“What would happen, for example, if we were to start thinking about food as less of a thing and more of a relationship?”
Food as relationship…
relationship as peace…
therefore, food as peace
Food as a pathway of peace… to cultivate right releationships with self, others, and the Earth. Nourishing our physical bodies, families, and the Earth.
How can we sustain our beings with food
that is grown and raised in ways
that supports the land, sea, and sky,
honors those that have come before us,
with intention to co-create a future for those yet to come?
We are familiar with the many ways that food “brings” us peace… comfort foods, fond memories, your grandmother’s favorite recipe, a bowl of soup on a cold winter’s eve, a cup of coffee in the early morning…
But what would it mean to “be” in relationship with our food? To truly connect with where the food came from?
Not just… this was grown in Iowa, or Mexico, or Portugal, or South Africa…
but to consider the land and water that provided the nutrients that resulted in the food we eat.
Suzanne Simard, author of Finding the Mother Tree, once wrote about a study that showed the “flow of nutrients” from salmon to neighboring trees. Isotopically labeled carbon from salmon was later found in trees living near the waters edge…
The carbon of the salmon, after their physical beings had decayed, was absorbed back into the river’s soil and water and transfered to neighboring trees.
That’s what I mean by “flow of nutrients.”
When we eat…
We embody the carbon, nitrogen, calcium, sodium, potassium, and so many more into our own physical beings.
These nutrients become our bones, muscles, cells, lining of neurons, incorporated into our brain…
Herein lies an opportunity to cultivate peace every time you eat.
I kneeled on my mat.
Grabbed my iced herb tea,
wrapped my hands around the old jelly jar that was now my cup,
brought the glass to my lips.
The tea made from plants foraged by a woman who lives at the
edge of the North Sea in Shetland.
And as the prairie water infused with the plants grown in the soil of Shetland
Entered my physical being,
An awareness moved through me;
I was at this moment
connected to both the prairie and Shetland.
From an essay on “belonging” published on the Abbey of the Arts website.
This excerpt illustrates “food peace”…
connected with others and the land, sea, and sky of place,
a sense of belonging,
and the embodiment of the cosmos (nutrients) into our physical beings.
Transition Turriefield, Sandness, Shetland, UK
Peace nugget #6
Today, when you sit down to enjoy a cup of coffee/tea or eat a meal, take a moment to think about where the food came from…
who grew the food…
and when you consume this beverage/food/meal envision the land that provided the nutrients…
the water that nourished the soil…
How has the concept of “food peace” shifted your perspective about food and/or peace?
Other
Again and again, thank you for engaging in this process. Whether you are reading along each day, reading and commenting, or weaving in and out over the course of the 21 days… I am grateful for this community. For those posting comments, sending emails, engaging with me in conversations… and for the ripple effect… how you move forward and share this with others, directly or indirectly. Thank you.
All photos were taken in 2018 and 2023 at Transition Turriefield, Shetland, a farm committed to growing “fresh, local food for a sustainable future.” Growing fresh veg in Shetland is a challenging undertaking. The dedication and commitment that Penny and Alan from Turriefield have for creating a sustainable future is beyond inspiring.