One of the questions I often get asked by my students in China is: “Why are you in China?” I chose to come here for reasons I’ve talked about in other posts, but one good reason to stay is that it is an extremely fascinating place to be living at this point in time.
China is one of the most quickly evolving countries in the world. Evolving for the better? Maybe in a few ways, but on several levels, it is devolving and falling into some of the pits Western countries have created for themselves. I’ve written about one of these pits a few times in the past, and this pit is called ‘destruction of the food system’. China has, until very recently, been a very agricultural country. The current push, however, is for education, technology, modernization, and industrialization. Currently, the only people you see farming on a small, local, healthy scale are older generations. You seldom see young people working the fields or hauling their produce to market on their shoulders and backs. When these older generations die or are forced out of food production, China will enter exactly the situation that we, in the West, have created for ourselves.
But the focus of this post is ‘renewal’, and I want to talk about a renewal in interest in small scale farming that we are seeing in consumerist North America. There are a lot of exciting food and land projects that are starting up and involving young people, sometimes with the help of the wise and experienced older generations. The focus is on small, organic, and local. I’m including some photographs from the University Farm that belongs to Chico State University in Northern California; they do research, but they also produce food. Chico has a lot of great food projects in the works, some community-based, some university-based. They are inspiring, and I wonder whether China will follow in our footsteps in ‘food desert’ creation before they experience renewal…
We also try to grow a lot of our own food. I detest the GMO junk that’s being foisted on the American public.
Good for you! I think it is the way to go, something everyone needs to make time and space for. Junk is definitely the word – between fast food, junk food on offer at the end of every supermarket aisle, and modifications made to things that are supposed to be natural, is there really a rational alternative to growing your own to remain healthy?
this is the only way I know of – just do it ourselves – and don’t buy seeds from Lowe’s or such places! We try to get our from the feed store, or someplace we KNOW has heirloom seeds. I think they even taste different.
That is absolutely the way to be, I agree. There is just something great about preserving the best of what nature has to offer, and contributing to a legacy. Yep, I think they taste different too
I was at a farmer’s market last weekend and my photograph of the display of tomatoes is almost like yours – instead of a tables of red “tasteless” tomatoes California farmers are growing heirloom varieties that are yellow and orange have a WOW flavor.
That most basic of experiences – taste explosion – should be a driving motivator in getting people to convert to buying (at the very least) or try growing heirloom fruits and veg. Sadly, most people don’t get the chance to experience it.
Which farmers’ market did you visit? I’ve been to a few in your general area and they were just wonderful, especially in late winter when my part of the world (when not in China) is under snow and ice.
We go to the Hollywood and Studio City markets on Sundays, there’s a great organic market in Santa Monica on Wednesdays, and I love the Saturday market in Pasadena, and sometimes we get to the Burbank Saturday market …. and also there’s a Thursday market near Mr F’s work.
Wonderful response!
Thank you so much
Every one has to go the – inevitable – full circle, before wisdom swans. Neat post.
Sadly, learning from the mistakes of others doesn’t often work. We do indeed need to experience things for ourselves.
I love the way you word that
I like this perspective on renewal.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your comment
How lovely to find a place where you feel at home. Nicely done.
Thanks! It is a beautiful community, and I would live there if I could. Ah, political boundaries…
Great post and I write this as I am making dinner and wanted to share the tremendously satisfying feeling I got as I cut up and put in the soup sweet potatoes WE grew right in our backyard planter!!! Didn’t have to think so much about pesticides and such as I knew their origin. Satisfying, very satisfying
That is wonderful! I completely agree about that feeling of satisfaction. I remember a few years back when I was working on an organic farm, we prepared this massive feast for Thanksgiving. Someone remarked that everything on the table except for a few things like butter and one or two other items came from that farm. It was rather incredible. I’d never experienced that before having grown up in modern suburbia. And the feeling was, indeed, satisfaction.
I’m guessing your soup was delicious – who doesn’t love sweet potatoes!?!
Beautiful veggies, especially those heirloom tomatoes. They are the BEST.
In our new area, the Pioneer Valley of MA, USA, there’s a lot of attention paid to farming. Consequently, although the restaurants are mostly no great shakes (huge student population, who only care about cheap and plenty) — raw materials are abundant and excellent, so if you’re willing to cook, you can eat extremely well.
I think what you have said is what it truly comes down to – if you are willing to put in the effort. Whether it’s doing the cooking (and caring about the materials you use) or growing something in your yard or on your balcony, only good things can come of it. I’m so glad to hear about the farming focus in your area !