At a recent San Francisco event, the Shape Up Summit 2008, I had the great fortune of introducing a hugely inspirational individual, Bryant Terry. I had heard about Bryant for the first time in the New York Times article on Food Fighters. Bryant is an eco-chef and food justice activist that co-authored the book, “Grub.” Wow. When I first read through Food Fighters it was a cursory read that left me inspired and hopeful but I had in my mind that Bryant was based in New York. I recall this because I clearly recall a moment of lament thinking about the people out there doing amazing work but they are so far away. This is the same feeling I had when I read about the MacArthur Fellow, Will Allen, who started in Growing Power in Wisconsin. It seems so unlikely that I’d get to speak with these exciting thinkers and doers face to face (in hopes of absorbing their knowledge and creativity by osmosis maybe?). However, Bryant is based in Oakland! He is also a very approachable and down to earth person. Wow again.

In his presentation, he mentioned a zeitgeist occurring around food justice, food culture and farming. Yes! There does appear to be one. It has been a real joy to see it emerge. I feel my own passion for growing my own food and experimenting with alternative systems at home was sparked by something I absorbed from the air, as if ideas are indeed shared through breath. Is that not the root of the word inspiration? Breath.

When I first started planting an edible garden I did it because I was surprised by my ignorance of food. Such a simple and basic thing in my life and yet I felt I understood very little about it. I also wanted to engage in a cultural practice familiar to me through my grandparents, to ground me at home where the dominant culture is Indian and Hindu through my husband and father-in-law. I wanted the sense of connection and rhythm planting food gives with the awareness of temperatures, crop rotations, timing for harvest and planting quantities practical for my household. I found so many great resources available that both taught me applied techniques and expanded my thinking on the greater implications of growing our own food, such as preserving food heritage, seed saving, the energy equation for food, and using sustainable methods that create a healthier community.

These ideas are not new but seem to have gone dormant in industrialized nations. We now find ourselves in this odd predicament of unhealthy diets, processed foods and a lack of access to food. Hunger is as old as animals. I am doubting it will ever go away entirely. However, the skewed access to basic resources in societies where good food is thrown away because it does not meet a market standard of symmetry or color is horrifying. The Bay Area is a place where food can be grown year round. Few places afford this luxury. Of all places where people can give a finger to market forces and grow food to feed their families, this is a prim location. It is a profound joy to meet people who also believe this is possible and are working to make it so. As I prepare to head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I hold close my gratitude for the groups and people like, Bryant Terry, Urban Sprouts, People’s Grocery, City Slicker Farms and the many others working to create a just and sustainable food system.