Cooking up the good life

Organic vegetables, and the people who grow them!!

Yesterday, I began writing a post about, well, here it is:

As we enter out 6th week here in Mendoza, Argentina I am really beginning to ask the question “what am I doing here?”.  Yes, I know, we are on a sabbatical.  We are supposed to be taking a break from the intensity and craziness of our regular lives.  Believe me, we ARE taking a break.  Never, since the invention of the internet, have I had this kind of time to check my email, write, read other people’s blogs, look for interesting information about random things, write, read other people’s blogs…oh, I already mentioned that.  If you know me at all then you know that this kind of pace is not going to sustain me for long.  While I am definitely indulging in this change of routine, there is undoubtedly a rich, dynamic, complex and active food system to explore here and I am finally scratching the surface.

I started to write about some of the things Jon and I have discovered, simply by talking to people, and by asking lots of questions.  It has been challenging to find people who seem to know anything, or really to care much about where their food is coming from-it is not so different than my experience in much of the United States.

The public library has been hosting a month of “Agriculture Familiar” which essentially translates to local or small agriculture.  This has been intriguing, and the other day Jon met someone who turned us on to a few interesting and exciting projects.

One is an Agrotourism group that offers tours within a community about an hour south of here, right next to the Andes.

http://www.caminosdealtamira.com/index.html

There are  artisans, bodegas, restaurants and lodging run by families who have been there for generations.    We are hoping to visit these folks soon, and I am hopeful that there will be opportunities to build some relationships.

I am discovering that while fruits and vegetables are readily available here, the growing methods are questionable and often industrial in nature, and  the preparation of whole foods, and vegetable based meals is rare.  The people who run the school where I am studying Spanish seem pretty hip-many of them bike commute and seem to be into healthy activities, so I asked Damian who organizes the excursions (and has dreadlocks and plays percussion)  about opportunities to find organic and sustainable agriculture. He told me that every Saturday morning there is a little farmer’s market where they sell organic produce and artesenal products.

I was excited, though skeptical as this concept has remained elusive so far….Saturday morning, we pulled out the tagalongs and the four of us biked over to the site around 11:00 AM.  In a corner of this large park, I spotted a colorful looking gathering of people, and made my way toward them.  When I pulled up, and spotted the whole grain, freshly baked bread, dreadlocks and brightly colored sweaters and scarves,  I knew we had found some kindred spirits.  The market was small-probably 10 vendors total, but each of them offering a product that was clearly hand made or harvested, and with pride and passion.  As we spoke to them, we learned that this is in fact the only place to buy organically grown foods in Mendoza.  They spoke of their farms, some within the city, and most a half hour to an hour outside of the city.  We talked of nutrition, and of the government policies that are making it harder to grow food in a sustainable way, and they told me about their land and their bees and trees.  It was the first time since I have been in Mendoza where I felt that feeling of familiarity (hence the name “agriculture familiar”?)  I wasn’t prepared to buy as much as I would have liked-thankfully now I can plan.  There was organic flour and grains, teas and herbs, vegetables and fruits and dried fruits, nuts and cheese.  I bought enough produce to last only a few days, and took pleasure is washing it to remove the dirt, not some unkown chemicals.  This lunch, and this day were incredibly nourishing.  I could feel it in my body and in my soul!

gorgeous vegetables prepped for salad!

Local goat cheese and a simple dressing of olive oil, vinegar and artisan honey!

I have learned about a few other organizations within the sustainable agriculture movement in Argentina. One  is called the “Foro Nacional de la Agricultura Familiar” which basically translates to the National Coalition of local/small agriculture”. In their literature, they explain that this kind of agriculture is a “form of life, a cultural question, and that the main objective is to reproduce conditions of dignity for the family”.  It discusses the politics, the methods and the community that are all a part of their vision.  I am inspired to see how people in this part of the world are pursuing sustainable approaches to growing, distributing, producing and consuming food.

Finally, through a new expat friend, I learned of another organization called the Institute for Rural Development.

http://www.idr.org.ar/index.php?id_menu=79

They are working on the economic development and eventual independence of rural agricultural communities, and have training programs for using sustainable methods with livestock, youth agricultural entrepreneurship programs and are helping farmers establish regional farmer’s markets.  I hope to meet with a representative of this organizaton and visit a few farms and programs soon.

As I continue to pursue learning about the food system on this side of the world, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be a part of such an  organized, and impressive community of food producers, organizers, chefs and activists.  While I will continue to explore this abundant desert, I look also forward to returning to my humid home with a new and different awareness!