lune 19, 2013
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How I Fell for Farmers’ Markets
The rewards of
making friends
with a farmer
by
J ill R ichardson
I'll never forget the
first time I went to a
farm ers' m arket. I
hated it.
Like many who buy
food only from the
grocery store, I didn't
realize that local farm­
ers can't produce every food all
year round. I didn't expect pine­
apples or anything, but the ex­
tremely limited selection in early
spring shocked me: spinach, aru­
gula, green onions, radishes, and
rhubarb. That was it.
I had just moved to Madison,
Wise., home of one of the nation's
biggest farmers' markets. The
entire town was abuzz with ex­
citement about the Dane County
Farmers' Market starting up again
for the year on the Capitol Square.
Seasoned marketgoers all knew
that the selection of produce ex­
pands and changes throughout
the year. For them, the market's
array of offerings was
just the first of many.
They saw it as merely
an appetizer, a teaser,
as they readied them­
selves for strawberries,
asparagus, sugarsnap
peas, and the other
treats still to come.
But no one gave me that
memo. And it never occurred to
me that the snow had only just
melted and that it takes a few
weeks — or months — to grow
food.
I went home, disappointed,
and didn't return until August.
The August market made me
a true believer. Apples, water­
melons, and bell peppers in col­
ors I'd n ev er seen b efo re
(purple!), potato varieties with
exotic names like Russian Ba­
nana Fingerling, vegetables I'd
never even heard of (have you
d isc o v e re d k o h lra b i? ), and
m ore. Every farm er's stand
made my mouth water.
I felt like a chump for miss­
ing months of this edible spec­
tacle. And I worked hard to
make up for lost time. I got to
know each individual farmer and
learn why his or her offerings
were special.
Seeing carrots in red, purple,
and yellow as well as orange
hues, I stopped to learn more.
The farmer was busy selling
them to the chef of the fanciest
restaurant in town. Well, if they
were good enough for him, they
were good enough for me. I
bought some too.
I asked a farmer with a dizzy-
ingly diverse display of pota­
toes which variety I should use
in a soup. "German butterball,"
he replied. And he was right. just ask if a farmer uses chemical
They made the creamiest soup fertilizers or pesticides.
I'd ever eaten.
Another bonus: You can meet
"I don't like turnips," I told your meat. And find out exactly
another farmer. "Try these," she how it was raised, including its
said, handing me a baby turnip. breed, diet, and even how it met
Sure enough, they were sweet its end.
and d e lic io u s, w ith o u t any
The best way to learn about
horseradishy bite.
farming is by simply asking farm­
And when I got the food home, ers how they do it. If you aren't
it stayed fresh for weeks. Un­ sure whether they're using pesti­
like food from the store, it was cides, hormones, or other chemi­
just-picked. It did not have to cals, just ask. Farmers are pas­
trav el acro ss co n tin en ts or sionate about caring for their soil
spend time in warehouses.
and their animals, and many are
I'm not alone. Eaters every­ eager to share their knowledge to
where across America are dis­ help you make better food choices.
covering the joy of buying di­
This summer, do yourself a
rectly from local farmers. From favor. Visit a farmers' market,
less than 2,000 farmers' mar­ make friends with a farmer, and
kets in 1994, the number has you'll be rewarded with delicious,
grown to nearly 8,000.
healthy food.
At the farmers' market, labels
O therW ords colum nist Jill
don't matter because you can sim­ Richardson is the author o f Recipe
ply ask the farmer how they pro­ fo r America: Why Our Food Sys­
duce your food. Instead of look­ tem Is Broken and What We Can
ing for an organic label, you can Do to Fix It; otherwords.org
Failing to Respond to a Moral Crisis
No more lectures
from President
Obama
by
R on D aniels
When I was at
L afayette
Park
(across from the
White House) re­
cently checking the
logistics for our day
of action to pres­
sure
P resident
Obama to end the War on Drugs and
invest in inner-city black communities, I
confess to having been filled with pride
thinking about the reality of a black family
occupying the White House! But, I pinched
myself to get past the fact that Barack
Obama is the first African American Presi­
dent of the USA.
I had to quickly remind myself that
electoral politics is about who gets what,
how much and when. At least that's what
our beloved Dr. Ronald Walters spent
much of his life striving to teach us. It
doesn't matter the color, race, ethnicity or
even political persuasion of the resident in
the White House, presidents should re­
spond to the crises of people/groups be­
cause they are part of the body politic of
this nation.
If a constituency/group is a key part of
the president's political support base, there
No doubt deep down inside this presi­ gency in America's dark ghettos. Can you
is an even more compelling reason to dent may want to identify with our needs,
imagine President Obama speaking to a
attend to their needs. Unfortunately, as it but apparently he is afraid of a "white
Latino convention and not addressing the
relates to blacks, these basic expectations backlash" if he shows his true colors. So,
issue of immigration policy reform or
of electoral politics seem not to apply. For in lieu of programs and policies directed/
talking to a lesbian and gay organization
decades presidents have failed to respond targeted to relieve distressed black com­
without discussing marriage equality and
to the crises in black America in propor­ munities, we get symbolism - the presi­
LBGT rights? He wouldn't dare insult
tion to our needs or political support - dent and first lady delivering commence­
these groups by not directly addressing
particularly the Democratic Party.
ment addresses at historically black col­ their priority agendas.
Thus far, this is certainly the case with leges or visiting inner-city schools.
Finally, and perhaps the most egregious
President Obama. He refuses to directly
Certainly there is no harm in symbolism act of all is President Obama's persistent
respond to the urgent needs of blacks who except when it's a substitute for the kind
lecturing to black audiences about per­
marched on ballot boxes in record num­ of substantive policies which would alle­
sonal responsibility. The most recent in­
bers to ensure his election and re-election. viate the pain and suffering of people who
stance was his pep talk to the highly
Instead of policies and programs specifi­ not only need a kind word but jobs,
accomplished graduates of Morehouse
cally designed/targeted to ameliorating and economic development and relief from
College, who hardly needed a lecture on
ultimately transforming the conditions in violence and fratricide. The same applies
altering their behavior to be more respon­
distressed urban com m unities, black for "access" to the White House.
sible young men. President Obama has
America is treated to symbolism, access
also used Father's Day to become "daddy-
and lectures about personal responsibility.
Never in my life have I witnessed blacks in-chief," exhorting us to just behave bet­
Many of us seem to be content with having so much access to the White
ter, and more responsibly.
President Obama's approach, choosing to House via conference calls, talk radio
There is nothing inherently wrong
give him a pass because he is a "brother." interviews, briefings and celebratory gath-
with encouraging people to do better
On the other hand, there are growing erings/parties (folks brag about jamming
but it would have much more credibility
numbers from all walks of life who are at the White House with the first lady and
and impact if the lecture was accompa­
simply getting tired, frustrated and angry the prez). And, of course, the Congres­
nied by a call on the nation and its
at the President’s reluctance to openly sional Black Caucus, National Urban
political and economic institutions to
address what can only be considered a League, NAACP and National Action Net­
invest in revitalizing communities rav­
moral and political crisis in terms of de­ work have been favored with appear­
ish ed
by
d is in v e s tm e n t,
pression levels of joblessness, horrific ances at their conventions by the most
deindustrialization, the war on drugs
gun violence, fratricide and mass incar­ powerful leader in the world.
and mass incarceration. Otherwise, these
ceration in urban inner-city black com­
The problem is that the president sel­ patronizing lectures are an insult!
munities.
dom, if ever, speaks directly to the most
Dr. Ron Daniels is president o f the
For some, Obama is like Nero fiddling urgent concerns of black America at these
Institute o f the Black World 21st Century
while black communities are imploding!
auspicious gatherings - the State of Emer­ and a distinguished lecturer.