April 11, 2008
Rob Sirrine’s Savory Pleasures
By J. Robert Sirrine, Ph.D.
Michigan State University Extension Director in Leelanau County
In Epitaph for a Peach, David Masumoto eloquently describes several of the many paradoxes in modern agriculture.
“The last of my Sun Crest peaches will be dug up,” Mr. Masumoto writes. “My orchard will topple easily, gobbled up by the power of the diesel engine and the fact that no one seems to want a peach variety with a wonderful taste. Yes, wonderful. Sun Crest tastes like a peach is supposed to….The nectar explodes in your mouth and the fragrance enchants your nose, a natural perfume that can never be captured. This is a real bite, a primal act, a magical sensory celebration announcing that summer has arrived.
“The experience of eating a Sun Crest peach automatically triggers a smile and a rush of summer memories…and reminds us of the simple savory pleasures of life. I’m told these peaches have a problem. When ripe, they turn an amber gold rather than lipstick red that seduces the public. Every year the fruit brokers advise me to get rid of those old Sun Crests. ‘Better peaches have come along’ they assure me, ‘peaches that are fuller in color and can last for weeks in storage’.”
“…Are my Sun Crest peaches obsolete?” he wonders. “This, it seems, is my epitaph for a peach.”
Here Mr. Masumoto shows how the simple act of eating a peach is a “savory pleasure of life”, a “magical celebration.” But he is also providing commentary on more than the quality of a peach. In my mind he also raises the question, “How has this happened?”
How is it that we have forsaken taste and quality for “shelf life?” How have people come to prefer a pretty-looking fruit to one with exceptional taste?
Broadening the conversation beyond peaches, several questions come to mind: What has happened to a food system where e-coli contamination is relatively commonplace? Where industrial livestock operations force animals into cramped conditions so they need antibiotics to stay healthy? Where corporate agribusiness profits continue to increase but farmers are finding it more and more difficult to remain economically viable? Where four large firms control over 80 percent of beef slaughter, 59 percent of pork packing, and 50 percent of broiler chicken production.
Where, in a world where millions are starving, obesity has become the fastest growing health epidemic? Where we feed our children tainted beef at school?
Consider this: On average, food travels 1,300 to 2,000 miles from farm to consumer in the U.S. The typical American prepared meal contains, on average, ingredients from at least five countries outside the United States. Most fresh fruits and vegetables produced in the U.S. are shipped from California, Florida, and Washington, and can spend as many as seven to 14 days in transit before they arrive in the supermarket. With oil prices at record levels and projected to increase, the cost of food will invariably increase.
Is there a better way? The answer is yes.
And it’s potentially right out your back door: locally grown food.
The Benefits of Locally Grown Food
In addition to reducing food miles and dependence on foreign oil, there are many benefits to locally grown food.
First, it tastes better. When you buy food from a store that sells local food, a farm-stand, a farmer’s market, or purchase a Community Supported Agriculture share, you are typically getting the freshest food possible at peak ripeness.
Second, local farmers typically grow many unique varieties throughout the growing season. For example, in addition to holding the world record for the largest pop bottle collection, John and Phyllis Kilcherman, who own Christmas Cove Farm in Northport, grow over 240 varieties of antique apples, including Baldwin, Rhode Island Greening, Haralson, Golden Russet, Seek-no-Further, Pink Pearl, and the Winter Banana.
Third, buying local food is good for the local economy. The best way to keep farmer’s farming is to make farming economically viable. Buying local food supports family farmers in your community, some of whom have farmed the land for generations, and keeps your dollars circulating in your community.
Fourth, buying local builds relationships and fosters communication between farmers and the public. Did you know that local cherry farmers lead the state in the number of environmentally verified farms? In addition to purchasing local food, there are several concomitant initiatives that we can take part in to contribute to—and advance—the local food movement.
Advancing the Local Food Movement
We can provide, children, youth, and families with educational opportunities to improve healthy eating, learn where their food comes from, and foster environmental awareness.
Mike Hartigan, the superintendent at Leland School, has advocated for healthy local food for a long time, as has Maggie Sprattmoran and her staff at The Leelanau Children’s Center. In addition to creating healthy lunches that kids love, Chef Peyerk at Glen Lake School works with a culinary class to create healthy snacks for kids involved in afterschool programs. These are just a few examples from Leelanau County; there are many other examples in northwest Lower Michigan as well.
Across the country educational or “schoolyard” gardens are emerging as unique venues for teaching kids about agriculture, food, and nutrition. In 1994, chef Alice Waters, school administrators, teachers, and community members began planning the Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, Calif.
Since then, schoolyard gardens have sprouted around the country. In Leelanau County, MSU Extension is collaborating with six schools and other organizations to establish educational gardens and nutrition curricula.
School is the perfect place to address many of the issues discussed previously. It’s where kids eat five days of the week. Research shows that educational gardens can increase self-esteem, scholastic achievement, responsibility, and patience. Who would have thought that actively engaging children in gardening and food preparation would increase the likelihood that they will eat broccoli or salsa?
Farm-to-school initiatives, which encourage schools to purchase food from farmers, also provide many benefits. The first farm-to-school conference in Michigan, hosted by the Michigan Land Use Institute and the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District, was held in Traverse City recently. It attracted about 330 teachers, food service directors, administrators, kids, and others. This is not only a testament to increasing interest in the local food movement, but also a realization that farm-to-school Initiatives can benefit children, farmers, and the local economy as well.
For example, though Michigan has the second-highest variety of farm products after California, most fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in Michigan come from other states and countries. A 2006 report by C.S. Mott and the Institute showed that if Michigan growers doubled or tripled the amount of fruit and vegetables they sold to fresh produce markets locally, they would generate nearly 2,000 new jobs and $187 million in additional personal income.
What Can You Do to Promote the Local Food Movement?
- Grow and prepare your own food.
- Buy local, and try to buy what’s in season.
- Encourage supermarkets and restaurants to carry more local food.
- Encourage teachers to incorporate food and agriculture into their curriculum and to take farm field trips.
- Encourage administrators, teachers, and food service folks to consider establishing school gardens and to purchase food from local farms.
The fundamental shift toward local food isn’t easy. Institutional roadblocks abound, but the potential benefits to our children, local farmers, and the local economy make it a worthwhile endeavor.
As Wendell Berry said in 1989, “Eating is an agricultural act…eat responsibly.”
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