Although I have always been aware of the direct connection between soil and seed it took me the better part of my life to realize that scientifically there was much at play below the crust which ensured that little germ could muster the strength to crack through, face the light, and provide sustenance. I was raised in a region that claims rights to high consciousness regarding symbiosis but it was not prerequisite learning nor was it discussed over the airwaves of traditional news, as a child of the 90’s everything was bustling forward merrily on the path of industrialization so what need would there be for the next generation to look toward anything other than automation to provide it a sustainable future?
My relationship with farms up until I was old enough to begin my tenure in the kitchen was stories from my Grandfather’s childhood, stops off at Sam Mazza’s farm stand, fall apple picking, and the sites that flew past my window on weekend drives to the Northeast Kingdom. Although my grandmother had a knack for growing indoor flowers and succulents (and the rhubarb bush that was always a highlight of spring) it seems that, like so many, knowledge that had once been an intricate part of survival had been expunged from my family lineage due to modernity.
My first conscious thought of what lay below arrived when the beat-up Chrysler Minivan that brought forth wild fungus from the forest rolled up in the alley to hock its foraged wares to the chef. my first question was “Where did those come from?” which was definitely not a geographic inquiry and surely exposed my naivety. I was in awe that things just grew, without the assistance of machinery, fertilizers, or human intervention. this moment marked a psychological shift that now, 25 years later, has brought me to the keys to share what I have learned in hopes it sparks a similar reaction in those who read these entries.
Over the next month, I will explore the theories and science that brought us to our current perilous state through focused articles on specific elements and epochs of the agricultural and industrial food systems as they pertain to soil and seed. I will offer my perspective as someone who has closely interacted with food and its producers for over two decades, sharing stories sometimes of hope and sometimes of dismay. The goal of this exploration is to open doors of truth that have far too long been painted shut with green exposing the realities of a system built on fallacies that discredit nature in order for profit and put at risk that which can sustain future generations, symbiotic relations.
Your paid subscription will allow you access to these articles as well as weekly recipes showing ways to preserve local bounty allowing you year-round sustenance from local soil which will fortify your communities food shed by placing dollars in the hands of those who tend local soils.
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