“I don’t even know how to cook. My mom just pulled stuff out of the freezer growing up. I mean, once in a while she would cook a chicken, but mostly we ate pizza and stuff like that. I really want to learn how to cook. I can’t stand putting bad stuff in my body. My dream- I don’t know if it’s possible- is to have my own garden and feed myself.
–A 22-year old young man visiting the Slow Food exhibit at an Earth Day 2006 Eco-Fair

Hmmm. For most of history people fed themselves- the majority of the world still does. Are we that out of touch?

Most people who stopped by the Slow Food/Ecogastronomy Initiative exhibit at our local Earth Day Eco-Fair had never heard of either. But like the young man above, they were quick to share their stories:

“Food is so much better in Europe. Have you ever had a tomato in Italy?

“My grandparents are from Italy and they both lived to 100 years old. There must be something to the way they ate.”

Many were concerned about public schools and hospitals:

“I cook at the hospital and the food we serve there is shocking!”

“My daughter is only in first grade and the kids making fun of what she eats because it’s healthy.”

“What is Slow Food? Cooked Slow? Eaten Slow? Grown Slow,” one guy asked. “Well, yeah, I guess that sums it up pretty well,” I answered.

Food is always on our mind, but these days people are starting to think beyond just stuffing something in our mouth. Just last week Michael Pollen’s new book The Omnivore’s Dilemma- A Natural Guide to Four Meals topped the bestseller lists. He was also featured on both NPR’s Fresh Air and Science Friday. My husband came home from a trip abroad toting Delta Airline’s Sky Magazine featuring Alice Waters and her Delicious Revolution and Lan Chile’s in flight magazine featured Slow Food International. The New York Times ran a feature called “Families with Full Plates, Sitting Down to Dinner,” that focused on the importance of returning to the family table. Everyone is touching on the idea is that what’s at stake is not just our own health and the health of our children, but the health of our relationships, the environment, and our communities.

A major argument to changing our eating habits or changing the food in public schools is that “my kids won’t eat healthy food.” I spoke to so many young people (18-plus years) who were incensed about the food they ate growing up and were angry they weren’t taught to cook. They were the ones filling up the organic gardening seminars, signing up to work at CSA’s and gathering brochures on growing mushrooms.

Earth Day is always inspiring- every year crazy new technologies abound. Where food is concerned, though, good old-fashioned ways of buying local, unprocessed foods and cooking and sharing them with family and friends is the kindest thing we can do for the earth and her people. And, each of us, no matter where we live, how much money we have, or what car we drive can make a difference 3x a day. On this day of celebration- Earth Day 2006- the future of food is looking pretty bright.