3 min read
Written by Candace Wormsbecker
A few weeks ago I met a young lady with a strong interest in local food. I inquisitively asked what sparked her initial interest in this area. This brave girl told me how she has had a difficult relationship with food that developed into an eating disorder. She explained that by exploring how food is grown it has helped her to see food as more than just calories. It saddened me to hear about her struggles (especially since I had my own challenges with food in my earlier years) but I was also inspired by her story, as well as her bravery. This girl’s story awakened something in me that I didn’t realize until she said it — connecting with food has the power to change how we view it and how we eat it.
After our conversation, I began to wonder (to myself:) how if as a society, our growing disconnect from the source of food has contributed to our often confused relationship with what nourishes us. For me, it was a transformative moment when I began to see food for all that it really was/is — an amazing wonder, a tiny seed that has become a fruit we can eat, a farmers’ and chef’s work of art, an animal that lived and breathed, and what ultimately will be transformed into ME as my physical body (after I eat it, hehe)!!
So I continue to wonder….how would we eat differently if we thought of all each bite really is? Would the kinds of foods we eat, the reasons we eat, as well as how we eat be different? Would we begin to eat more slowly and mindfully? Have a deeper sense of appreciation for what we offer our bodies?
I often remember the first pepper plant I grew. I waited all season for that one pepper on it to grow. Eventually I gave up waiting for it to grow any bigger and cut it. I endlessly thought of all that I could make with this beautiful but small and lonely pepper — I sure didn’t want to waste it! It ended up in a wonderful addition to a homemade pasta sauce where every bite of this sweet gorgeous pepper (that I grew with my own hands!) was savoured in the most satisfying of ways.
I believe food has such tremendous power to create changes in our world. Food connect us to the land, to each other, and to the miracle of life. It has the power to nourish all parts of our lives. I feel that connecting and building a supportive community around food can help us live to our fullest potential through transforming our bodies, minds, and spirits.
Food can be the focal point of something much larger. I would like to explore developing our well-being in a very broad sense by creating a supportive food-driven community featuring many different aspects of wellness. Imagine local experts coming to lead us each month into the creation of a new you and new world, all in the comfort of a safe and supportive group that celebrates life and the gifts of each one of our special selves. We will be exploring topics such as seasonal cooking, holistic nutrition, mindful eating, walking meditations, yoga at the farm, laughter yoga, energy healing, and other activities that nourish all aspects of ourselves.
If this sounds exciting to you stay tuned in to Transpire Organic for more details as they develop this spring (www.transpireorganic.ca)
Till next time….keep chewin’ 🙂
Farmer Candace