Food With the Farmer’s Face On It By
“Teikei.” It’s a Japanese word that means “cooperation” or “joint business”. When it comes to agriculture or sustainability it translates as “food with the farmer’s face on it.”
In the 1960’s a group of Japanese mothers grew concerned about “fukugouosen” or “complex pollution.” “Fukugouosen” was also the title of a book by Sawako Ariyoshi about the dangers of pesticides and chemicals in agricultural products. Kind of a Japanese version of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”. But we wander.
These Japanese moms banded together and began meeting with local farmers, talking to them about what they were putting into the ground, how crops and livestock were raised, and offered a partnership. “If you grow it this way we’ll buy it from you. Let us know what you plan to harvest and we’ll plan our meals accordingly. No costly shipping, no middleman, just keep it clean and fresh and you’ll have a market.”
Maybe we’re speaking Japanese or perhaps it’s the work of our Austrian friend Rudolf Steiner (who pretty much invented biodynamic agriculture), but “teikei” is now much more global and here in the U.S. of A. it’s known as “Community Supported Agriculture.”
The best way to get in touch with one of these farmers is though a local Farmers Market. The American Farmland Trust (Love their web site. One of the tabs is “No Farms No Food”) recently had a poll of what people thought were the best in the country and Virginia fared pretty well! The Old Beach Farmers Market in Virginia Beach was on the list, as was Stuart Farmers Market out past Martinsville and the King George Farmers Market up by Dahlgren.
Folks in Virginia, however, voted the Lakeside Farmers Market their favorite in the state! Lakeside Farmers Market is right around the corner and they have a great variety of vendors offering fresh, local, seasonal produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, and more. One of their partners is Rural Virginia Market who brings in a group of farmers under one umbrella. Kruize Farms has a fine list of produce, herbs, and flowers, and apparently someone at the farm is quite the baker! The Clark family runs Greenway Beef in Nottoway County and their grass fed cows lead the antibiotic and hormone free happy life. Michael and Diane Taylor went back to their roots and started Empress Farm where they raise chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and rabbits and fill in some spare time with some awesome jams and jellies.
You know how we feel about local honey and Lakeside has that covered. Bee-Haven offers honey, honeycombs, jams and jellies, and has a peep of chickens (Flock? Brood? Chattering of chicks?) that have free run of the place and lay some tasty brown eggs.
When you come to see us at The Urban Farmhouse you’ll see the gang (Team? Brigade? Club?) behind the counter putting your grub together. We try to say hello and know many of you by name. It feels good, doesn’t it? Take it to the next level the next time that you head to the fridge. Say hello to the Clarks, the Taylors, the girls at Bee-Haven, and the baker at Kruize. Make sure that your food has a Farmer’s Face on it.
