Chicago and the Small Farm

Certain books are very special to me because they’ve changed the way I want to live. The most recent one I've read is The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. This is a book about where our food comes from today, where it used to come from, and why it matters. It’s a thought provoking, beautifully written book, and I think it’s remarkable that he pulled the whole idea off.

Here’s a review from the author’s website. I’ve chosen this link because after the review, you can read the introduction and first chapter from the book.

After I read what Pollan had to say, I became determined to back community supported agriculture (CSA)—even though I live in a huge city and have been waiting for years for our local Whole Foods to open. Belonging to a CSA farm is kind of like subscribing to your food. You find a local farm, purchase a share of its crop, and take home weekly deliveries grown on that farm. It’s not as convenient, obviously, as stopping by the grocery store, and that’s why our family hasn’t done it yet. You can’t predict what you will get in each delivery, and who knows if you’ll be able to eat it all before the next one arrives. And if the crop fails, guess what?

But I found the online version of the 2007 Chicago CSA Map, which just reminded me that I better start researching this topic if I want to sign up for this year's growing season. Pollan recommends visiting the farm beforehand.

So I guess our family has a little road trip to make—and I bet it will be much more exciting than going to Whole Foods.