I know a lot of you saw Food, Inc.

Holy cow!…and pig and chicken…and corn…and soybeans! What a bucket of cold water that documentary is! What’s in much of our food has been a worry for quite some time, but to also discover the extent to which the system that provides our food has been highjacked and corrupted leaves one feeling, well… betrayed… and helpless.

This logo makes me hungry.

Okay, that was a more ominous tone than I intended for what was really meant to be a very positive plug for a local event happening right now that I think is a really cool idea: Farm to Feast Week. Briefly, for those who haven’t heard of it, this event (which is already well underway, starting this past Sunday and going through the 14^th) is similar to some of the other local restaurant-based events, but the “theme” for this one is to celebrate the specific products of, and promote the support of, local suppliers and growers of fresh produce, meats, seafood, etc.

I humbly admit it: I’m a pretty late bloomer in terms of the development of much of a political/social conscience. I’m just one of those people who pretty much floats, unquestioningly and without struggling, along with the current of life, trusting in and taking for granted some vague “system” that keeps the civilization that affects me on a daily basis working. “Jeff, do you ever stop to think about where your food comes from?”…”Oh, I don’t need to anymore…I’ve been shopping at Harris Teeter a long time and pretty much know where everything is.”

Croc's = Good food from a good place.

But, slowly, those little light bulbs are starting to flicker and the “wait…why is that that way?…does it have to be that way…or is there another way?” thoughts are coming more frequently. But still, I’m not the pioneer type, never the first to try something new; a new way of doing something has to come into my world through somebody else. A few years ago, at the encouragement of his parents, my roommate started looking into organic foods and natural products out of an interest in improved nutrition and health. And you don’t get very far into the world of organic food before the subject of locally produced foods comes up. Of course, just saying that something is organic or natural tends to make us assume it’s a “good thing.” But, it was through my roommate’s interest in these subjects that I started learning why they are so often “good things,” and better from a health and environmental standpoint. And then, along comes something like Food, Inc. that makes you…MAKES YOU…realize that there are other extremely important issues involved: economic manipulation, political and social corruption, and amazing transgressions against human rights.

The great thing about Farm to Feast Week is it meets me half way; it brings the subject of supporting local producers a little bit into my world and makes it clear that we don’t all need to be the local producers to be part of the system or to share in its benefits. To be part of that system and for that system to be part of our contemporary society/community there needs to be producers and “middlemen” (farmers’ markets, restaurants, local food delivery services, etc) and consumers! That’s another cool thing about the event that speaks to the importance of a sense of community implicit in this subject: most of the restaurants participating in Farm to Feast Week are not just unique to the area, but are, more importantly, locally owned and managed; they are our neighbors and members of our community and, therefore, share the same reasons for recognizing the importance of supporting a system of local food production.

Stove in P-Town, one of AltDaily's favorites.

When Jesse asked me to write down some thoughts about the Farm to Feast Week event, he suggested including a sort of “Reasons I’m Excited About Farm to Feast Week” list…I like that…so here are a few:

1)    I already eat out a lot (I should say I overeat out a lot) without an excuse… so it’s nice to have a special event as one. “Oh, I really shouldn’t have dessert…but, ok; it is supporting local farmers, bless ‘em!”

2)    I tend to stagnate in my patronage of restaurants (no offense to my favs!), so it’s nice to have an incentive to try new ones.

3)    It seems to me a great “first date” setting. You know how there’s always that awkward pressure on a first date to keep up interesting conversation? (No Jeff, that’s just you.) Well, this event provides a built-in interesting topic: “Did you know that locally grown organic produce is fresher and more flavorful than its mass produced counterpart?” “Why no, I didn’t! Gosh, you’re ever so smart and interesting!” *coy smile*

4)    I talked to Laura Wood Habr, one of the owners of Croc’s 19^th Street Bistro, and their special dessert for the event is made with honey…and that honey is from their own hives…squeezed outta their very own bees! How exciting is that???

5)    But seriously, it gives a “float with the stream” guy like me one more nudge in what I think is the right direction, making what can, unfortunately, seem like an alternative and esoteric “movement” more mainstream and less…well…drastic… something that “hey, I can make part of my life!”

Bon Appetit!

For more information, and a complete participating restaurant list, click here. This is the Facebook page.