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Full Circle
We've been very happy with our weekly CSA basket over the last year and a half. We get good-quality organic vegetables, lots of heirloom varieties that we wouldn't have tried otherwise (such as orach and fat hen), and we get whatever crops are in season. Lots of greens in the spring and summer, squashes and roots in the fall.
That, combined with the sausage-making class I taught last weekend, led to a bit of musing.
I'd argue that the primary struggle throughout most of human history has been getting enough food year-round. To achieve that, we have developed drying and smoking, salting and pickling. More recently, freezing and canning. In the last 150 years or so, we have substantially reduced the need for harvest seasonality - I can get most meats, fruits, and vegetables year-round.
So, what do we do in the face of this bounty? We pay a premium for fresh, seasonal vegetables. And enjoy it!
That, combined with the sausage-making class I taught last weekend, led to a bit of musing.
I'd argue that the primary struggle throughout most of human history has been getting enough food year-round. To achieve that, we have developed drying and smoking, salting and pickling. More recently, freezing and canning. In the last 150 years or so, we have substantially reduced the need for harvest seasonality - I can get most meats, fruits, and vegetables year-round.
So, what do we do in the face of this bounty? We pay a premium for fresh, seasonal vegetables. And enjoy it!