The Belly of the Beast

Sometimes there's so much to say that the thought of writing it down is daunting enough to never write it down. Even though you want to. Even though you have so many visually poignant moments sans camera and the only way to remember them is to write about it so its like taking a picture, maybe even better than a picture. But then the inability to do your own experiences justice with words hangs over you and the beautiful day or the sunrise or that great conversation is just lost.

So that's whats been happening. A slow down in the blog posts has not meant that my life has been slowing or been less interesting. Quite the contrary. I get afraid to write it down because what if it doesn't capture how I really felt at the time? Or what if I can't describe the wonderful, vibrant, smart and fierce group of Montanans that I meant in Des Moines? My words will fall short and I need to accept that because I still would like to share my life and this foodie, farming, dare I say anthropological adventure I'm on with you - my friends and family and accidental readers.

So we went to Iowa. "We" being myself, Jess, Kyra (childhood friend from Bennington who is a VISTA at the Farm to College program in Missoula), Dena Hoff and Bruce Smith. We went to Iowa for the Community Food Security Coalition's 13th annual conference,"From Commodity to Community" ( http://www.foodsecurity.org/)

Des Moines was a 14 hour drive from Glendive. We drove the entire width of North Dakota then the height of South Dakota-Minnesota border, popped into Nebraska because I had never been there I wanted to check it off the old list and then finally into Iowa. Why Des Moines? Mark Winne and Andy Fisher referred to Iowa as "the belly of the beast" - the corn capital of the world and therefore the Big Ag capital as well. The conference was geared towards local food systems; how to create them, promote them, how to help farmers produce sustainably, connect farmers with institutions, how to change the market systems, how to change what people eat, how to change ourselves....

I went to three break out sessions surrounding Farm to School networking and brainstorming and idea generating, the economic reasons for Farm to School with Ken Meter (hopefully coming to Montana soon to help us out!), how to start a Farm to School project and successes and failures. I also went to the CFSC food policy council meeting while Bruce and Dena and Kyra went on farm tours the first day.

What was most phenomenal about this 4 day (yes FOUR days!) conference was the networking and connection building that went on. There were representatives from every facet of the labor force and every state, including Nicaragua, Canada, and Indonesia. There were teachers, lawyers, dieticians, USDA workers, farmers, social activists, policy writers, economists, urban planners, architects, artists, students....I just couldn't believe the diverse group of 600 that came together for this event. Whats more is that it was not only young people. The sustainable food movement sometimes seems as though its just young people, little foodie activists fresh out of college trying to get back to the land etc..what I realized was that there are people who have been at this for a long time. This is not new. Kathy (probably one of the smartest people I've ever met)from National Family Farmers Coaltion as well as my very own Dena have been fighting for farmers' rights since the 70's. They fought for them at the WTO protests in Seattle, Mexico and Korea (?!) and they continue to fight now that its become a more popular thing to fight for. It made me feel good that this movement is in weathered and experienced hands. Mine, are the virgin ones.

Also. There's a real live movement going on here. It's not saddled to the coasts or the cities or the hippies. In Des Moines I saw the full picture; food policy councils have sprouted in every state in the Union, there are thousands of farmer's markets and hundreds of Farm to School programs. This is an urban and a rural movement. This spans generations, race and economic status. And it's really happening - at this conference I shared my hurdles and my problems with people from New Mexico and Boston and Florida - and they shared theres and they all look pretty much the same! Production (and processing), distribution and consumption. These are the problems that local food system advocates and creators are tackling. They are all the same because our adversary is the same...because our enemy is huge and all consuming and all-dominating: its the industrial food system, namely Tyson, Cargill, ConAgra. While this is clearly the problem, it also provides a common force that Americans can unite against. People working to fight this big Ag giant on the east coast are coming up with the same solutions as people fighting Big Ag in Glendive, MT because we you mainstream and homogenize a product and a system, the ability for it to be sustainable and impermeable to attack is slim because of the very fact that it is so huge! We're finding ways to tackle the monster and its happening everywhere in this country and they have legs to stand on.

I wish I could go into meeting Barb from Mt Coffee roasters and Barbara Russmore and Pam Gerwe from AERO - lovely and passionate Montana women who are fighting this good fight - but I need to go to the AERO potluck in Livingston. Been sitting in a coffee shop in Bozeman after the MT Food Policy Council meeting (10 people for the whole state, Bruce is on the board) drinking tea and thinking about how hard it is to fight big corporations. Just know that these women are amazing and are reasons alone for me to continue working in this state.

Dena Hoff has to be mentioned, as always this woman that I have the privledge of working for and eating with most days of the week has surprised and inspired me yet again during this conference. Dena is the farmer representative of the NFFC as well as the North American representative of La Via Campesina. Via Campesina was awarded the Food Sovereignty prize by the Coalition during the conference and Dena gave the acceptance speech (almost a rallying political cry!) and talked about food security and south american farmers and fighting the good fight in front of 600 people. I was so proud of her I teared up. She went on to lead many of the break out sessions during the conference and whenever I mentioned her name at least 6 people would turn around and say they knew her and took notice of who I was because of my connection to her.

There are too many wonderful stories over the last few weeks to keep writing.

Know that the spinach is starting to sprout in my high hoop house, that we have around 6 or 7 crops in for the winter harvest and the Local Food and Wellness Committee is meeting on Monday to eat lunch at the Prison and tour the prison garden.

Life is good and busy and confusing and sad and beautiful. Off to dinner.

Words of advice from one of our readers...!

Hi, Cal,

Just wanted to tell you I read your blog. Sue Orr, the VISTA who works for City Club Missoula (where I am chair of the Trustees) and who is my goddaughter’s mom, turned me on to it. You might remember me from the CBI in Helena. I was born in Glendive (my family lived next to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church) although we left when I was quite young and I have only been back once as an adult. Your and Jess’s exposure to the people of Eastern Montana is going to change you and frame your view of life forever. You know that and it comes across in your blog. Keep up the good work. At the end of your time there, my bet is the community is going to conclude they were deeply enriched by your presence. Likewise, you are going to conclude you got back more than you gave.

Two things I want to alert you to. You may already be tuned in to them, but it will be worth it to hear of it again from a friendly person across this huge state of ours. First, in your associations with the locals, be on the lookout for someone who hunts agates. Beautiful agates are found in that area and having a ring or pin or earrings or whatever made from an agate you found yourself will be an immediate lifelong attachment to Glendive. People guard their agate sites like fisherman are secret about their favorite trout stream, but I know there is someone who can help you. If you find the agate, you can keep it and have the jewelry made whenever.

The second thing I want to mention is the winter weather. It gets mighty cold and windy in Glendive. Seriously. No, colder than you think. Make sure your home is weatherized, you have good boots, gloves, hats, coats, comforters, etc. If you rely on a vehicle, make sure it is winter weather ready. This January when you are out, amazed a bright sunny day that is -25 degrees, you will remember this. Best wishes to you and Jess,

Geoff Badenoch