May 2008
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FacebookBook Review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
By Joy Anderson
My sister-in-law gave me Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for my birthday. When she told me that it was “kind of like the Hundred Mile Diet”, my immediate thought was “ugh, the hundred mile diet was designed for people living on the west coast NOT in Calgary.”
In truth, I knew very little about the rationale behind the Hundred Mile Diet. For the past 10 years I have bought mostly organic and fair-trade products. And I believed that I was making the right choice for my health and the sustainability of our planet. Reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle gave me a new education and insight into my food choices.
The book is a year-long account of one family’s decision to eat only what they can produce on their farm or what can be acquired from neighboring farms. The book begins when the Kingsolver family moves from Tucson, Arizona to the Appalachian mountains of Southwest Virginia. It is written by Barbara Kingsolver, the best-selling author of The Poisonwood Bible, with side bars from Steven Webb (her husband) and Camille Kingsolver (their daughter).
The Kingsolvers manage a farm while holding down full time jobs and attending school. Barbara’s anecdotes about the trials of this lifestyle are supplemented with research into the issues that surround family farming in the United States. The narrative empowered me to see how I can make an impact by making small changes: for example, buying an extra flat of tomatoes in the summer from the farmer’s market and canning them for use in the winter.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is about appreciating the food we consume, from seed to plant to harvest to cooking and finally sitting down with family to talk and enjoy. Kingsolver makes the point that here in North America, and particularly among the younger generations, we’re too busy eating food from Styrofoam to really understand and appreciate the flavor of food. The book makes a strong case for a return to slow food.
I was both fascinated and horrified to learn that the ability to breed and raise chicks naturally has been bred out of the poultry we consume. According to the book, “for 99.9% of domestic turkeys, life begins in the syringe”. Humans have so successfully modified the life cycles of turkeys to feed ourselves more efficiently that turkeys no longer know how to procreate. The Kingsolver farm is one of the only farms with a breeding Heritage turkey flock. (For more information on Heritage breeds visit http://albc-usa.org/)
Steven’s side bars comment on issues surrounding agriculture in the United States and globally. He writes about the cost of food production and our reliance on petroleum products to get produce to the table. Globalization, world hunger, GMO, sustainability, fair trade, and buying locally are all addressed in an informative manner. While at times I felt as though the human race is on a one way road to self destruction, the book sets an example of what we can all do to create change.
Finally, Camille provides the unique perspective of a teenager dealing with her parents’ influence and actions on the farm, in the kitchen and in the media. Studying nutrition at college, she offers simple recipes and weekly meal planning.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is set in the United States and is American centric, however, I still learned a great deal. I learned that the impact of buying bananas - conventional or organic - goes beyond the dollars per pound we spend at the store. Tremendous energy is consumed to fuel the tractors, planes and trucks, provide refrigeration, and produce fertilizer, throughout the growing, harvesting and distribution process. By making a decision to buy B.C. apples instead, I cut down on energy usage, put revenue in the hands of Canadian farmers and consume a healthier product.
I am a regular customer of the Millarville Farmer’s Market each summer. This year I will buy a little extra and spend an afternoon canning with my mom. And I will plant a small asparagus patch in my backyard, affirming my new belief that eating local can be done in Calgary.
TAKE ACTION:
- Shop the farmer’s market at least once per month. The Currie Barracks market is open daily, the West Hillhurst Community Association has a market every Wednesday and the Crossroads Market is open each weekend. Sweetgrass Market at West Springs Village will open in June, 2008.
- Plant something. Check out a gardening book from the library to learn what flourishes in our variable climate or talk to the experts at greengate garden centre.
- Read The Hundred Mile Diet or Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to educate yourself about the positive impact of being a locavore.
- Attend an Evening with Barbara Kingsolver as part of WordFest 2008. Hear the adventures of running a family farm first hand from Barbara and Stephen. Visit the WordFest website for details or check our event calendar.
- Visit the Alberta Farm Fresh Producer’s Association for a list of local farmers and where to buy.
- Visit www.slowfoodcalgary.ca to learn more about the Slow Food Movement and local food producers. If you become a member, you’ll join 80,000 people in over 130 countries who are co-producers, not just consumers. Informing yourself about how your food is produced, and supporting those who produce it, makes you a partner in the process.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Thanks for the info…. I needed a good book to read… :o)
Also I didn’t know that the farmers market was open all week (currie barracks).
Cheers!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 am
The curry Barracks Market IS NOT open daily! Never has been and likely never will. I have become increasingly more disallusioned with the Market in terms of produce - prceis are way higher than in local organic stores or other grocery stores selling organic or non-organic. I work at an office on the barracks so it is most convenient to me but their produce sellers do not make buying there enticing!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:20 am
PS
your article is house-centric!
what about condo dwellers!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:43 am
Hi,
I just checked the Calgary Farmer’s Mrket website and it states that the market is open YEAR round but hours of operation are Fri 9-5, Sat 9-5, Sun 9-4. Also, talking to friends this weekend I found out that the HSCA market that ran Wednesdays June - Sept will be discontinued this year because the vendors were running out of produce etc last year due to Currie (ie Calgary Farmer’s Market) going to Thursdays as well .
I suppose the most logical is to check with the various markets for their season program before heading out.
I find there is definitely a case to be made for eating locally, eating in season and packing (canning) for winter use. A return to food prepared at home, rather than from take-out would definitely reintroduce the origin of the produce, meats etc to our kitchens.
Happy local eating!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:59 am
Another great resource is Forage. They are devoted to local foods, and offer great take out meals Monday - Friday.
www.foragefoods.com
June 5th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Jan’s comments resonate with me. The Farmers Market at Currie Barracks is over rated and over priced. I remember going to farmers markets where farmers sold their produce at reasonable prices. They were happy to make more than they would have sold to the whole seller for. Now they are charging as much if not more than the mainstream grocers. I’d rather be supporing Co-op or Sobeys and not have to screw around with finding parking and the crowds. Also what is disappointing is that a lot of the vendors at the market are selling US products. There is nothing local or 100 mile about that!
June 11th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Sweetgrass Market will open this Saturday, June 14 at 9:45 am. It is located in West Springs Village at 873 - 85 Street SW. Hours of operation are Wednesday to Friday from 9 am to 7 pm; Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm.
June 14th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Millarville Farmer’s Market opens today and runs Saturday mornings from June 14th - October 4th 8.30-noon. $2.00 for parking per car.
www.millarville-ab.com/FarmersMarket.html
June 19th, 2008 at 10:13 am
The urban agriculture meet up will be discussing a variety of issues and projects including the 100 Mile Diet and community gardens at their meet up on June 23. More information is available through the “Urban Agriculture Calgary” group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=33712181064#/event.php?eid=33712181064
REAP will also post upcoming meet ups for this group on the event calendar moving forward.