FRIED COFFEE

People are hiring out their gardening duties and local – food gathering chores because they are either time challenged or, perhaps like me, a bit deficient in their animal/plant husbandry skills,  but still wish to participate in the movement to eat locally.  I buy much of my food supply from local growers.  There are a lot of them here in the countryside of New Hampshire.

It isn’t easy finding time to  manage the needs of a produce garden for many of us . Our economy has changed considerably since Jane Wyatt managed the household in the 50′s television show “Father Knows Best“.  The era of the stay at home mom is long gone since it takes two incomes just to keep up with rising costs.

While perusing the internet regarding this subject I found Tom Philpott. He posted a very interesting article at Grist commenting on Kim Severson who, in turn,  was commenting on the above phenomenon for the NYT.  Both make for very interesting reading.

I take issue with the appellation “lazy locavore” however.  While it might apply to that population segment earning a 7  figure income,  the bulk of us are working our tails off simply to keep up with the increasing financial demands made on our families.  Having someone help with the mechanics of a produce patch is a good call.

If it takes outsourcing a gardener,  or sharing a cow,  to participate in slow food and local eating,  it is  a step forward .  Living in a city apartment or condo makes things difficult too.  However,  in metropolitan areas community gardens can be found where neighborhood blight once grew.   CSA, ( Community Supported Agriculture ),  is another way to be involved.  The bottom line is that there is motion without which there can be no change.

Meanwhile it’s time to put my home baked rolls in the oven.  We’re having  burgers made with part of my cow share, topped with tomato, onion and lettuce from the farmer’s stand down the road and home canned dill pickles. I bought the catsup.

“As a person of rural origin who has lived much of my life in rural places … I can’t tell you how joyful it makes me to hear that it’s trendy for people in Manhattan to own a part of a cow.”

Barbara Kingsolver