17 Comments

This post pairs well with the chapter I’m currently reading in Alicia Kennedy’s “No Meat Required,” detailing The Farm, a 70s commune-turned-coop, and their vegan culinary vision. Coincidence?

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I’ve been debating whether or not to read that book. As a former non-meat eater who is now very comfortable with animal protein, I don’t know how I’ll feel about the premise of the book.

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I am mostly pescatarian, with <gasp> an occasional ribeye I generally regret the next day like a hangover. I don't think it matters how you identify or whether or not you eat meat. It's been an enlightening and weighty read and like all of Alicia's writing, gives me new perspective on things I had never considered.

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Is this the community that moved from San Francisco to Tennessee, Amie?

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Yup!

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I read Ina May Gaskin's book "Spiritual Midwifery" when I was having kids.

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At home in Wisconsin, I'm now a locavore, cooking from scratch most days using seasonal produce from within an hour away.. Eating well while traveling is much harder: Even in the UK there's relatively good food to be found, but the situation here in the US is going from dire to worse.

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It's so sad, and didn't need to be this way. The effects of greed are horrible.

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Thanks for this post, Kate. I just finished DIRT, by David R. Montgomery, an eye-opening look at our abuse and destruction of our planet's skin and what that means for our food. Enlightening, sobering.

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I remember this book when first came out in 2008 or so. His book King Of Fish: The Thousand Year Run of Salmon is a good one, too.

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Thanks--I'll look for it. Montgomery was new to me; I appreciated his extensive examples. Read in ebook, bought a paperback so I could check the notes.

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Yes to ripe juicy peaches and REAL food grown in dirt and sunshine and not genetically modified!!! 🍑🍅☀️

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Hear hear!

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Many years ago, my late father belonged to a fishing club based on an Illinois farmer's land. Three times a week my father would drive across the river - we lived in St. Louis - to enjoy a day of relaxing fishing. He became friends with the farmer who would regularly send home fresh vegetables for us to enjoy. Even after so many years, the taste of those really fresh tomatoes and asparagus cannot be matched by anything I find in a store!

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What a wonderful arrangement! Thanks for sharing this memory, Stevie.

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It's only going to get worse, I'm afraid. I used to be able to do some gardening and have vegetables that I grew myself, but not any more. There is a food co-op farm in my area, but there is a requirement to work there for 4 hours a week. Not able to do that either. I'm 72, worrying about getting decent healthy food is something I can't stress about. Greg and I do the best we can with our Social Security. Our country isn't geared to helping people eat well. It's so frustrating.

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Such good points here, Mel. I wonder if the food co-op farm might have any administrative work you could do once you explain your particular limitations.

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