Independence or Does it Just Depend?

July 5, 2011

Hi Everyone,

Independence Day. That’s what we are trying to do. Remain independent. Not just on the Fourth of July but all days. One day at a time. But with the new FSMA (we’ve run out of 3 letter TLAs) Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, I’m not so sure how long we can hold out. Watermelons are now considered “high risk” according to the FDA (even though there have been no documentated cases of any food-bourne illnesses with watermelons). Yet, it wasn’t that long ago that we used to ride around in cars with abandon – and no seat belts, and didn’t really feel that we were “risk takers.” We were just trying to get to Grandma’s house with one old station wagon and six kids fighting in the back seat. Now, we would be “extreme risk takers” with potential jail-time for mom and dad. And pretty soon, you’ll be taking your life in your hands by eating a nice, juicy slice of watermelon (already these last two years in order to even order seeds I’ve had to sign an agreement:)

There is a new disease in watermelons called fruit blotch. It spreads rapidly under warm, humid conditions and can infest an entire field within a matter of days. The agreement you sign with the seed company protects them from lawsuits. All watermelon seed now sold has been tested for the presence of the fruit blotch organism. The agreement says you will not sue the seed company if fruit blotch develops in your field. All seed companies require the agreement.

Maybe there is something more to this. Maybe all the watermelons are now GMO because we’re too lazy to spit out the seeds. Would they even tell us? Probably not.

And so, we are left to our own devices. Our own intuition in such matters. Our own matters of conscience. Which is where I was wanting to get with Dan, our Fruit Man. He is the real thing. (And just for the record, it is an insult to ask him “Are you organic?”) It would be like walking into a Japanese household with shoes on your feet. It would be like a total stranger walking into your home and asking if you beat your children. Of course you don’t. They are precious. Your children. Especially to you. You know their value. And their challenges (we all have them). Even plants and trees. It’s a harsh world out there.

Don’t we all want to treat those close to us (including our children, our fruit trees, the land that we own, live on, earn a living from and “farm” – maybe that’s a harsh term – farm, for who would farm out their own children? To babysitters, to schools?) in the most respectful, thoughtful, heartfelt and generous way? I think we do. And if we could just be a little bit more generous, a little bit more trusting, a little bit more “full of heart,” we (all of us little producers of food) could and will, rise to the occasion. But we need some slack. We need the trust and confidence of you; the freedom and independence to experiment and learn. Because no one knows. As much as the “whole thing” looks so certain, it’s not.

Life is a crapshoot, i.e.an uncertain and risky adventure; a venture taken without regard to possible loss. Just like “farming.” We (all farmers) are still learning that’s what makes is so compelling and interesting). I started this venture (farming and the CSA) nearing the age of 50. So, I figure, if I do really well and live to be the ripe old age of 94, (like my mentor and inspiration) I have just 44 chances (of which 4 have already passed) to get this thing right. That’s not many. 40 more seasons. 40 more years of Brandywine tomatoes. 40 more years of new potatoes. 40 more years of my own butternut squash. 40 more years of chicory with the lovely periwinkle flower.

Time is short. Which is why Dan is so impatient. And rightly so. Once he had the opportunity to sell some of his fruit to Shoprite (do we need to be told how to shop right?) but in order to sell to Shoprite he needed a “third-party audit” which would scrutinize his practices to such an extent that he could not even have his dog sleeping on the floor next to his feet while he was spending countless hours sorting the berries to make sure that we only get the best, the ripest and the tastiest berries. “No,” he said, “I would rather let it rot than sell it to you!” And he is right. Really rite. The real rite. That, my friends, is Independence. True freedom. Let’s hope it remains.

In this week’s share:
carrots
onions
scallions
cilantro
French radish
red radishes
broccoli
cabbage
broccoli raab
mustard greens
turnip greens
garlic
Swiss chard
lettuce – 3 heads

“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or our family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change. ~- Thich Nhat Hanh

http://www.financialsense.com/contributors/william-engdahl/2011/06/29/getting-used-to-life-wit
hout-food-part-1

Enjoy!

Lisa, Lauren & Jacob