"It feels good to get dirty, work hard, and slow down." - Jenna Woginrich
It's harvest time here in Memel, and Cindy's kitchen is in full swing as we prep for the winter. I'm learning how to store, I'm making preserves - plum jam, apple butter, tomato chutney, to name a few. I'm picking corn off the stalk, shucking it, milling it - turning it into fresh cornmeal for fritters and cornbread. I'm learning to make my own yogurt...that's been a real trial and error process so far.
It's oddly satisfying. There's something incredibly fulfilling about creating your meals from scratch - and by scratch I mean, from planting the seed to the moment it hits your plate - about really knowing where your food comes from. Sure, back home I can go to a farmer's market and buy a bunch of organic arugula from a local farm, but the rewards not the same: I wasn't there when the seed went into the ground, I didn't watch the plant grow, and I don't ultimately know what went into the process.
It's about coming full circle. It's creating something, REALLY creating it, from absolute start to finish. It's gettting back to the basics, getting grounded, in the most fundamental way. It's the sense of freedom that comes with being able to provide for yourself - to feed yourself. To know what's going into your body and know that you worked for it. It's deeply and surprisingly fulfilling.
Now, I'm a city girl at heart, and I enjoy the conveniences of modern living as much as the next person. But in a world where we're constantly plugged in, mass produced, and bombarded by a trillion pre-packaged distractions, this movement towards self-sustainability is not only revolutionary, but necessary. It's about taking more control of your life, and regaining some of the authenticity we've lost. There's bliss in walking out to the coop, basket in tow, to pick your own eggs for breakfast. There's inner peace in searching the garden for the perfect eggplant.
Of course, compost heaps and chickens may not be so realistic for a city like New York. But wherever you are, whatever your current situation, there are a multitude of choices you can make to bring more simplicity into your life. So try taking a step towards self-sufficiency today. Grind your own beans instead of buying that two dollar cup of joe. Ride your bike to work instead of taking the train. Put down the iPhone and pick up a musical instrument. You'll be blown away by the sense of accomplishment you'll feel, the joy that comes with giving up convenience for the sake of creation. Start making your life from scratch.
Peaches.
John talks about his...no, no - it's too easy.
Memel Organics Preserves.
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