What’s for Dinner?
Six years ago we were fishing around and making grand plans in the living room of Gary and Erica Cuneen. Last night 200 folks gathered for the first benefit dinner for SevenGenerationsAhead, the organization that has emerged from that living room and is becoming a center for local healthy food and sustainable living.
For me, the highlight of the evening was a long, rousing standing ovation for 20 organic farmers from all over northern Illinois. It’s hard to describe the impact of noticing where food really comes from… and noticing that the rest of us non-farmers in the room are almost totally incapable of staying alive for more than a few more days or weeks, without the produce of people like the farmers at the front of the room. These particular farmers also represent the leading edge of a difficult but critical movement to create food systems that do not poison people or the land. Many of them work at the edge of financial viability, as well. It was a humble and humbling moment, inspired and inspiring gratitude.