Michael and I went to a lecture at the U of M yesterday, by the one and only
Lynn Rossetto Kasper. If you're unfamiliar, take a listen to her program on
NPR,
The Splendid Table. We are avid listeners, not only to MPR - therefor, to NPR - but to this particular program as well. I've always thought Lynn sounded like a really neat lady, and, as it turns out, she most definitely is!
Michael had shot me an email a number of weeks back, informing me of some of the things
Slow Food, MN had going on, and this appearance by Lynn was one of them.
Titled, One Food Lover's Journey to the Land, or, The American Paradox, it was a rather quick synopsis of our connection (or, disconnection) to our food and where it comes from, how our attitudes towards food as Americans was created back in the Industrial Revolution and how that has its remaining impacts today. It was fascinating to learn of the differences between our country and "old" countries, in that we came into the food system that was here (being cultivated and nurtured by the very wise Natives), and completely manipulated the land for profit - right from the beginning! Because of this vast, "free" land at our fingertips, we created machines and transportation methods that quickly thrust us into becoming a "rich", industrial nation. We had absolutely no time, really, to connect to our land and to cultivate it, as so many other regions had (and continue to do). From the Industrial Revolution, on, we have used as the excuse for our bastardized food production the need to get food to the poor, therefor needing to create mass quantities, even if those quantities come at the price of "lesser than" foods, laden with sugars and other things not naturally found in the foods to begin with. All the while, thus creating the great divide between us and our land. So unlike countries like Italy and India, and so many others...countries whose food we admire and try to emulate, simply because we don't have a rich culture of our own to
feed on.
To my surprise (and I can't believe I didn't know this), Lynn lives in St. Paul! She rounded out her lecture with inspiration. She talked of the many farmers markets we have at our disposal, not to mention the many, many natural food stores and co-ops, and the fact that - even (especially!) in times like these - we CAN and SHOULD buy local, organic, bulk foods. She talked of the need for all of us to try our (damnedest) to get back to the land, to know where our food comes from, even encouraging us to grow it (to that, of course, we say "OKAY!")! She left us with a list of "must do's", from shopping at one of our many local farmers markets, to buying one organic (preferably local) product a week, to cooking one meal at home from scratch, as a start to finding that connection. Oh, she also suggested we "turn off the damn TV!" and sit around the table together for dinner. To force ourselves (as it seems, these days) to sit and eat together - one, if not THE, most intimate thing we do together. And, to really enjoy our food!
I wish the lecture had been longer, and that she could have really expounded upon the things she had talked so briefly about. But, she has inspired me to look further into it. Michael and I may be dangerously close to being obsessed with this stuff (food, its origins, growing and preserving it, etc.), but is there really anything better to absorb oneself in than food, especially with a baby on the way?! I feel very proud to say that we are already so in tune with where our food comes from, trying our hardest to eat locally as much as possible, and, soon, growing as well as preserving our own food. Between the two of us, we are as up to date as we can be on the issues facing agriculture and small farms and what foods to discourage our friends and family from consuming, so on and so forth. But there's so much more to know, especially about the "why". Why are we here, and how did we get to this point in our outlook on food? Why is it so easy for us to trust Big Ag to feed us? Why aren't more people informed about the food system?
This is a cool little interview with Lynn. She just seems like someone I'd like to know. :)
On the subject, I can't wait to see the documentary,
Food, Inc.
