The Rev. Dana Prom Smith, S.T.D.,
Ph.D. (9/22/2013)
Now
that the growing season has kissed Flagstaff
Otten’s
genius is a fusion connecting local farmers with consumers. As everyone knows, nearly all of the produce
purchased in supermarkets is second or third hand. The consumer doesn’t know where it comes from
or how it’s grown, much less who grows it. Witness the recalls of bagged
salads. Otten’s local farmers are nearby
and available.
With
Otten’s program the consumer can talk directly to the farmer, much like my
father and mother driving out into the San Fernando Valley
in the 1930’s to buy their vegetables and fruits. At that time, San
Fernando Valley was a valley of farms, plots, orchards, and
groves. One time a farmer sliced a
watermelon with a knife he had just used to slice a grasshopper. My mother indignantly insisted on another
watermelon. We’ve lost that connection
with the earthiness of life. In an
industrialized commercial society, Otten wants to bring back that connection.
Through
Otten’s organization, Community Supported Agriculture, consumers sign up to buy
fresh produce from the farmers. This way
the farmers can plant the number of crops needed. Also, the consumer will know who grows the
fruits and vegetables and how they’re grown.
When we put something in our mouths, we’re better off knowing what it
is.
Even
though industrialized agriculture now uses such words as “organic” and
“sustainable” in their advertising, the words along with other politically
correct words have lost their meaning.
Once a word becomes correct, it has become a substitute for thought and
meaning. The issue is not who can advertize
using those meaningless words, but the origins of the produce. If we know the farm and the farmer, we’re a
lot closer to authenticity in our food.
For
the first time in years, the number of farms is increasing rather than
decreasing which is a good sign for the health of the nation. A part of the reason is that consumers are
demanding fresher and safer produce from local farmers which means more farmers. The tide is beginning to turn from
mega-industrialized farms to local farms and locally grown produce.
One
way to test the quality of food in a restaurant is to find out from whom and
where the produce comes. If the restaurateur
doesn’t know, then we don’t know what we’re putting in our mouths. In addition to that, we can assume that if the
restaurateur doesn’t know the whence and whom, the food will not taste as good
as food made with fresh produce. A taste
test will do, and the best place to start is with the snap beans and
tomatoes. All the customer has to do is
ask. If the restaurateur is baffled or
non-plussed by the question, we have our answer. Caveat Emptor.
Buyer Beware.
Otten
isn’t only concerned about the authenticity of the consumer’s produce but also
about those who can’t afford it. She
gives those buying from our local farmers the opportunity to give a little more
so that those on food stamps can also buy fresh produce. Jesus said, “As you did it to one of the least
of these my brethren, you did it to me.”
An act of mercy is the ultimate act of authenticity.
Karna
Otten can be reached at (928) 213-8948 and flagcsa@gmail.com
for the excellence of the fresh. Her web
site is www.flagcsa.com. The address is 116 West Cottage Avenue , Flagstaff
Copyright
© Dana Prom Smith 2013
Dana Prom Smith and Freddi Steele edit
Gardening Etcetera for the Arizona
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