This food “movement” is an ever important and passionate one, but it is also wrought with elitism and snobbery to a disgusting degree.

I am not struggling financially right now and I am fortunate for that. However, I sense the anger everywhere, and try to be sensitive to it. I have struggled in the past, and I completely understand the aversion to people treating you like you are doing something wrong, when you are doing the best you can for family, yourself, your body, your community and the environment, and to just survive.

When I was an out-of-work single-mother during the dot-bomb crisis, I sometimes (tragically) had no choice but to feed myself and my daughter many meals in a row based on 8-cent ramen packages (that I tried to make healthy by avoiding the flavor packet and adding tamari with canned tuna or peas and an egg or something similar), and sometimes I even resorted to the (gasp!) fast food dollar menu’s, when I was just too weary from job hunting and motherly duties to shop or cook or even stand another minute on my feet, but had to feed us something and only had $2 to my name. It was horrible. We didn’t eat as much produce and proteins as I would like, and forget the concept of organic, but we survived to shop at farmer’s markets once again. Just as my divorced, single-mother of a grandmother and her four kids survived the food rations (I have seen the government issued ration tickets as proof) here in California during World War II.

Food became industrialized as it is for a reason. For better and for worse. What is unfortunate is it’s absolute decline.

And, grocery chains are not evil. You were most likely raised on them, and they were a godsend to your mother – no doubt, as they are to people in rural and suburban areas across the country. We would be lost without them.

I am not a “locavore”, but I try to eat locally as much as possible and always have – long before I knew there was a political “movement.” But, I am also extremely grateful for the fact that I can buy food items from around the world, even in my lame suburban neighborhood. I believe in import and export. Trading. Sharing. Exploring. I really don’t see that changing, nor would I want it to. We would never know global cuisine as we do, without it.

What I do want is for food quality and access to improve. For the food industry to become sustainable. And most importantly, for honesty and integrity in food practices across the board, starting with artificial flavoring that genetically alters your taste buds for the sake of “flavor.” (see the July issue of Gourmet Magazine on the Science of Flavor if you have no idea what horrors I am talking about).

Every effort to improve our food quality, sources and practices should be applauded, but those efforts should not come in the form of criticizing supporters of the same goals. Especially in these financially desperate times where people who were just recently accustomed to a grander lifestyle are now forced to go without and struggle daily for their mere survival.

Just like religion, no one will follow you if you act holier than thou and try to beat everyone over the head with your dogma, and guilt and shame them into thinking that their natural pleasures and desires or methods of survival “wrong.”

It’s human nature to resist what is shoved down your throat.

People will more likely follow you in this “movement” if you are obviously involved in or enjoying something special that they will want to seek out, as well. People will naturally want a piece of whatever it is you are enjoying so much.

Most people do not respond favorably to attempts to shame them over something as deeply personal as what they choose to, or can afford to, eat. We foodies should be able to understand this, since food is so obviously important to us. Right?

Finally, this lengthy post is not directed at Michael (Michael’s post was informative and right on point, and I look forward to seeing the film and spreading the word – thanks Michael and Chris!), or anyone in particular, for that matter. It is to all of the (hopefully) well-meaning people who don’t realize that they are often being arrogant, insensitive, pushy, offensive and rude – especially to those who actually support this “movement,” yet can’t afford to live it full-time, and in some cases not much at all.

Those well-meaning people may actually be hurting the “movement” with their poor manners, and need to re-assess their tact.

That’s all.

Cheers,

~ Paula
(of Ambrosia Quest)

I’m hoping the other small guys are like the small guys I support. Assuming that the prices for the more industrial eggs will go up, it seems like it would make the “small guys” even more price competitive, not less so.

You suggested that I don’t do it, except I can’t do nothing. Buying locally and knowing where my food comes from is very important to me. Is there no place in the local food movement for poor people? If not, then participating in it just becomes a luxury for the more fortunate. If you’ll allow me to get carried away for a moment (because he was talking about civil rights for black people, not friggin’ food), Frederick Douglass said that just because you can’t do everything, that doesn’t mean you can’t do something.

Maura – There are people like this you know – this doesn’t apply to you I would think. Do you own a big car or an overpriced house? I bet not. You weren’t the target of these statements.

You’re correct. I don’t own a big car or an overpriced house. And oh, hell yes, I know there are people like that. I used to see them all the time when I shopped regularly at chain grocery stores.

Here’s the thing though. I read what I think are sweeping generalizations about people who don’t buy only organic, locally grown food. Until I posted my admittedly very angry rant, I think one other person brought up the subject of not being able to afford to pay more for food. I’m not knocking anyone for being passionate about the subject, because it’s obvious I’m passionate about it too. But I think that it’s not a subject that can be discussed in a vacuum. By its very nature, it has to do with money, and that can’t be ignored.

I hate that food has become such a divisive issue. It feels so much like “us vs. them” and “all or nothing”. This is not a fight that can be won by judgment.

And I’m starting to want to kick my own ass, so I’ll stop now.

Back in the day, it seemed that most of the food obsessed people I met were secular leftists who, when they observed the take- over of farming and food distribution by large corporate interests saw it for what it is: the natural result of living in a capitalist society that is not comfortable putting limits on how big a business can get. But I’m increasingly meeting more and more rightist-type people who believe that everything (including food production, supply and distribution) is being controlled by national entity ( a political party, the Federal Government) which in turn is controlled by a global authority whose real aim is to gain control of our minds prior to initiating a series of events resulting in the demise of most of the human population.

Those people who see evidence of a global conspiracy to deprive us of healthy non-GMO etc. etc. food en route to reducing the population (the most commonly cited number is 500,000,000) tend to identify themselves as religious conservative republicans and libertarians and refer to the leaders of the conspiracy as the “Illuminati.”

They echo the old style Marxists who always cited a plot by Bankers and Industrialists to enslave workers, or the National Socialists with their “International Jewish Conspiracy.”

I’m not sure what is more interesting, the fact that “One World Order” conspiracy theorists have become part of the no-GMO, locovore, organic, food counterculture or that many people seem to have the need to blame powerful forces beyond their immediate control for their unwillingness to understand the world as it really is: the messy result of the clash of competition between species, populations, ideologies, brilliantly and ill conceived laws and regulations etc.

“So there it is. Vote with your fork. Be willing to pay more for your food. Get used to that idea. Embrace it. We spend a ton of money on personal entertainment and cool computers and cell phones and impressive clothes. Paying a little more for your food is not a bad thing. Figuring out ways to make it available to all people is going to be difficult.”

See the last sentence?

“Figuring out ways to make it available to all people is going to be difficult”

Try not to selectively read things and then react. You are not the only person living on limited means and having little time by the way. A friend of mine who works 3 jobs still makes time to prepare nutritious meals, her deadbeat husband disappeared and she is keeping her mortgage and kids going. She isn’t eating filet mignon, nor does she want to.

Maura said: “And yeah, I’m angry. I’m angry at the suggestion that people who aren’t willing to pay more for their food won’t do it because they’d rather spend it on big cars and overpriced houses.”

Maura – There are people like this you know – this doesn’t apply to you I would think. Do you own a big car or an overpriced house? I bet not. You weren’t the target of these statements.

Aunt Jenny said: Those of us who are “angry” don’t disagree with ANYTHING Chris Taylor, Michael Pollan, and Michael Ruhlman have to say on the subject of improving the quality of food/cooking/nutrition in this country and the world; we just want some attention paid to the economic reality of the working poor with cripplingly limited time and financial resources.

Aunt Jenny – I can completely sympathize and relate with your statement. These films, books and web sites are talking about a broader perspective. The problems of the poor are big and growing with each year. They are being left behind on many levels. I am not sure if Ruhlman or these others can be blamed for not offering solutions.

Luis – you ever heard of the FIRST AMENDMENT? It is simply UNAMERICAN to suggest people would even have to lay low for daring to speak their opinions. To think of the sacrifices my grandparents made in World War II, and the losses my family suffered to fight for freedom and we have people wanting to silence different opinions. Learn about history and your constitution, it might help you.

Also, there is no EVIDENCE that Obama is a socialist. We just saw a massive socialist bailout of wall street that was only dwarfed by World War II. Think about that a little – then grab a seat on the clue train. Focus your poorly thought out ideas on that. I am sure you have written letters to congress, phoned your local representatives and joined an organization that is fighting against this bail-out right? Because you are such a fighter against socialism?

Also, Bourdain is not clueless. He is articulate, well informed and experienced. I don’t see your books, tv shows or speaking tours Luis. Jealous much?

Thank you, Michael. From your mouth (pen? keyboard?) to the powers-that-be’s ears.

I believe that local farmers deserve every penny they charge for their produce and meat. I buy what I can from them. But if it’s a hardship to spend $3.59/lb on a decent piece of chuck at the local store, it’s nigh unto impossible to spend more than twice that at the market. This isn’t a matter of just rearranging priorities so that I can conform to someone else’s idea of what’s acceptable shopping behavior. It’s simple math, you know.

jscirish, I’m a big fan of the slow cooker. And seeing as how my washer/dryer is in my kitchen, I’m very familiar with doing the laundry while dinner is cooking. I don’t even have to leave the room

As for stretching my food money, if I stretched it any further, it would break.

And farmers’ co-ops and CSAs are wonderful, but they are still a luxury (and often unvailable, to boot) to urban dwellers on tight-unto-impossible budgets.

Those of us who are “angry” don’t disagree with ANYTHING Chris Taylor, Michael Pollan, and Michael Ruhlman have to say on the subject of improving the quality of food/cooking/nutrition in this country and the world; we just want some attention paid to the economic reality of the working poor with cripplingly limited time and financial resources.