One of my favorite things so far about being back in Mississippi is the sunshine. From 6:30am until 8pm it is bright and warm, butterflies carreen through the air flower to flower. So where's the fresh produce? I've been to the two best places in Lafayette county, the BTC and the Farmer's Market. They both have local(within 20 miles no less) grass-finished beef, local organic dairy, beautiful farm fresh eggs and even strawberries from Louisiana. The closest thing to farmers market type produce however, has been the small clear cellophane bags of emerald bright spinach and cilantro. And it sells fast-faster than the blue and brown eggs and deep yellow butter.
This tuesday will be the visit to a local grain mill, Delta Grind. Tuesday is also the day to visit Yokna Bottom Farm, the organic community share. Maybe that's where all the fresh produce is? Hiding on the only advertised organic farm in the county. State perhaps. They're willing to share, but maybe not with grocery stores. Even the nice ones. Farmers have tough jobs, and they have a better living when able to sell directly to individuals.
And why do I care about this topic so much? At its most basic-you are what you eat. So yes, I care. It also fascinates me that our society in this country has gotten so far away from this basic concept. If we are what we eat...then a large portion of the population is diseased, pesticide-riddled, hormone and steroid laden, and nutrient deficient. Heavy words. A recent study has found that vegetables grown in our day are less dense in nutrients. So this way of farming that is supposed to be more convenient and profitable-and efficient, is in fact making it so that we need more and more of basic foods to get the usual amount of vitamins and minerals.
It has also been suggested that the way we treat "lesser beings" or we could say our prey species is deeply connected to how we treat one another and our world. How we treat the life of a chicken directly relates to how we treat other humans. So these questions about the availability of fresh, humane, dense foods lead me to how a community is thriving. Or not. Or what it takes for a region to overcome the ultra convenience of supermarkets.
It occurs to me that a visit to the Yokna Bottom Farm can also answer questions I have about growing seasons here. In the NW it's possible to get greens all winter, but they aren't salad greens. Chard, kale, cabbage, endive, even brussel sprouts can be found but don't bet on those baby greens. So maybe here in Mississippi veggies go through a lull in productivity in mid-spring? I look forward to finding out!
Also, on a lighter note I heard of a man in the area who could possibly take me cat-fishing or "noodling". But it turns out he's in his 80's and has had recent heart trouble. His wife, I was told, would be sure to dissaprove. I'm also not completely sure how I feel about submerging myself in the brown waters here and blindly groping about under the waterbanks looking for a fish that can weigh up to 80 pounds. I will continue to consider this idea however, because I can only imagine that it would be the best tasting cat fish of my life!
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