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<br /> F O O �D , . _�_ . �, . � ;�
<br /> Organics in Caledonia,Ill,startsat$600 for 20 weeks of tified by the Federal Govemment as organic growers.They say
<br /> vegetables and goes north of$1,000 when you add fruit. they don t use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers,and Ted's poli-
<br /> There aze some lefty aspects:You don't choose what the cy is that any csn member can come to his farm to check his I
<br /> farmer grows.He does.You might get lettuce one week and , growing practices."I couldn t show up at my local Agway and
<br /> then—if,say;a hailstorm luts.ttie lettuce.patch none,for - �"buy a jug of herbicide without it getting.told to everybod};'he
<br /> several weekst af�erkALso,you're loeked into•a fixed amount said.Lilce inany smaIl farmers I me�,Ted felt thato_'rganic
<br /> of food each��week,so;�f�ou�doh t feel°like coolang�or`a.eou- cer'hficahon would be too costly arad fune°conc�,m,ng; ,. , ... �
<br /> p]e ni�ghtsr�a row,you`feel guilty A�farmer�sweated over ; Having met Tecl,Jan and their sons tiand havuig�spent�the
<br /> the�se beau�iaful;ears of�eorn�andi m gouig to throw them : night in the�r barn,-I trust they don�t use,ch�enucals�;But the�, ; .
<br /> out so^I cak�apick up riblets at�A�plebee s?, . . , s ; : � �•Blom�rens;$on t grow fnut'for�the esa.�Tliey�buy it from other � _
<br /> The benefit�s thatithe food�s affordable—for�40�a'morith local growers,and most of`them+iise sprays because'of the liu=
<br /> at my csn;�geC(to take Felii�ary as an�exam�le)'folir bunches rrudity Ted's hens�v'vere free�range "ythey shutted around
<br /> of,�nter?gre�ensl�ah�d ofred�cabbage,5�lbs;of,apples,and ea#ingthe grass behuld lus house�Biitpastured cluckens still� :`,
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<br /> `abouC2lbs each o£beets omons{carrots tprruT�s and`Ypkon re uu�e SomeU��-a�n fee ancl ther��` ��n Ted�bou` �twas mostl �
<br /> J .�b .d �t ,�;4,r„�-�. K aJt'�•'+s e . '?y � r,;._ � � 'r : .. . '�.�i !+ �r.�i: � '.�` t�rtv. � ���� i .. . .
<br /> Gold'potatoes T�he stiiff�s pfienomenally fresli�I bnce�' . � conventionally gYOwn,indiistnally proce$sed com ' '"
<br /> dtiscovered�a nwe day old head of lettuce from my csn farm at I was deflated to hear'that;I had ingested chemicals with'
<br /> theback of therefrtgerator'Because it had come to me just my fruit and eggs.But at tliis point�I threw up my.liands.If<I �
<br /> 24 hours aft�er bemg picked,iE was siill crisp: -� ' wazited total purity,the onlq ophon°was to grow my own �
<br /> '� ` � food.Forget it.Farming is:dirk und'er the=toenails hard "
<br /> D�t h�����r�I�aS�v 71�A��°� work,and the Blorrigcens are by no means . �
<br /> g � -� 'e �' "�'r � ' maldng a va"st'forlune.
<br /> . ii���i$���O�n��'r7 But I had arrived at an answer to my
<br /> ` ' ` c�uestion:I preferlocalto organic,even with the
<br /> WinclflowerFazm is in Valley Falls,N.Y.,185 ��'� concessions local farmers must make:I realize
<br /> miles northeast of my apartment.Mapquest � �`; ''�-`` ' 'n • there's something romantie about the desire to
<br /> calls it a 334-hr.drive,but if you leave on a week- ,{�; �.` lmow exacdy where�your food is from.Among
<br /> day at 5:30 p:m,as Windflower's Ted Blomgren � h�� true agrarians,that desire cames a reactionary ,
<br /> and I did;it:can take closer to five hours.That 4 ��,"�:-F '
<br /> ; . ,� strain,a suspicion of modemity.°`InsCead of rely-
<br /> meets Gussow°s.definition of local—"within a : z ��?<.; ing on the.accumulatedwisdom of a cuisine,or
<br /> da�s leisurely drive" although our drive r�y;;; '�,� even on the wisdom of our senses;we.rely on ;
<br /> through Manhattan wasn t leisuzely. t�` i-, -'� expert opurion, Journal�st Michael Follan wrote . �;
<br /> :Blomgten runs Windflower vsnth�li�s wife;jan in last yeai's acclaimeel book'The Omnlvores '';. �
<br /> � He is 46,ancl;on the,clay vye rade to the farm,he S -� Dilemma `We lace our fai�h�in science to sort�
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<br /> vsore,sanclals and glasses Ted;ywho bas a'degXee from�Cornell, - outwhat culture once did �But seience should�ump culture. � c ,
<br /> �s baTdmg and3shidious,and riught�,�ass�or a�rofessor.if he ,e_;; zom,matters of nutrihon The_problem�s}thatscience offers no �: . ,�
<br /> �dn't have so much dirt under h�s toenails Ted'ancl Jan w�o%` x 3 elear guideliries yet on how'beneficial oz�n�cfood�:s: , ,} ;�,
<br /> has•lo�ely bnght blue�eyes perpetually:£xed ui a startled ex When.asked years a�yo�ether she71referred buttex or, � , �
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<br /> a�."Frr��'! t4r. C � r 4 � v r ...-1 .^ ,r_cY tiK Y >° �:5�3� t '�b S -vn �'i' r ��)t i � v"t ;t . . .
<br /> r ,;° n pzess�on,,have operated�W'�dflower for sight.years with their: �matgaizne,Gussow famou�lytremarked; I trust cows more .- ,t
<br /> t f. MSCp c+ h� . �� Y' �.� 1 'I �-. ; 1� �' � .: . .1 l�• .. �
<br /> : sons=N`athaiue�14,arid Jacob;,ll{On the day�I�visited last sum ;� than cliemists"�Formy�ar�I�do not�IwilLslill go to'Whole " ' � '
<br /> ;; m,er,rI�watched a bare�oot Nathazuel wallc to ttie henhbuse to =: `F fioods to buy the mass produced,Orgatuc Food$ars I eat far
<br /> collect eggs in an old'wlute bucket,as.he did every.°day.,I had > b'realcfast when I don t have hine for eggs I;am happy that •
<br /> beeri eahng those eggs most�days that's�how I had replaced food scientists are finchng ways to°produce,e"veryday products
<br /> cereal sSeeing Nate�carry thatbuckeE into.the smelly humidity like cereal with organic ingtedients:(Howatiout organic`FYoot
<br /> of the cluck`en coop;T;reahzed I-had�neverbefqre felt so con- I;oops?I have a wealrness for`FYoot:Loop's late at Iught)But
<br /> � nected,to-myfood.�I had not onl seen the chicicens that; ro- when it comes to m basie,in edierits hte. m Yvhole �
<br /> �.s.� • �: �: y,S .�r,� r,F...f .���,� ��P. Y ,,�' F�Y��, Y� ';:
<br /> .� +R duc�d my eggs b�t bad also met�heperson=wTio gathered#hem. foods rather than my convemence:foods" I would'�sEill�iattiei� �'
<br /> � ' Tllat's a core goal of.csns to remind you that your lmow the person who collects my eg�s or grows my letluce or .
<br /> food�onginates in"some place othei`than'a grocery stoie.' picksm a `les�than bu 100%o.`�� c'e ` '
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<br /> . Y .PP . Y , � ggs or lethice or .. .
<br /> There are.no�vtsome 1;200`�osnfa"rms in`the�U S:; •� ' �� applesfrorri an=anonymoi5s�me�fium atth'e"supemnarket ° `
<br /> accorcling to�the�obyn van;En Center at Wilson College . Choosuig]ocalwhen I canmakes me�eel_more rooted,and(in �•
<br /> • in Pennsylv"ama y Van En helped start the first Amencan • part because of that feeluig,no doubt)local�food tastes better
<br /> csn at her�Massac�iusetts faimtin 1985 after heanrig'about' '' '-q Eating locally;also`seeins�safer'*Tec�'s'neighbors'and` .
<br /> ' � the idea of`farm sliares fro}ii a Swis`s'fri"end:+(You;can finc�'•'• , .customers�.can see�ho�v�lie�farms`_That. �
<br /> trari'sparency doe`sn t . •.
<br /> a esn near qou at''sites like localli'ar'uest:org.) `- � ., 'exist with;;say;spinach'bagged by,a distant agribusiness:I � ,;�'
<br /> �'So I�was finallyeahng local,�and-it-tasted-great Teds .: help keep Ted mrbusin''ess;�and he'helps�keep me'fed an"'d � �
<br /> . yellow wa"x bean"s'last year were so crisp and oniony sweet you the elegance and sustainability of that exchange inalce mo're 4'�. � ��•
<br /> could�eaG'them ilirecdy from the field:During the winter r F.; °sense towme thaiiy.gambluig'on faceless.producers;who stamp;:: �f{:• �L•:
<br /> ` ` months,Tedhas delivered sturdyvegetables fromh�s cold oRearric on a package thousands of milesFfrom ixiyhome_.• � r �. :. ��.;'
<br /> storage that look as,good as anything.at Whole Foods`and seem,� �I'm not;a punst�a�1ou,t�,these choices I ate`a�'ilet O�sh at , ';; �Y�� ;; �+
<br /> � :, to�fastebette%ifonlybecause•theyre�rundme:ofa.warmday�,�3 ,��1VIcDon�ldson�thewayto4Ted'sfarm�`But'in�geneial;T�have r ��<;, �'`��
<br /> ��r�. `�OIl'�18�dl'ITIS:AI1C�i 2C'I-CIO�WO : :LU3C�1Ci�B10IT1 '� • s: -'+,_g�"r"3_���c's `s,�4'iti�- {r� r:y. �;>fv..W^j.� F '�,3���.+?�,»+ ,�t } °t•;'a,'t�-,��,
<br /> � ;�� i : .. ;:, .•y; _. rry �::y grens aren�cei �.s �dec�dedztiat,you are here you.eat�- ��� ��sY.� 3' .,�7;;!x, n ,,� ���r,�,
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