the price of food

i grew up in LA.
we were not the farmers market shopping, canvas bag toting, family biking type of family. it surprises me when i think back on it...
my mom was from germany and gravitated towards those things.
she always stopped at the roadside stands on the coast for strawberries & green beans wrapped neatly in white butcher paper.
she bought pasta and cheese at the italian grocer who flirted with my shy, soft-spoken, red-headed mother who always had at least 2 kids in tow.



i care an awful lot about what i eat.
although i am not the chef of the house,
we are always trying to buy (& grow) all organic, local produce.



my partner and i had a long discussion about a blog that he read
which has received a lot of press called $5 dinners.



we couldn't get over how much praise she was getting for making cheap dinners with little regard (nutrition is mentioned) to the quality of food that she was feeding her children.



now,
i totally understand that many families need to cut costs during these tough economic times, some have fewer choices than others,
but there is a cost/benefit depending on where you decide to cut.
i couldn't find on $5 dinners where she usually buys her food, but if she is buying most things on sale or with a coupon at prices, such as chicken breasts, sliced ($1.66), i think it's fair to make the assumption these are mass-produced items.
is this really the meat you want to feed your kid?

certainly you pay a price for buying cheap.

how can feeding the cheapest quality food to kids (or yourself) be the best way to cut cost? yet americans will cut food costs before they cut cable (also here).

my point is not to criticize this woman for trying to keep costs down
but rather to question why cost is the most important consideration.
i also want to emphasize that it is always important to recognize the place (and priviledge) from which our perspectives evolve.
not everyone has access to the same foods or the same choices.
i speak directly about those who DO have those choices.
if you are on the internet, blogging about food and what your family eats, then i think you have a certain responsibility to your readers.

i would argue for taking local vacations, cutting cable, your second car, or unlimited texting on your mobile but not sacrificing the quality of food.

as my partner put it,
the sacrifice that $5dinners talks about is only temporary... real sacrifice is sustainable...it has to be or we (or our children) will wind up here again.

we'd love to hear your thoughts.
xo

note: this was cross-posted here.

a handmade weekend

Out and about with little planned? Why, here are a few things, somewhat hastily pulled together on my behalf, that you might like to consider supporting. Some just in time for the long weekend too.

** Hope Street Markets ** (Sydney)
[young designers collaborative markets]
The Hope Street Markets makes its long weekend debut.


{Hope Street Markets flyer, please, click to enlarge.}

“The Hope Street Markets are a creatively supported environment for young talented designers to promote and expose their talents through different mediums.

Hope Street Markets is a collaboration of young designers in:
+ clothing
+ accessories
+ jewellery
+ object design
+ art

Adopting the concept of your local community markets, the Hope Street Markets are to support more art based product than general “bric'a'brac”. The markets are based in Surry Hills in the heart of Sydney, and they will continue to commence at the start of every fresh season and run over 2 days.”

Glean a little more here.

** The Rose St. Artists’ Market ** (Melbourne)
[Open every Saturday, from 11-5pm]

Expect to find Betty and Hamish toys by Kate Brereton Designs & Rebound Books (second-hand novels are spruced up, reinvented and given new life, filled with 100% recycled tree-free denim paper).

"Now in its fourth year, The Rose St. Artists' Market is Melbourne's foremost open-air market with the prime objective of showcasing contemporary art to the wider community and engaging its audience to the abundance of talent within Melbourne and Australia.

The Rose St. Artists' Market is not only a platform for emerging talent, but is also designed to assist artists and designers to sell and showcase their works without high retail/gallery commissions.

The Rose St. Artists' Market… utilises a disused yard in the back streets of Fitzroy, showcasing up to 50 artists and designers each week, some emerging and some more established.

All stall holders are supplied with exhibiting units, so there is no need to bring trestle tables for exhibiting goods. As well as all genres of art practices, the Rose St. Artists' Market also has live entertainment throughout the day as well as a gourmet cafe. The Rose St. Artists Market is always on the look out for new stall holders, working with a wide range of materials and in mediums including fashion design, product design, furniture design, jewellery, painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, leather work, glass blowing and performing arts."

Straight from the horses mouth.



** Mercado ** (Melbourne)
A “bimonthly Art Market, featuring a rotating crew of local makers hawking their zines, books, comix, prints, apples, toys, muffins, t-shirts, jewellery, sculptures, badges, posters, stickers, vegan cakes and curries, music, video, postcards and…” so on and so forth.

The next market will be happening on Saturday the 23rd of June.


{Mercado made.}

Dig a little further here.

And finally, don't feel like heading out into the woods today, skip across to...
** madeit **
[the independent australian designers directory]
& lay claim to a few more local treats. From Chip Chop to Wild Garden and back around the block to Secret Squirrel Clothing.

Why not ferret around here and see what you can find.

Here's hoping you discover many a handmade gem should you take to market. Or perhaps you are spurred on to participate yourself, hawking your handmade pride and joy at a market stall with fellow marketeers. Either way, have fun and keep it handmade.