutrious-probably not, but we're trying. We have tried a garden and are going to try again. We love to get citrus from our neighbors. It does feel good to go to your own garden and get the things you need for a salad. And we are also getting a little more into canning. But here-some things are cheaper to buy than to can. Again, doing what you can. Moderation in all things-I think it's a good motto :o)
ReplyDeleteWhat Laura was describing of her book group conversation (although I haven't read the book) is exactly the kind of thing that scares me about the current "green" trend. There are real issues in the world, in our communities, and in our homes that are so far removed from haute tree-hugging. Believe me, I am for simplicity, stewardship, and self-reliance. But organically raised, home-cultured, sheep's milk mozzarella is just as antithetical to those concepts as Velveta. Maybe, if we were all focused on meeting the basic needs of our families (in every sense) and putting whatever ways and means we have beyond that to charitable (and by that I mean the pure love of Christ) efforts there wouldn't be so many Darfurs, Afghanistans, credit crises, epidemic obesity, depressed local economies, crimes of desperation, etc.
ReplyDeleteKami and Amber, you both resound a solid admonition of the gospel - moderation in all things. We're also taught to be thrifty while industrious, self-reliant yet selfless. In terms of what we eat, we know exactly what will make us healthy and please the Master we are merely stewards of. And if you look closely, I think the Word of Wisdom shows just how synergistic *some* food trends (eating foods in season, whole grains, little meat, etc.) are with the simplicity we need in order to focus on things of real consequence.
Hi Kami,
ReplyDeleteI "met" you through Amber's blog and loved learning about your book. I hope you don't mind if I put in my 2 cents worth? What a cool blog! And what could be better than writing about ideas and books? I can't wait to read the book--it's a new author for me. The whole concept of getting away from processed foods is great! It seems like the entire western world has been on a 40-year experiment to see what would happen to our DNA from eating processed foods. It sounds good except raising your own animals--that would be REALLY tough. Think pet chicken...did you know they kind of coo? We planted wheat one year and no one could figure out how to harvest it. If we really had to live off our gardens, hopefully we all have lots of grains in our food supply!