Comments on: Quotable Kingsolver

By: Pete Loans

Pete Loans — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:21:24 +0000

The vegetables on your pictures really look so delicious!

By: Spicing Up Stale « Straight from the Farm

Spicing Up Stale « Straight from the Farm — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:32:13 +0000

[...] Barbara Kingsolver noted in her Animal Vegetable Miracle memoirs, March is the leanest of months for those of us interested in eating seasonally and [...]

By: Stuff and Stuffed « Straight from the Farm

Stuff and Stuffed « Straight from the Farm — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:59:59 +0000

[...] I was one of the very few lucky kids that got to grow up on a farm. I read an interesting fact in Kingsolver’s book. According to her and her husband’s research, in the past 10 years, the United States has [...]

By: Jennie

Jennie — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:25:41 +0000

Pann – I bet I can guess which school they attend… You’re absolutely right though about whole communities having a huge impact on the general temperment for passing along horticulture and food history to kids. Where I grew up, a small farming community, every kid knew exactly why the school year was from Sept to May because we all spent our summers working on the farm (the reason why the school year is as it is). And there were “ag” classes available to every high school kid. I’m not saying that every school needs ag classes but if whole communities place value on sustainable food choices, it will definitely trickle down into the curiculumn. Mt. Airy’s the perfect example of a community determined to create a sustainable food chain and I’m excited to be part of that.

By: Pann

Pann — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:34:32 +0000

Maybe my kids just go to super-crunchy schools and pre-schools, but how things grow has been continuously covered for each of them, from pre-school to 2nd grade (and that’s what grade we are up to so far).

Communities that are tuned in to food choices will probably have more food production related education for their children.

By: Jennie

Jennie — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:13:46 +0000

I’ll keep you posted, Marimann. And if there isn’t one, we might indeed just have to write it ourselves. I think it’d make for an interesting project. Perhaps a collective effort between farm-types and non-farm types. A good idea to mull over this winter while we’re reading.

By: marimann

marimann — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 01:05:07 +0000

Jennie~
I wish I did know of a book, and if anyone tells you of any, I’d like to know of them too. Maybe we’ll have to write it ourselves?
Mari

By: Jennie

Jennie — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:05:50 +0000

Marimann – People have really asked you to hatch an egg from the store for them?? Wow. I agree with you though that these books, while powerful for us who are so invested in growing our food, are likely to miss the target with your everyday reader. Do you know of any books that bridge that gap? I’d love to read them if you do. Same goes for anyone else who has a good book recommendation.

By: marimann

marimann — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 15:29:37 +0000

I’m with you here on two points- I’m transitioning my garden blog from “all garden, all the time” to recipes, books, etc., and I just started reading Kingsolver’s book on last Saturday and have hardly been able to put it down! It’s going on my Christmas list. I’ve had so many experiences that Kingsolver and your other commenters have shared, like people telling me they got an egg from the grocery store that has a chick in it and could I put it under one of my hens to hatch, to taking my family out to my corn and bean garden and having them express surprise over food that’s actually growing from the ground. I guess they thought it grows in those cellophane grocery packages. I would give this book and Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma to my family for Christmas except I know they wouldn’t read it!

By: Jennie

Jennie — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:12:52 +0000

Taylor – Wow, people have really asked you if beans grown on trees? Huh.

Yeah, America’s food culture is so diverse, which is great. But I think it also takes its toll when we try to identify ourselves as a cultural whole. I’ve noticed how different your food traditions are from mine and I wish that I’d known about the great stuff you grew up with before now. That being said, I don’t think that’s what Kingsolver is lamenting. I think she’s more upset about fad dieting when we could just be focusing on eating fresh seasonal produce instead of denying ourselves carbs. I’d get on that soapbox.

Now, about 4-H. We had it as a club outside of school. Did you actually have it connected with school in some way? That’s intriguing if you did. I think you’re right that farming and french might both be useless subjects to many kids. But maybe there could be just a little more education about how plants produce our food? My problem is that I’m so removed from the current curiculum in schools that I don’t know what they teach anymore, besides in D’s first grade class where he occasionally gets around to having them plant peas that inevitably die because D’s got no clue how to grow plants either.