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| The biggest bacon slices ever! |
I don't have any cool T-shirts with phrases about buying local or about freeing chickens (a Denver campaign to legalize backyard chickens, see HERE) though I was wearing my "Butter was Framed" shirt. I don't live in the city anymore and have moved out to the burbs so I don't know where the cool places to be seen eating brunch are. But the kicker was when I was talking to a shopper about the raw milk pick-ups and how she was horrified and thought it should not be legal. I wanted to shake her and ask why she was even at a farmers market. Yes, it is fun and urbane to trot around the warehouses by the railroad tracks and shop for food and eat organic things and go to brunch but really the reason the farmers markets need to be there is because there needs to be a secondary market for food. I realized in chatting with her that for her it is about consuming an ideal identity, it is about being young and hip and urban and buying the things which reflect the image she wants people to see. She believed that organic food equaled quality and refinement and that having veggies from a farmers market (even if the same stuff you could get in a store) made her the kind of person she wanted to be. It was not about health, not hers or the farmers or the environment, it was about shelling out extra money for an image. She told me, "What good is money if you don't spend it on fun things?" Like food? Food is a fun thing?
When I picked up my $222 of pork (yes, it was exactly that) the farmer and I spoke again about her ridiculous bacon. It is the widest, fattest and most heavenly bacon I have ever had, but is rejected by shoppers at that market and she can't move it. On one hand, that is fine with me because I cleared her out and did so happily. One the other hand, I am really bothered by that. Do you want to know why no one wants her bacon? Because it is fatty. The shoppers at the market want cute organically grown seedlings and organic herbs and even organic ice cream but not fatty bacon. No fat allowed. Or raw milk. Which also has fat. I am going to go with her to a couple of Weston A Price chapter meetings. WAPF-ers are not afraid of fat from pastured hogs. Or her raw goat's milk. They are gonna love what she brings.
I know not all the shoppers there are worried about image or that raw milk is legal or that bacon has fat (which is the point, right?). The man who runs the farmers market is fantastic and I like most of the people I ever see down there but there is the contingent of people who have no idea what it all means. But every once in a while I meet someone and I wish they could shake that consumerism ideal out of their heads. It is not about whether or not you buy all your food from the farmers markets or Whole Foods; the real thing is that you remember the people behind your food. In the end it is all about the people, the people who produce it, prepare it and eat it and what is best for all of those people. Food is fun, but it is not only fun. It is food and it serves its purpose best when it is fed to people.
Linking up to Real Food Wednesday!
My mom freaks out about the raw milk in our fridge. She does buy at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and local farmers markets. She just won't listen to me explain that raw milk is safe; in fact, I think it's a lot safer than the conventional meat supply.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I need to start calling it real milk? I'm not sure she's willing to listen. It's tough when people have made up their minds and aren't open to hearing another side.
Maybe I should start calling mine real milk, too? I have some friends down the street and his father is really upset that they are giving the kids raw milk and it is probably all about the news reports. I really wish someone would report on good things sometimes!
DeleteMy milk co-op (which is technically illegal in my state, but we get around it with the "pet food" claim) refers to it as "fresh milk," which I think is less scary sounding than "raw" AND accurate--the store milk sure isn't fresh!
DeleteI am so tired of people needing an excuse to buy raw milk. The pet food thing works and I am thrilled that you have it but it is not like you are buying codeine or anything! I wish people could just buy milk! But, the fresh milk name is pretty isn't it?
DeleteI refuse to call it raw milk!! That reinforces that it needs a qualifier. I always call my milk "milk," or at the very least, "real" milk, and I call pasteurized milk either pasteurized milk or "store" milk. Fresh milk would be good also. I like that. I will be using that. There is such a huge propaganda machine against real milk. It is ridiculous. Of course I feel the same about what people call "breast" milk. We do not call any other bodily fluid by the name of the body part it came out of. We do not say penis pee, anus poop, or nose snot. I have started only saying, "human milk." I feel like there is an insidious propaganda machine at work in that regard as well.
DeleteI know what you mean about these people. They are the ones looking for the low calorie, low fat items because they are "healthier." I have noticed whenever I am offered a "healthy" sample at Costco, the people always tell me, "it is low fat!" or, "it is fat-free!" or "it only has 2 calories!" or "it is so easy to make; just stick it in the microwave and..." People need to rethink what food is. I have gotten to the point where if someone makes a pitch to me and starts with, "it is low fat!" I turn tail and run, lol....
It has been interesting to me to see the difference between the Union Square Farmers Market, and my local coop. The meat vendors at the Farmers Market talk about how their grass fed beef is "lower in fat" and "healthier" than regular beef, and the most popular booths are the cheese and bread booths.
ReplyDeleteA question asked by a buying club member is "that yogurt isn't low fat, is it?" While we have a lot of vegetarians, we also have a lot of people who love pastured animals and local foods.
I also think it was Joel Salatin that said farmers market consumers are mostly liberals, and the farmers are mostly conservative.
I do tend to buy fruits and vegetables from the markets (and have even set up a "make my own CSA" because I cant afford the upfront cost), the prices of meat are out of my price range.
I buy a lot of things at the health food store and Costco, too, because of the price. About half the meat we eat each month is organic chicken by the case from Costco. But you are right, the coops generally have people more like me.
DeleteChange the ideas of one person at a tima and finally the world will be a better world. Plus if everybody had the same opinions as yours, it would not be a fun world. So let those persons come for their image and you for good health. You both spend money with a local farmer and it is already better thanat thesupermarket.
ReplyDeleteYou make a really good point! Also, someone on Twitter commented that it is far better they spend their dollars there than elsewhere. Which is very, very true. No matter why they do it, I am glad that they do it.
Deletewhen we were still getting our raw milk at DUH (we've since found a different pickup location that's closer), we always went on fridays for this very reason....just to avoid the crowds of hipsters. we're heading down this saturday to pick up some beef and i'll definitely check out your pork farmer as that bacon looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThe bacon is from a heritage breed called a mule foot. They put on fat like it's their job, tolerate cold temps and can be in the sun all day. Perfect for Colorado! And the bacon is unreal, it is so, so good!
DeleteRegarding bacon: the fat is the best part!
ReplyDeleteRegarding raw milk: y' know, I'd be willing to bet that the majority of people who don't like raw milk have never even thought about the effects of aspartame in their diet sodas. People don't like to think nowadays; it's too easy to have information spoon-fed, so why bother with your own research? We're too busy having fun.
I wondered if that was you! I recognized the voice and then I clicked to your blog! I did not know you had one! I will definitely be checking back on it.
DeleteOh, it's not like this in Seattle! They sell raw milk AT the farmer's market (which they label "real milk") along with very fatty cuts of meat. You have to get there EARLY because the bacon is gone otherwise! So, maybe it's a CO thing? Granted, Seattle is full of people who think the same way about nutrition as you do....
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame. I live in one of the wealthiest states in the country and I cannot afford the prices at our local farmer's markets. They are just too high, and I think a lot of that has something to do with the image that people are buying. I don't mind paying a farmer a living wage, but a girl's gotta make ends meet! I do most of my buying through private buyers clubs and get most of my produce (conventional) from the military commissary. I pay premium for the best animal products and compromise on everything else.
ReplyDeleteI feel for you and I think you are definitely making the best choice! I would start with animal foods, too. The coolness factor drives up price and people just need to eat! Every once in a while I get an email from someone who is plain broke and needs to figure out how to eat and it is so hard.
DeleteNope. The fact that you live in a wealthy state just means that everything costs more. Fuel. You'd be amazed how much diesel fuel a farmer uses. Feed. Although they're grass fed, they are most likely supplemented. Feed costs are ridiculous. Help. Everybody needs help, and farm hands are paid less than most, but still need to eat. Small farms aren't subsidized, so they need to fetch prices that will cover all these costs.
DeleteI'm in Connecticut, one of the wealthiest states, and we have the same thing going on. I, however, live in a rural area, and these farmers are my friends. They live behind the eight ball and are always worried about when the bottom is going to fall out. Believe me, these people aren't getting rich.
Here in Austin the prices are pretty high at the farmer's markets. Since most of the people at the market seem to be hanging out mostly, and only buy enough for one meal at a time the farmers seem to not bring a lot along. I've been told by a few vendors that the prices for the spots at the market are very high. So if the spots cost a lot and only a handful are buying, then prices will be high. Also, there seems to be less and less raw ingredients and more and more salsa's, fermented foods and baked goods. Which is good for those who want ready-to-eat food, but I'm shopping for ingredients. So I buy from a CSA. CSA's rock!
ReplyDeleteI live in Georgetown, just above Austin, and I agree Farmers' Markets are expensive - maybe not as bad as WF or Central Mkt but more than I want to pay. So I buy from a CSA, a talk to the farmers at the markets about bulk buying and putting aside (freeze/can/dry) for out of season eating - often I can go directly to the farm and get more at reasonable prices. And I'm lucky, I have my own chicks and get raw milk direct from the farm about 5 miles from home. I think Farmers' Markets are fun but don't get much - just socialize and get new ideas. PS: I also have a plot in a local community garden.
DeleteThose are some really observations! It really is more about prepared food. I like to go when I am looking for seeds or other things for the most part, too. I want ingredients and a lot of them. I am not buying a few tomatoes or a few peppers, I want a bushel. My pork connection lives about 45 minutes away but the farmers market is ten minutes from my husband's office, so I drove him in and we had coffee before I shopped and he took the train home so it was faster than driving to her farm. The community garden is always a great idea!
DeleteI always wonder about the people that say they can't afford to buy "real" meat, that its to expensive to feed them & butcher them, even with a farm share. If they totaled up their medical bills & prescription costs along with their grocery bill for all of the processed crap, they could afford it and then some. The people that are against raw milk and fresh eggs don't want to know that the milk & eggs in the grocery stores have been stripped of nutrients as well as having sat on the shelves for weeks before being put out for sale. The image shoppers at farmers markets are ignorant, they want others to think they are trendy, but they are still popping their pills with their diet cokes.
ReplyDeleteSo right! We were buying local organic milk and not shelling out for raw because we thought we had too many kids to afford it anymore. Then we had two kids develop asthma and started spending $180 in co-pays for medication. Raw milk suddenly did not seem so expensive anymore! Within six months of switching, the kids were off all their drugs!
DeleteObviously a late reply but this is just such an appalling comment.
DeleteI'm flabbergasted by your arrogance Rogue Wild. I wonder about those who assume that people who say they can't afford a completely outrageous premium price on certain goods are just misplacing their funds. I can't afford to spend that kind of money regularly on "real" meats or dairy products or eggs and I can't think of the last time I bought processed food because I certainly can't afford that either. I go to a doctor or dentist maybe on average every 3 years. We couldn't afford health insurance there for a long time. The kinds of things we get to sacrifice to drink raw milk are whether or not we repair our 30 y.o. roof that's leaking. So you might perhaps cut some people some slack and let them get on with their lives.
Sometimes people have very difficult choices to make concerning their finances and the foods that they are able to buy. You remind people that sometimes the choices are between a roof and milk and not a ten day versus a 14 day vacation. You make a good point and I am glad that you are serving as a reality check.
DeleteI'm not sure how i've gone so long not finding your blog! I love DUH and live in Denver and dsicovered you from Kelly the Kitchen Kop's link on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI love this post!!!
I am so glad to meet you! I love DUH! The owner of the market is helping us in Aurora with our chicken programs. We are trying to educate people that backyard chickens would be good for the city! But Aurora has Jane Brady syndrome and just wants to be urban and cool.
DeleteInteresting post!
ReplyDeleteWell said Melissa! Farmer's Markets are chic these days. But people still carry that low fat baggage. I was laughing to myself as I read this though . . .wonder if that woman ever thought she would be the topic of conversation for your blog.LOL. Then I wondered, I wonder how often I might be the center of someones convo on a blog . . .I am a bit of a freak, ya know. ;)
ReplyDeleteJen, your comment makes me wonder about me! But you are my kinda freak!
DeletePeople are also going nuts for the meats without nitrates fad forgetting that nitrates are really there to keep the meat from killing us. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/nutrition/DJ0974.html
ReplyDeleteIt has been reported that people normally consume more nitrates from their vegetable intake than from the cured meat products they eat. Spinach, beets, radishes, celery, and cabbages are among the vegetables that generally contain very high concentrations of nitrates (J. Food Sci., 52:1632).
It is easy to vilify foods, set trends and generally go about ignorant of facts as long as it is, 'trendy'. I think I see a naked emperor around here somewhere!
I know I emailed you about this but I did want to respond here. It is a strange coincidence that you brought this up because I have been looking at Vitamin C and nitrates mostly because of Wardeh Harmon's new book on fermenting foods. She uses pink salt (nitrates) to make safe sausages at home. I really value her wisdom and she makes some interesting arguments for using pink salt. I am really re-thinking this right now but I am not sure where it will lead.
DeleteI don't know if I've posted on here before, but I've read your blog a lot. We're beginning organic farmers on Colorado's Eastern Plains (Limon area).
ReplyDeleteMost of our local people are not interested in the advantages of our food (free range corn free eggs, for one). We have only two local customers...
Honestly, though as a beginning farmer, I wish I had better access to those type of people you describe. They'd at least help pay some bills...
Time and time again I find myself being able to relate more to the vendors at farmer's markets than the majority of the clientele. Maybe I should just get off the pot and go farm already.
ReplyDelete