It’s clear that we must create a vibrant sustainable culture that resists the lethal corporate consumer culture. One of the most exciting things happening in this arena is the food revolution. As Michael Pollen writes about farmers markets, it’s not just that you get good food, but you also participate in community:
“We like what happens socially at the farmer’s market, which is quickly emerging as the new public square in this country. If you compare what happens in the aisles at the grocery store with the farmer’s market, think about what a world of difference that is. At the farmer’s market country meets city. Children are introduced to where their food comes from. People politic. They have petitions. They schmooze. It’s an incredibly vibrant space.”
Farmers markets reduce the use of energy from shipping food thousands of miles as well as contribute to people’s health with their fresh and organic food. I value the farmers markets for the lesson they teach Americans: How to hang out with each other for the sheer joy of it.
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Well, I went to the farmers market for the first time. It was wonderful--indeed reminiscent of old-time public squares in Europe, where people go to see their neighbors and be seen. Except there were no teenagers. Are they still at the mall? Or is myspace the real new public square?
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