Food Becomes Focus
By Penny Ellis
Six years ago, I had a life altering pivot that sparked an interest in sustainable farming and how our food systems work. Feeling the huge impact of industrial agriculture in our lives led to realizing how disconnected we had become from our food sources. It was out of that mindset that “Open Farm Tours” and the “Bay Area Food & Farm Tours” meetup group came about. “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” and connecting the public with the unique terroir of our region became the foundation for these tours.
My last tour was to the Monterey Salmon and Trout Project out near Davenport on March 5th. It really is astounding how much our world has changed since then! I feel a deeper appreciation for the endangered Coho salmon we learned about, as we struggle for survival in our own compromised environment. More than anything, this virus has shown just how susceptible we are to the laws of nature. With so much uncertainty in our lives there is still so much to be thankful for. Learning to adapt is part of life which sometimes requires us to make big adjustments and even significantly challenge our belief systems. It’s humbling to realize that we are not as in control of our world as we would like to think and that a virus or solar flare at any time can totally wipe us out!
Everything coming to a grinding halt has forced us to re-evaluate what is important to us. I’m incredibly inspired by the new growth starting to emerge in our farming and food sectors. Online farmers market platforms are opening up to support our local organic farms and people are taking this opportunity to think in terms of how we can re-group to best support the current needs of our communities and our planet. Sustainability has been pushed to the forefront demanding our attention and new markets will likely emerge to counteract the catastrophic effects our actions have placed on the environment. The environment is demanding our attention to the dire consequences that will surely take place if we do nothing to alter the path of destruction, we’ve placed on ourselves and our planet. This requires bold new thinking and collective action. Most of all it requires a new “mindset” for how we can move forward in ways that form symbiotic relationships within our environment.
Just as the Coho salmon swim upstream, we are moving against the current building the strength within ourselves that creating a new reality that values humanity and the Earth as a living organism can bring. May the new life of Spring inspire us to grow together from a place of love in our hearts so we can emerge a better vehicle for the greater good.
Wishing everyone health and wellness!
Founder of Open Farm Tours | Bay Area Food & Farm Tours
Contact: penellis17@gmail.com
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