4-30-09 FOOD FIGHT!!!

FOOD FIGHT!!!!

Normally a rebel yell for many lunch room- anarchist, protagonists.

But not this time. Now its from your local wayfaring farmer.

Or more so in this particular instance it’s the name of a documentary that will be showing in Santa Cruz on May 12th and an event in which I have been asked to be a speaker and participant at for the screening and post screening soiree.

To summarize "Food Fight" it is a look into how the California "local food" movement has created a counter revolution against major agribusiness and how those who believe in the sanctity of producing safe, delicious, and wholesome food from someone you know pull off the revolutionary magic that they do.

For brevity sake I'll leave it at that, but if you wish to fully explore the website listed here, COPY AND PASTE, please do.

http://www.foodfightthedoc.com/foodfight.html

Since arriving back in America nearly a year ago. My omnivore's odyssey has expanded well past any expectations well past my imagination and the rabbit hole is only getting deeper.

On May 12th, myself and hopefully as many of my fellow 39 farm apprentices from UC Santa Cruz will march down in our farmer duds to the theater for the screening and post screening soiree of "Food Fight" to energize the localvores and fellow food industry professionals that not only is a new generation of farmers, entrepreneur's, educators, writers, chef's, and food industry professionals in attendance; but that we are ready to mobilize a food movement within our own communities and also take the fight to the fat cat's who pull the strings on our food supply...

Hopefully their days are numbered!!!!!

When I attended Farm Aid last year, the only thing I understood from my Grade A "prime choice" seats was that I was witnessing an American food revolution from the front row. Still, some months later here I am, still front row, studying horticulture and organic production not only at one of the first and most revered organic training centers in America, but also underneath the tutelage and within the circles of some of the local- organic movements most prolific organic farmers and activists.

I regularly mention that it took 29 years of my life to get to Niger, once there, they gave me the tools to continue on afterwards. The village of Dan Saga, Niger taught me how to fight the bare knuckle fight against hunger and how to ascend towards village food security.

Currently I'm slotted to start a Veterans Village in Minnesota, and its only square 3 or 4.
( think of it like hopscotch).

Without the lessons from my sorely missed village in Niger I would be wandering, lost, asleep at the wheel so to speak. Instead my life unexpectedly made me a farmer and by continuing to live by wayfaring peacefully my life has become dedicated towards feeding folk, teaching veterans how to farm, and most importantly impacting communities at ground zero…..the dinner table.

Be well, eat well, and send me beef jerky.

P.S. Trapped in the blueberry patch last week I stomped a ground squirrel to death and ate it. Many of the vegans, vegetarians, and PETA spokespeople were a little grossed out but many of the other normal omnivores enjoyed its flesh just fine.

Personally I prefer Missouri squirrel.