Ingredients: The Movie

We watched the movie "Ingredients," and it really inspired us to get into the sustainable food movement even more than we already had- beyond Whole Foods, beyond eating healthy, beyond even organic.

This movie does a good job of looking at the relationship between production and consumption, in this case, in the form of the restaurant industry. However, I really internalized the consumption aspect, seeing how supporting farmers is vital to supporting so many things I care about: family business, the earth, the health of the soil, the availability of quality, nutritious food, empowering ourselves against corporate and hierarchical structures, etc., etc.

In this, we see Alice Waters' oft-quoted perspective: that paying higher prices for these things is not a painful reality we accept, but a thing we choose and want to do in order to make every step of this process a worthwhile living choice for everyone involved. If we continue to demand cheaper and cheaper food, we price farmers out of making a living. More than that, we discourage those who might otherwise choose this career as a passion, an art (which then increases quality and intention of good) from pursuing this life.

However, if we offer good, fair prices, we increase the odds that passionate, talented people will pursue a way of life in farming in a way that supports a healthier economy (one that challenges corporate, detached ways of life), a healthier planet, and a healthier population.

After watching this movie, we decided to dedicate ourselves even more to what we believe in: we will be composting (WITH WORMS) in the apartment, we will be seeking out local foods in the form of farmers markets and CSA's, we will be structuring our menus around what is seasonally and locally available (which is a fun and welcome challange to my creativity), and we will be in general more sustainably-minded.

Don't get me wrong; we still bought some lemons and limes, and even an avocado (things that CLEARLY do not grow in Illinois!) for our menu. But, as a wise mentor has always impressed upon me, every little thing you do makes a difference. We hope that every step we take to dedicate ourselves to what we believe in will make us feel more purposeful and excited about, well, life! I'm certainly excited about the new challenges in cooking!

I realize that not everyone has the resources we have in Chicago, and that our resources will become vastlty more scant in the coming winter months. But, again, every little effort to eat what's in season, or grow your own herb garden on the windowsill, is something towards taking the power from forces outside of ourselves (namely, the food industry), and empowering ourselves.

More to come, especially on the worms!