Local Foods Week in next week - and it really got me thinking about what local means and how that has evolved for me in the last few years. I grew up in Columbus and I remember when I was younger seeing my city as this place of 'started here' - Wendy's, White Castle, Donatos, Max and Erma's - that was my local. I thought eating at the Food Court in Lane Avenue and stopping at Graeter's was being a local. And, in some ways it was - I was in my community, supporting the businesses of my community but what I was not doing was appreciating the flavors and seasons that food so wonderfully offers.
I grew up in a big family - I am the oldest of seven - and we did not experiment a lot with food. Weekly budgets and the need to avoid waste (yeah, we mastered that one before it was 'in') made it difficult for my mom to bring food into the house that we would not eat, which meant there were a lot of things we were never exposed to growing up. Then I worked for Rax (anyone remember the local Arby's concept?) where I actually began to see some connection to fresh food and quality. I was the weekend salad prep person in high school - and they brought in cases of fresh fruits and vegetables - lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupe to name a few - and I chopped them all. Seriously. Lettuce came in heads, not bags and I spent many hours getting fresh fruits and vegetables ready to serve. This started what turned into a career of working with food and seeing the practical, business side of food and not always embracing the emotional side of food.
So, fast forward to college in small-town Indiana, where I worked for the college food service - so many people thought everything came in pre-made and ready to heat (including me!) But, once I stepped into that kitchen and saw the work that went into trying to serve students meals that met their varied, and yet picky needs, on a budget, I started to think about stuff differently. Oh, and by the way, those cooks and chefs make way more than you think they do and they pour their hearts into their jobs. Now, in this town there were two options - fast food or local food. Can I tell you what a huge deal it was when the town got a super Wal-Mart and a Bob Evans right next to it? I mean the wait to get into there was like they were handing out $100 bills. So, you learned, consistent food meant fast food while the experiences (good and bad!) happened at the local joints.
Then came real life - life after college, life on my own, figuring out how to cook for one or two (especially when all my mom's recipes were for 8-10!) and understanding how to balance work with life. Throw a 50-mile commute (one way) into that mix and you can imagine how easy it was to stop and pick something up on the way home, thinking only about convenience and not much at all about taste or nutrition and certainly never stopping to think about what it took to get that food to me.
if I jump ahead to my move to Chicago, that starts my love affair with food. See, before, I liked eating but I did not enjoy food and I certainly did not have the love affair I have now. Sushi - really? Farmer's markets - what are those? Little Italy, Mexico and all the other ethnic streets/neighborhoods in Chicago - I mean, is it safe to go there? Yep, Chicago was the turning point for me - for the first time, I was really and truly on my own - living alone, forging my way in a new city, and a big city, and learning to take chances, something I had not really done up to that point. So, I checked out the city markets, I got on the train (and the bus) and went to Taylor Street, Chinatown, Little Mexico and the neighborhoods that celebrated Middle Eastern and European traditions and foods. I met chefs, I tried street food (often known as roach coaches then) and I learned that really, truly experiencing food was about so much more than the food. It was about the traditions and the flavors, it was community and the shared experiences. And, above all else, it was fun.
See, I think food had become function for me. I worked so much with food that I forgot to enjoy food. It was practical and it was my job, but I had not taken the time to learn it and love it. But once I did, it became part of me - trying new things, eating new foods, introducing others to new places, learning about the community and the places that bring the uniqueness to the city - that all happened starting in Chicago and has really started to blossom in my return to Columbus. Things like gardening, canning and preserving were foreign concepts to me - and now, I love the idea of figuring out how to make strawberry preserves without pectin (it can be done!) or trying to grow tomatoes that the squirrels don't eat (that is a little tougher). I love the way my hands smell after I work the dirt, or rub a tomato plant leaf and I love walking through the neighborhood and seeing the diversity of businesses that are opening and thriving, despite tougher economic times. Oh, and the friends I have made. That list keeps growing and filling up with people who are smart, funny, passionate, engaged, interesting, diverse and of course, food lovers.
You see, I have a whole new perspective on this city since I have returned. To be sure, the city has evolved and changed a ton since I left for college almost 20 years ago but I am looking at it all differently too. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I do not shun corporate America and I certainly think there is a place for everything but the vibrant businesses and entrepreneurs that are helping put Columbus on the map - with food, art, education, business, science, research, community and innovation - they are the ones that define local for me. When I am at Target, I don't think people shopping there are bad for local business (clearly I am there too!) but I do know that I much more likely to strike up a conversation with someone at a local restaurant or the great boutique shop in the Short North, deepening my connection, and hopefully theirs, to this great city. For me, it is about finding ways to blend practical, functional needs with community engagement.
So, as we embark on local foods week in Columbus next week - I challenge you to think beyond your food, and think about your community, think about the connections you are making, think about how you can show your support for local and tell your story. Make it personal. Make it meaningful. Make it matter. At the end of the day, it is the people in the community that are going to make the difference.
Oh, and did I mention that, while I did come back home, I never thought I would fall in love? Well, I did. I just hope that Columbus gets as much out of me as I get out of her.
