food is food is food

pretty sure we can all agree that food is a basic human need, right? i think the confusion comes when we all are trying to figure out what kind of food people in need deserve or really need. i come from the school of thought that basic pantry staples, fresh produce, and proteins should be available to everyone. also realizing that if you are homeless, a sandwich or pop-top style can of soup may be the way to go. however, i am also pretty sure that if you are the working poor-person in need shopping at one of the biggest pantries in town that you would appreciate arugula donated by one of the biggest grocery stores in the nation or the lump crab meat or the saffron donated by another donor. all this along with the rice, pasta, canned tomato sauce, tortillas, eggs, and ground beef. what? are you in disbelief that there is arugula at a food pantry? why? since when did certain food become too good for others. and why? anyone could grow arugula in a pot for less than $5 and have it to harvest for most of the spring and fall. in the summer they could plant some heat-tolerant lettuce or put up a shade. so why is some food reserved for the people who can "appreciate" its' flavor? because it should not be.
the school of thought where basic pantry staples, fresh (or frozen) produce, and proteins should be available at a food pantry comes from the belief and knowledge that this is the healthiest, cheapest, most efficient way for people to feed themselves. just as the ability to cook for yourself is, often times, the healthiest, the cheapest, most efficient way to eat. sure it takes some planning and knowledge...but like anything, i suppose, you have to want to do it. and more and more, i believe people do. i just think a lot of people are completely alienated and have been led to believe that they can't. just as the food network and celebrity chefs have somehow convinced people that cooking is hard...foodies have made gardening seem like a magical thing only hippies can pull off.
i say anyone can grow food because they can. my son, two at the time, was growing spicy mesculan greens in an old wine box last year. i am not saying anyone can grow food on a large scale because they can't...but pretty much anyone can get some pots or buckets or barrels, fill it with dirt, put some seed or starter plants in the dirt...and voila! you can have some fresh, local produce. sure you will have to water it, but the maintenance on container gardening is practically zilch compared to tilled plots in your yard. and not everyone has a yard. some people have a patio, stoop, or tiny, sunny spot by their parking space. regardless, anyone can grow food. in container gardening, a person would have to spend about 30 mins total a week weeding and watering. tops. while, you can't grow melons or squash/pumpkins very well in a container pretty much anything else goes. so why do people wait in line at the farmer's market for 20 minutes to pay $10/lb. for greens? who knows? but i am starting to think all this local food movement business is becoming a little too out of reach for the average "2 parents working" family trying to make healthy changes, the working poor folks, the single parent, or even the hipster college student. the real movement should lie in helping people grow and prepare their own food. not in villainizing every single thing that who knows who decides is not good enough for human consumption because when we do that we alienate a huge group of people who could really benefit from a true local food movement. food elitists are alienating to a large group of people who don't feel like they know enough or care enough about food, but want to make better choices. people who don't feel like they have enough time to shop local and cook. we should be helping everyone be their own grower, their own cook because when we empower people with this knowledge they will make better choices for themselves, their families, their community, their local economy, their environment. this is the way to make having a garden and eating dinner as a family the norm. for everyone.
farmer's markets are great because they give us access to growers and their delicious food. local food is wonderful because it tastes better, often has a higher nutritional content, creates jobs, keeps dollars in our community, and the list goes on. but not everyone can get to a farmer's market to buy local food. most folks have bigger issues happening then worrying about how to afford veggies or knowing where the eff the veggie came from. and when people throw out phrases like food desert and sustainable in the same breath...there is no problem miraculously solved. there is just a whole other group of people alienated. that doesn't mean folks don't want fresh, local produce or don't want to learn how to grow and/or prepare them. it just means it has been made to seem so unattainable and in a lot of ways it IS. so i am over it. i want to figure out ways to bring the local food movement to all of the people in our community. the families who want to grow a garden, but don't feel like they have time. the single parents who can't imagine adding one more thing to their "to-do" lists. the busy couple who only eats in 3 times a week, loves veggies, but never makes it to the markets. i want to do this in a variety of ways including aiding people in being their own grower and their own chef. there is an immense pride and empowerment that comes with picking your own sweet pepper and serving stuffed peppers for dinner. all in the same day. and along with it, eventually, a preference and appreciation for the home grown, home cooked food.
let us rise up and grow something. let us cook something. let us stop being food snobs. let us just let food be what it is...food. and everyone has the right to food. everyone can grow something. they just need guidance.