Inspiration in a Box
In his extraordinary book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan observes that the detachment of Americans from culinary traditions has contributed to a “national eating disorder”: for many, choosing among foods is a stressful ordeal that seems fraught with risks. While America’s diversity contributes to the lack of a cohesive culinary heritage, Pollan writes that marketers also have a hand in preserving stresses related to food:
“The lack of a steadying culture of food leaves us especially vulnerable to the blandishments of the food scientist and the marketer, for whom the omnivore’s dilemma is not so much a dilemma as an opportunity. It is very much in the interest of the food industry to exacerbate our anxieties about what to eat, the better to then assuage them with new products.”
If the food industry profits from our anxieties, then what is the antidote to this condition?
For me, one antidote comes in a package I look forward to receiving each week.
That package is a CSA box of fresh fruits and vegetables from Full Belly Farm, a 200-acre organic farm located in Northern California. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, which LocalHarvest defines as follows:
“A CSA (for Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become ‘members’ (or ’shareholders,’ or ’subscribers’) of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments. Some CSAs also require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season.”
You can also search for a CSA near you through LocalHarvest.
I am fortunate that each week I can pick up my farm box right next door as my neighbor’s house serves as a pick-up location for CSA members in this area. This week’s box included Artichokes, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Parsley, Green Garlic, and Strawberries.
If our detachment from farming and food traditions leads to anxieties about food, then why not build a community around a farm? Full Belly Farm, like many CSA farms, does just that. Each week’s farm box includes a copy of the Full Belly Beet, the farm’s newsletter, a version of which is available online. The latest edition includes the crop outlook for the coming weeks, which reminds members of the growing season for some popular fruits and veggies. It also provides examples of how the farm builds community, such as by offering a Mother’s Day garden tour, a harvest festival, and other events, as well as by hosting school groups.
The farm’s newsletter also includes recipes, some of which are contributed by subscribing members of the farm, as well as notes about the traditional uses of herbs included in the farm box.
CSAs can inspire great loyalty. I eagerly await the farm box’s delivery each week; I would never think of abandoning the farm to try to shop around and possibly save a few bucks. More than that, CSAs can simply inspire. One member of Full Belly Farm even posts illustrated CSA cooking diaries. A search of Flickr reveals numerous photos of the coveted contents of CSA boxes from a variety of farms as well as meals made lovingly from them. While I haven’t gone to the trouble of photographing my veggies, I can understand why someone might. In a world where the cheapest garlic in the supermarket might have traveled halfway around the world, food that is truly local and authentic can be captivating.
There’s much more to be said about the Community Supported Agriculture model, especially the ways in which knowledge is shared. In the case of some CSAs, including Full Belly Farm, that sharing of knowledge also extends to an apprentice program. For now, however, I’d just like to point out that, as we seek to break through the noise generated by corporate marketers and inform people about healthy and sustainable options, the CSA model can serve as a powerful example of community entrepreneurship that helps heal a social anxiety.
Evan
Is one aspect of this the problems caused by lack of time and energy for cooking and living out one’s culinary roots because two or three jobs are needed for a family to survive?
I don’t see the diversity in itself is a problem any more than it is an opportunity. But when all the adult wage-earners come home exhausted, culinary culture may take a back seat to fast food and naps. Also, I feel some resistance to accepting the notion that “choosing among foods is a stressful ordeal that seems fraught with risks” unless we’re talking about people who have deeper problems with self-directedness and this is just one symptom.
The CSA is an awesome idea. When it’s not happening and you don’t know any farmers it’s hard to figure out how to promote it. Possibly the State Extention Service, though their bureaucracy may feel a bit confused or threatened by the idea. Do you have any suggestions?