potluck

The other day I posted a note online to about thirty friends from a range of "circles", as a sort of experiment (I'm curious about what level of interest and what types of responses I get). I've already gotten a ton of positive responses and would like to put together a potluck/discussion group soon... and would love for all of you guys to come as well, once I've set a date. Here's the note (Avery suggested I post it):

I’ve been getting increasingly involved in and curious about food ; what and why people make certain choices, how food systems work (who is empowered/disempowered in the process), and what I/we can personally do to create change. So this leads me towrestle with some questions: What, if anything, can I do on an individual level to impact this community’s food systems? Why, in a system where there is more than enough food (quantitatively) to feed everyone, are people still hungry and/or malnourished? Is “local food” possible/plausible on a city-wide, or even larger, scale?

It seems to me that in Athens we’ve got quite a few small, fragmented food-centric organizations which fit into two broad, distinct categories – some focus on eradication/reduction of hunger (from the perspective of food distribution/redistributio

n in the community), and some focus on promotion of local foods (from the perspective of ecological sustainability and local farmer livelihood). But to my knowledge, there’s no cohesive movement which addresses both socio-economic/political inequities and issues of ecological sustainability at the production end of things… no structure, for instance, that helps make local farmers’ produce available/accessible to those who need it most (the food insecure).

In discussions I’ve been having (esp as a part of classes) about potential ways of bridging this rift, a number of obstacles are brought up, regarding social/cultural perceptions/expectations and logistics (geographic, financial, and organizational). I’m also curious about what the implications might be in terms of forming a cohesive movement; a number of people, including myself, have been hesitant out of fear of constructing too much of a “top-down” approach… I might argue that an ‘ideal’ system would need to function and be engaged with on a grassroots level that can be more flexibly catered to specific communities’ wants/needs.



I’m really interested in getting your perspectives…

• Have you been involved in anything of the sorts (be it volunteering at a food bank, buying locally, or getting involved in an activist organization)?


• Are you satisfied with the food system you participate in? If anything, what do you think can/should be done? What sorts of obstacles do you see, and how might we navigate them?


• Would you personally be willing to grow your own food, or contribute time and energy to a community garden effort?
  
  .... And (finally), would you be interested in coming over to my house for a casual potluck with a group of friends to share food and talk about these ideas and personal experiences? <3