Using the Kingsolver family, one that raises their own crops and livestock in an ethical manner, as a gauge for for comparison to my college eating habits has actually shown me a lot about them. The mother of the family, Barbara Kingsolver, wrote an article delving into the ethics of their family farm and is counterparted by a short article by her daughter Camille which illustrates her dietary transition from home to college. Camille notes how very many of her peers do not share her unique perspective on food and its production. Most don't think about where their hamburgers with lettuce and tomato come from.
In my experience at UNCA, Asheville seems to not be that way. Organic and homegrown seems to be an option everywhere here. The household that I come from was not like this at all, most of our shopping for groceries was at Walmart or Food Lion with no regard being given at all to where something came from or how the cows in our ground beef were treated. My family is the kind that laughs at the notion of vegetarianism. Not to say I am that way; I respect those who make that lifestyle choice. It is still very strange though, to be surrounded by people who care so much about what is put in their bodies. I'm used to a diet consisting of the odd homecooked meal and fast food, so attending school here has been kind of a weird transition. I mainly eat in the cafeteria, trying some stuff I wouldn't usually be exposed to (there have been some good and bad experiments), but sticking to things that don't scare me too much. I really miss Taco Bell being a staple of my low-income high-school diet, but every now and again a presumably healthier alternative to the diet I'm accustomed to is served, and I am pleased.
I am one of the people described in Camille's piece that aren't unintelligent, I just have never actively sought out information on food and farming, as it never really crosses my mind. Food is a comfort and a essentially an afterthought to me. I eat until I'm full and I try to not be wasteful, and that's in a nutshell how I operate. These articles have made me contemplate how I fit into the picture of society painted by the Kingsolver family and their experiences.
I'd like to share a quote that resonated with me from Barbara's piece. If I were to become more conscious of my eating habits and their origins, and as a lover of meat, this would be the philosophy I'd espouse.
"When you kill a beast, say to him in your heart:
By the same power that slays you, I too am slain, and I too shall be consumed.
For the law that delivers you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.
Your blood and my blood is naught but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven."
- Kahlil Gibran
That's metal as hell, and I love it.
I agree, food has never really been a huge focus in my life. It's just been in the background, and I've never really thought about it in depth.
ReplyDeleteYou are a pretentious douche and I hate you. But your writing is spot on so I will continue tolerating you as my friend.
ReplyDeleteI agree, UNCA most likely makes it easier than many school to eat not only healthy, but many times organic and local as well. A practiced unfortunately not practiced everywhere. We should be appreciative of this standard of living here and inspired by its benefits and potential to become a movement.
ReplyDeleteNice discussion, Noah! Asheville really is extremely conscious of its food choices, which is great in some ways, but also problematic in others. I consider myself a relatively healthy eater, but still I've felt judged in Asheville for my food choices. What so many people don't think about is that while some food choices are made out of ignorance, some are made out of economic necessity. For that reason alone, we need to be more understanding of the variety of factors that influence what people eat.
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