The Omnivore’s Solution endeavors to create a practical, positive vibe in answer to The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I have listened to Michael Pollan speak many times, always impressed with the immensity of the “dilemma” facing world populations as a result of American industrial “innovations” in food. Were it not for his bold book, passionate speeches, and prominent articles, these critical issues would remain forever buried with a small group of concerned people on various websites where I have spent many hours through the years.
In an ideal world, we would all share a plot of land on which to grow our own vegetables, raise a goat, have a few chickens and of course, some fruit trees and coconut palms. We would save seeds for future generations. We would have access to clean waters vibrant with seafood. We also would live where year ‘round weather permitted the availability of additional fresh food from reliable local sources. End of dream! . . .
Reality presents itself. With the exception of a few very determined individuals, most of us have to settle for some kind of compromise. Those that consider cooking a creative art form inevitably tweak the concept of Locavore with the addition of a few exotic ingredients. Hopefully, when we purchase these exotic ingredients, we make the extra effort to source organic and sustainable practices that return the majority of the cost directly to the producers in order to at least partially mitigate the sins of our enlarged carbon footprint.
After reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma and listening to the Berkley pod casts, I had this nagging feeling that time was at hand for a practical slant on the issue. We must all remain activists. It is imperative that everyone has access to healthy, pure food. Sooner or later we all have to put dinner on the table, and many of us have to do this every day. If we can do it with passion and a commitment to healthy alternatives, we might feel that we are doing our part in finding a creative solution.
Locavore is a great concept and with the availability of wonderful farmers’ markets in the DC area and around the country, one can purchase a fair majority of their food from local sources. In some places, greenhouses have made it almost a year ‘round possibility. Thanks to the pressure that Michael Pollan put on Whole Foods, even that costly bastion (aka Whole Paycheck) of wonderful world ingredients now sports a small but increasing amount of “local” products. Most encouragingly, many farm markets are finally beginning to focus their attention towards providing access to healthy ingredients for those on very limited food budgets.
Let’s not forget the co-ops, the CSA’s and other farms that deliver specialized products to the neighborhoods on a prearranged basis. With a little effort almost anyone can find local, sustainable, organic, grass fed, raw, any of the desirable labels for wholesome ingredients. The next step involves learning and taking the time to cook with passion, taste, and conscience.
A great source of information on what’s happening in the sustainable world is, of course, Slow Food. The list-serve contains volumes of information. We will include in the site many other resources of this nature.
Since man does not live by bread alone, the addition of wine selections by “Wineandjoy”, a budding sommelier, introduces a not-so-local aspect to the blog. Let that be our mea culpa – we can’t live without wine!
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