Reflection

It seems so soon to be writing a final reflection for this course.
Pedro, thank you so very much for teaching this capstone. This is by far the best class I have ever taken. And I have over 240 credits, or something along those lines. So, thank you, you were a fantastic professor, I would love to take other classes from you, and will recommend your courses to others I know.

I came to this class very much eager and anxious to get underneath what goes on at the cooperative. I wanted to learn about it, because it always felt good being there, and it made me curious, and I received more from the class than I ever thought I would.

I'm very grateful for my group members, who all worked hard independently and together to create a project that we all cared about, and hoped would benefit People's. Each member really put forth so much effort out of their personal lives and from other courses to dedicate to this project. I believe it's because they felt an appreciation for the farmers that we visited and what they are doing directly for our community, environment, People's; and indirectly, for us.

This class is just one more stamp on my path of "what am I doing to do?", and it has brought me many things that I will take with me and continue to use my entire life. I could even go as far as to say, because of the opportunities in this class, I may have found some new outlets and entire new life goals. Around New Years I made the choice to move to a sustainable community in April of 2o08. I'm sticking to that plan for now, but I have learned a lot about community living, farming, and sustainability just from the personal testimonies of the farmers we visited. I communicate with these farmers now in efforts to learn more, and make choices that will create a stronger and more educated woman to place in to a completely sustainable life role. I'll be honest, I felt like a tough girl that had it all nailed down when we started the class, and it didn't take long to realize what a rookie I was! It will be a long, difficult, and incredibly fascinating journey, and I leave myself without too many expectations, because I have also learned from these farmers, and these workers that the lifestyle they support is not upheld by the government, wherein many struggle through their whole life to make a living by growing safe food for people and an environment they care about.

I think I will keep my blog alive, just for those wandering thoughts that may come about while I'm on the computer, with that my reflections will continue, and I can learn from my changes in attitude, growth, and naivety. Thank you again, take care... I'll leave with my favorite Irish Blessing.

"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your fields,
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand."

Assignment 4; A modified executive summary

Create a proposal for People's Food Cooperative, identifying...

1. A problem area related to a wider food politics or food industry context.

My group talked about various problems relating to food politics and the food industry. We came up with a few different fairly broad topics. I'll just refer to it as "Industrial Organic". Agribusiness, food miles, industrial ownership, and the sporadic root and branch system that has developed this system, are causing an uprising and confusion among the vast majority of our population, the consumers of the food, us, we who buy the food that is unpackaged in the department store, that is unboxed in the warehouse of that store, that is shipped in on a large truck from a larger warehouse, from a larger farm, which uses even more non-renewable resources, which puts us even farther in to the hole we are continuously digging.

2. What is the position of a food coop like People's in the expanding natural food industry and in local markets?

I believe that People's position can be found in their core values. Their commitment to community, their passion for healthy food and healthy people, and the idea of sharing and growing, supporting, and embracing the growth that they experience through the expansion of knowledge, education, redevelopment, and retracing the roots and original ideas and traditions behind healthy people, families, places, and more importantly, entrusting and catering towards the futures of themselves and those people that they can and will reach through this education.

This position allows them a warm, soft, healthy, and absolutely solid place within this strong web of community arms they have helped weave. Without that idea of community and group ownership People's coop may not have the strong root system that it has now--and will exponentially get stronger and thicker as more members join. The cooperative business has recently developed in to a more well known, appreciated, and visited establishment recently, and so with this new popularity, I'm sure it comes along with a sense of confidence and excitement within the members and staff. Without the support and continuous growth of sales and members, I suppose People's may have a different stance of what is happening with the rest of the world and the industrial organic food industry. However, with the strong feedback and increase in consumers within the cooperative, there most likely is a larger sense of hope, patience, and passion committed towards not allowing that kind of growth and education to slow or stop.

With this comes the want and need, and perhaps even obligation?? As members and experienced farmers, political activists, environmental experts, and perhaps even neighbors to allow any kind of possible room and opportunity for this growth to transform in to an open-ended business plan. People's should continue to develop and teach the ideas of community farming, purchasing from local farms, and "grow(ing) your own".

3. A research strategy for investigating the problem you have identified.

My Methodology: How would I study or research the epidemic of industrial and/or industrial organic farming? I would come full circle, and have to evaluate who those are that are experiencing both ends of the food cycles. For example, who is man #1 at the industrial side? At the very top of the economic and the demographic scale. Who "owns" these farms? Can we interview one person or even a handful who are at the very end of that side? Man #2 is going to be our local organic farmer, or perhaps even the consumer who wants to be completely self sustained, and is trying to get around all of the industry plugs.

For some people, man #1 may be the President of the United States, for some, it may be the CEO of McDonald's, or maybe it's Big Food in general. But it would be beneficial to identify why these two parties, man #1, and man #2 are not or can not level our or find a happy medium. I believe that this is really what is stopping our nation, and our planet from identifying with one another, or reversing our destructive patterns. We are in it for ourselves, and we do not identify, relate, or accept that there are others like us on the other side of our chain being directly hit with the repercussions.

b: What would I expect to find from my theories?
I would expect to find a very extentive disconnect between #1 and #2. I would expect there to be a loss of understanding and inability to meet on middle grounds between the two dynamics. I would hope to find that maybe there was a consensus or a national agreement we could find between those who support the industrial business strategy as well as the cooperative business strategy. And a consensus and support of the values of the cooperative over the industrial. I believe that there is an instinctual behavior and passion in all of us to adhere to and desire good, healthy food, that inherintly benefits all those who grow it, move it, make it, and eat it. There is a simple formula underneath the processing of food that goes back to tradition, family and community. Unfortunately it has just become overrun with greed and an economy that has evolved in to overproduction and extreme overconsumption. We all know it would take more than just two sides coming to an agreement in order to smoothly change the system over time. Within lets say a ten year plan, there would be the necessary personal changes and life choices within the consumer population. It is up to those who support and feed the industrial food systems to in just the same way boycott and cut off it's life source.

c: How would I present or communicat my findings? I suppose through studies, interviews, and large surveys among every type of consumer. I would also involve the industrial strategies and farming advice from countries that have succeeded in nation wide community food sources and cooperatives--countries that have gone back, or maybe even never left the traditions of growing your own. You would have to bring in the advice and personal testimonies of those up high in the corporate world and fast food industry, as well as those who have made their millions off of industrial farming. What would I have to do to make you change your ways of give up your income source in leau of something entirely different that may or may not bring in the money of your current situation? I would ask them, I would also ask them, do you have faith that we can turn it around? Are you willing to help? What would convince you to do so? Exactly, tell me exactly, what would convince you? And the list begins...

4. How will I, personally, focus my time and energy on this inquiry? I'm learning, I take every day one at a time, and I learn something new every day. I try and accept the things I cannot change, and learn from my mistakes (I don't really even like to use that word, they're all just choices, with different outcomes). However, I am changing the ways of my everyday life, daily. Baby steps, I will say again, I'm taking very small steps, in doses that I can swallow and follow without faltering, so as to not completely pressure myself in to a life that I'm not educated enough for. So, education first... I work in the garden, I'm working on the farm, I learn from others around me who are experienced and can teach me the tools I need to be my ultimate root system in the future. I am learning to grow and eat my own food. I would like eat nothing else but food that I have helped grow, or that I know was grown with the care I would put in my own food. I view my everyday choices and my life goals and plans with a new hesitation... "is this good for my community, will I be wasting excessively? Will I be wasting at all?" I'm going to leave my job, this is one of the areas that I'm baby stepping my way out of, I believe that I am supporting the industrial food industry by working at a restaurant that does not have values in serving good food. Instead, it is about the quantity of food they can push out, as fast as they can push it. Our meat selections are coming from who knows where, but according to my superiors, it's definitely not free range, and it's definitly not local. That's enough for me, I can't justify working there as easily as I used to. So, I have to choose the things that I can change, help grow, and be passionate about; and perhaps I just have to leave the things and the places that I can not change, besides cutting of my life source from it. I am, or will be, one less consumer and one less body working for the corporation.

5. How does my inquiry relate to the four University Studies Goals?
Critical Thinking, Human Experience, Ethics, and Communication.

First off, I have so much to work on. I thought I was a complete "Earth Muffin" before I started this course. Turns out, I'm far from it. I used to shop at whole foods daily, 70 percent of my housemate's and I's groceries were purchase from trader joes, and I still drive my car a few times a week. Among many other things. I am nowhere near as environmentally sound and clean as I had imagined, and the days of tooting my own horn have come to a screeching halt. But I will say that the critical thinking that went about through our readings, through our classes and within conversations and visits with the local farmers brought about so much internal investigation. I have done intense inventories in to my life, my body, and my choices therein.

I think this is where the Human Experience University Studies Goal comes in. I've realized that it is very difficult to pursuade or evaluate the choices of others around you without offending or invading their personal space. People take their paths around food and health as an emotional compartment not to be interrupted. To judge or expose those choices as anything other than acceptable creates tension in places that I don't yet feel comfortable with. Instead, I've turned my focus completely inwards to my own decisions, that is where I can do the best work.

My own Ethics, and my own values are those that I have assigned to my life and no one elses. Food is very much an ethical issue as it is a health issue. Even the family that raised me has developed alternative ethics and values around their food choices. Therefore, I have re-established in a way, a new set of ethics within my beliefs that I hadn't realized was there.

The Communication aspect of the Goals is essentially a gateway to education and sharing. Educating people like me on the larger aspects of the food industry, such as how the political side is run, and where the government can be held responsible, is essential to embracing the larger picture. You can always start at the bottom and work your way up, learning as you go, but it helps to get a basic rundown and clean overview of what is happening at the money hungry side of things. More or less, all aspects of this course has been a whirlwind of evaluations, and to present information from both sides of the spectrum might help connect that communication between the suits and the real or aspiring muffins.

Merrakesh

My face hurts.

I haven't laughed so much since I last watched blazing saddles... I went to Merrakesh tonight with my two beautiful roommates; Jules and Carli. We also had our friends Ben and Chappy there. It was my first time there, and it was quite an experience. I feel a little bit like I'm writing a piece for the Portland city search comment section right now, but I'm going to go with it.

Here's why. It relates to this course in so the following ways. We ate food. A LOT OF FOOD... We had five courses, not including a few bottles of Moroccan vino, and that fantastic lemon something tea that accompanies the coconut ice cream finisher. I don't do coconut, but it was enough to watch the rest of my good company take it down.

I left the establishment tonight feeling so fat and happy, and satisfied to the high heavens after an eccentric meal compiled of so many flavors that I will just hope that anyone who reads this might have the opportunity to visit themselves. Although I don't plan on making a habit of eating out, and instead make more of a habit of cooking my own food, I still took a lot from the dynamic around the dinner table with my friends this evening. This is what the experience of food and eating is supposed to be like. The communion of appreciating your food, and sharing it with those around you. Eat with your hands, get in to it, make a mess, enjoy yourselves. Savor the vast amount of flavor and diversity in your food and your surroundings. Play music, or put on one of your top five albums...celebrate.

In situations like this you realize how sensual food can be, and should be. You praise it, you toast to it, you stop and close your eyes and try to connect with each flavor in one bite, and smile when you become so overwhelmed with the wholeness and goodness of what you are taking in combined with your surroundings. Sure, not every meal will be like this. And would prefer that it be with food that I have harvested myself. However, during my journey in the labyrinth of food systems, I will stop and embrace the small moments of indulgence and appreciation with those whom I am pleasured to share it with.

Sunday afternoon

It's all happening. The world continues to turn, our eyes continue to blink, our hearts continue to beat. Life is good--I can't really think of a time when it was anything but. I find myself today really investing a lot of thought and energy towards questions that will mostly likely only be answered after I'm long and gone.

I had an all day Friday and all day Saturday one credit course called "Women Mystics". I showed up sans expectations, and left with a semi-clear wandering mind about the power of the divine, the spirit, meditation, devotion, and transluscence. The instructor asked us to go outside and find inspiration in some of the writings from St. Hildegard of Bingen. We had crayons, and paper, and were surrounded by sunshine and the hustle of the Portland Farmers Market. This is my kind of assignment...I've got myself some crayons, I picked out my favorite colors, I'm laying on the grass in the sun, I don't have to work tonight, stick a fork in me, I'm done... So more or less, I really got in to my little niche in the park blocks and had no problems clearing my mind. So I will share this curious thing that came up during my internalizing moments. Here is an excerpt from the writings of St. Hildegard...

"Hail to you, O greenest, most fertile branch! You budded forth amidst breezes and winds in search of the knowledge of all that is holy. When the time was ripe your own branch brought forth blossoms. Hail, greetings to you! The heat of the sun exudes sweat from you like the balsam's perfume. In you, the most stunning flower has blossomed and gives off its sweet odor to all the herbs and roots, which were dry and thirsting before your arrival. Now, they spring foth in fullest green! Because of you, the heavens give dew to the grass, the whole Earth rejoices; Abundance of grain comes from the Earth's womb and on its stalks and branches the birds nest. And, because of you, nourishment is given to the human family and great rejoicing to those gathered round the table..."(qtd. in De Sancta Maria (To Mary) (Trans. by Jerry Dybdal and Matthew Fox. In Hildegard of Bingen's Book of Divine Works)).

I had to laugh for a moment when I tried to imagine a McDonalds commercial with some kid saying that to a tree outside with his happy meal in his lap. The wonderful thing about her writings is that you don't have to associate yourself with any religion or even investigate Hildegard's personal beliefs to appreciate what she says, or how she describes the earth, the environment, the circle of life...food. Food and drink used to be enjoyed, appreciated, honored, respected, more holy, more familial, more sensual, and more nourishing. This was because people nurtured the land and the crops as they nurtured their family. It was an entirety of processing seeds to maturing and ripening as you would your children. Unique are those now whom find it very necessary to encourage and teach their children how to find and look for the beauty of creation and richness in their food, and their food choices.

Not to get too off track, I have spent the last couple of days curiously absorbing the things around me that may or may not be taking us further and further away from ever raising our families, and treating our neighbors with the respect and attention to community health and future preservation. Can we go back to that place? How many of us will? Can I even get there? I don't know, but we can take small steps. I know that if I give myself unrealistic expectations then I won't learn from the process and the individual changes I can make today, tomorrow, etc.

I saw my sister, my nephew, my niece, and my brother-in-law today. My niece and nephew are getting those opportunities, and are being exposed true health and happiness. And as soon as they are big enough, you can bet they'll be out berry picking with their Auntie Virg.
(I'm losing track of my thoughts, more later...)

IKEA

These are just some thoughts, not necessarily towards any assignment, but I figured, as long as I'm blogging, I may as well.... well, blog I guess. So, I find myself walking downtown Portland this last weekend. I was on my way to campus to go to a barbeque with all the folks from StreetRoots, and a large uhaul sized truck drives by. The truck has clear plastic walls and a set up living room display with a giant sign that says "IKEA...OPENING"... or something like that. Okay, so I know that there are plenty of other things wasting energy for non-specific or condusive reasons that I could focus my frustration on, but I'm choosing this one, because it seems slightly more ridiculous than some others. Honestly, the damn truck just drives around Portland, and who knows where else as a moving advertisement with an image of what "your living room" could look like. What a complete waste of gas, I had already planned on not ever stepping foot in to IKEA, but now... I'm going to tell all my friends and family that I will disown them if they decide to.