A collection of links, ideas, resources, and miscellany to help create a world that is just and sustainable.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Earlier this week, I finally finished reading Hope's Edge by Anna and Frances Moore Lappe. I started the book in December and I hadn't intended to read it so slowly, as it was both enjoyable and informative.
The authors connect a host of ideas that interest me--sustainable agriculture, organic farming, social responsibility, and how food can make us better people. Late in the book, the authors succinctly espouse their philosophy that hope comes from food that is good for the earth, good for the farmer, good for the farmworker, and good for the consumer. Seems reasonable to me.
In thinking about what I'm already doing to move myself more in the direction that the book suggests, I see some positive signs. For example,
So, I'm making progress. There's more I would like to be able to do.
This weekend I'm heading off to the Culinary Institute of America for a week-long bootcamp for cooking enthusiasts. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to learn some new techniques, try some new foods, and hone my developing skills in the kitchen. In the back of my mind, though, I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with these skills...how will I make use of them in a way that extends beyond my own circle of family and friends?
Peace.
The authors connect a host of ideas that interest me--sustainable agriculture, organic farming, social responsibility, and how food can make us better people. Late in the book, the authors succinctly espouse their philosophy that hope comes from food that is good for the earth, good for the farmer, good for the farmworker, and good for the consumer. Seems reasonable to me.
In thinking about what I'm already doing to move myself more in the direction that the book suggests, I see some positive signs. For example,
- I already try to purchase fair trade (e.g. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters sells tasty fair trade beans; Green & Black make excellent fair trade chocolates) and organic foods (e.g. many from local organic farmers) as often as I can.
- I've cut my consumption of meat products significantly in the past several years and I try to buy wild seafood and naturally-grazed, hormone-injection free chicken, pork, and beef.
- I've cut my consumption of fast food (reading Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation made it much easier).
- I use little in the way of processed foods; when I do, I try to stick to brands like Amy's Kitchen and Westbrae Natural.
- I'm learning more about gardening--both flower and vegetable--from an organic standpoint. I've not had the opportunity to grow many of my own vegetables yet because of travel, but I do grow some tomatoes, peppers, and herbs.
- When I travel, I try to eat at locally-owned restaurants that give more care to cooking than heating up a pre-made vacuum-sealed portion of whatever. A few of my favorites? Cafe Pasqual's in Sante Fe,
Higgin's Restaurant and Bar in Portland, Oregon, and the Doolin Cafe in Doolin, County Clare, Ireland.
So, I'm making progress. There's more I would like to be able to do.
This weekend I'm heading off to the Culinary Institute of America for a week-long bootcamp for cooking enthusiasts. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to learn some new techniques, try some new foods, and hone my developing skills in the kitchen. In the back of my mind, though, I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with these skills...how will I make use of them in a way that extends beyond my own circle of family and friends?
Peace.
