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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Food Ethics

Having been an adjunct faculty member for about a decade I've seen many courses geared toward being successful in the business world, building better websites, understanding other cultures, and more. I'm sure that there are courses in programs I'm not aware of that deal with food - growing it, marketing it, preparing it and even stamping out its opposite - hunger. But I wonder about the relationship we each have to our food and the assumptions that underlie that relationship. For example:

  • Food is a basic human need. Do people consider access to it a right?
  • Is the way you eat a political statement?
  • How do your food choices impact large farmers? Small farmers? Farmers in other countries?
  • Can the United States currently feed its citizens without importing basic foods? Should this be a goal?
  • Where did all the food allergies come from in the last 20 years? 
We act on the mental models we hold about how the world works. Taking the time to truly examine them and see if they are still accurate seems to be long overdue...

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Ready, set, garden!

Pull on those garden gloves – it’s time to get out in the dirt! Whether you garden on lots of acreage or in containers on a deck or balcony, this is the season gardeners have been waiting for. And for would-be gardeners (as well as those long-time green-thumbers) there’s never been more help.
While it’s always good to get advice from growers in your area who have accumulated the wisdom of specific experience, there is also a new website called Grown in the City that provides all types of information for people who are making conscious decisions about what and how they eat.
If you are just getting started with gardening the site offers you a wealth of information in its “do it yourself” area. As people are taking back responsibility for the food they eat – particularly on a small scale – it’s important to have some growing successes to bolster the spirit; choosing to  raise food can be more work than anticipated. Even long-time growers may find good tips since they are the first to admit that growing food is a journey and the learning never ends. The site sells all kinds of things you may need too, from containers to garden in, to the seeds that go in the containers (or, of course, the ground...) and more.

So talk to people in your area and learn from them, seek out the plants that do well from them and augment your learning when necessary with other resources like Grown in the City. You’ll enjoy the tasty results of your efforts.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Beer Tour



I like beer. But I don't know exactly why, or what the myriad of beer choices mean in terms of taste. Like with wine, I taste, I like/don't like and don't take the time to note or remember what or why, so every day is like a new day.

My friend Meg, mostly doesn't like beer. But some, she does like. And she doesn't know why she likes the ones she does, and finds the others noxious. Tasting beer is a game of Russian roulette for her.

So we're the perfect pair to go on a mini-tour of micro breweries and brew pubs here in Michigan. Of course we could go anywhere, since brewing is enjoying a renaissance, but, there are lots and lots of choices nearby and so for a big upcoming "0" birthday (no I'm not disclosing which one...) we're going to take about a week and travel around tasting beers and learning about them. We'll also see some sights, and record what we encounter in a blog we'll set up.

This will all occur in August - about three months from now. So if anyone has tips, tasting techniques, or any other sage advice about our efforts, please share. It's designed to be fun, but we also want to come out of it wiser about beer. As we get closer to the trip date we'll post more details including a map so if anyone wants to follow along, they can. 



Cheers!