Food Systems, Peace Corps (2016)

So it has been a long time, but with the New Year comes new resolutions. And this year I resolve to write in this blog, at least once per month. So let’s see. Last time I wrote was right before the earthquake. But I don’t want to write about all of that now. Right now, in this post, I want to talk about food. Yes, that’s right! Food. Surprised? Most likely not. Today, as I cut straw for growing mushrooms at home with my family and watched the chicken pecking through the garden, I had a thought provoking moment of appreciation for the opportunity to be a part of a food system I have never witnessed before – homesteading in a closed(ish) system. Three years gardening in soil that was nourished by experts at the community garden (in which I stuck commercially raised seedlings into) and eating locally (and by eating locally I mean showing up to the farmers market occasionally and making my rounds for free samples) has been my experience so far in obtaining food outside of Price Chopper. But what my host family does (and many others in Nepal), which is providing most of their food for themselves through homesteading, is so fascinating. It is sustainable, possibly organic (I’m counting down the days till I see my family spray chemicals on our garden, like many people do) as local as you can get, meat is grass fed, dairy comes from grass fed animals, and everything is super fresh as there is no refrigeration. Farm to table? Slow food? Seasonal? Low carbon footprint? Nepal is on it. Sounds good, right? Here is how it works in our home: The jungle, in itself, is a closed system in which my family gathers wood for cooking and fodder in the form of grass and leaves, for the animal feed. The animals, in exchange, feed the family in the form of meat and daily dairy. Furthermore, the animal manure is composted to use to grow the vegetables in the garden, which feeds both the people and the animals. Closed system, nothing goes to waste. My family buys rice, pulses, oil and wheat, but many people grow these themselves and they are available locally. So on my plate you can find this – milk, rice, lentil soup, pickled vegetables, butter, grits, roti (which is an unleavened bread made of flour and water), yogurt, yogurt drink, soup, chicken, goat, sauteed vegetables, and raw vegetables…not all at the same time. So this is my diet now. And I love it. I thought I would have a very hard time eating the same thing twice a day, everyday. If you know me well, you know that I can spend a very long time planning what I am going to eat or cook, talking about what I am going to eat or cook, and discussing it after. I don’t do this anymore. I know what I’m getting. I sit down for my meal twice a day and just simply enjoy and appreciate it, no pre-dinner internet menu browsing required. I still spend alot of time thinking about food, but it is different now. Now I think about what I want to grow next season, to add to the variety of vegetables in my family`s diet. Or I think about how I am going to feed my soil to grow better plants. And I am a part of the system that feeds me, so I don’t just think about it, I’m working to contribute to it. It’s a nice, transformative change. And yes, I miss beef brisket. But the experience of getting 25% of my daily calorie intake from the dairy of the same buffalo I say good morning to and thank you to every day is an amazing eating experience that goes far beyond taste. It’s great. But to note, I have a very different experience from the people that have to keep this operation running. It is hard work. It is a full time job. It is not what most people would chose to do, many people have no choice in Nepal and have to homestead in order to feed themselves and their families. People moved away from this lifestyle in the US (Americans lived like this, not so long ago!) because it was hard. Now you don’t have to grow a single thing in the US and you can still well overnourish yourself. And the people that homestead in developed countries do it because it is a lifestyle choice, not out of necessity, so it is totally different. Therefore, it’s easy for me to say that this is ideal for yourself, your family, for the environment.. But someone has to cut the grass and churn the butter! And I have the choice not to, my host mother doesn’t. So she might feel differently. So anyway, that’s that. And another note, my family is wealthier and better educated than most, so our situation is different. Many families in Nepal are not able to keep this system for a variety of reasons (underdeveloped agriculture practices, lack of nutrition education which presents itself as only growing and eating potatoes, unavailability of seeds, inability to purchase supplementary foods, lack of market/new technologies for commercial agriculture, urban/foreign country migration etc). And that’s where I come in as a food security volunteer. My sector is health, but I am increasingly becoming interested in agriculture as I see and learn more. And without addressing the issues in agriculture, issues in health and nutrition cannot be addressed. You can’t tell someone to eat an apple if they do not have access to that apple! But this post is not about work, it is about the new type of appreciation I have for food. Before leaving for Peace Corps, as I binge ate at all my favorite restaurants, I thought the repetitive, simple diet of Nepal would damage my much loved, strong relationship with food. Instead, it has made my love and appreciation for food grow deeper. So go ahead. Post pictures of carbonara on instagram. Talk to me about the BBQ place you found (but please don’t tell me you washed it down with an IPA – I’ll lose it!) I’ll be over here happy, on the homestead, eating dhal bhat!