The Green Revolution is on, and has been on!
Growing up as a small town, farm girl from Northwest Iowa, I remember gardening with my Great Grandma Hughes, Grandma Waddell, and my mom. You can imagine, I probably wasn't much help early on but I was intensely curious about plants and the ways of the world. It was magic how a seed or seedling could be planted on a chilly Spring day and then amount to some of the best flavors of summer. Then the real magic happened, when the flavors of summer could be canned, frozen, jellied, or jammed and ready to brighten up the coldest of days.
And that is where I first developed my appreciation for fresh. It seems as if in the last five years, fresh has taken a whole new meaning, not just the latest 'green' trend. Households want to know their food is safe, economical, and environmental friendly. After moving to California for work, I gained a new perspective on large scale production. It no longer seemed as if those bagged oranges were dropped from the sky into displays at the grocery stores but were the orange groves I drove past on my way to work. There was nothing like a nice, cool early morning convertible ride with the orange groves in bloom. Absolutely nothing like it.
Especially since California I have been interested in food issues (organic vs. conventional, free range, grass fed, non genetically modified, processed foods, and the list goes on and on). My beliefs are definitely not the most popular among a Midwestern farming community but I see both perspectives. I have my preferences and to each their own. We all have to eat and somehow navigate in this sometimes challenging world we live in.
So this weekend, I am starting the first of the vegetable seeds. Last Fall, I went to Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa (www.seedsavers.org) for their annual heirloom tomato tasting and came back with some interesting heirloom seeds. I would highly, highly recommend the trip to Decorah. It was an amazing gathering place for all people who appreciate some of the finest tastes of summer.
