Sample chapter by Judith Yamada, submitted in the Discover and Manifest Purpose section.
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Following an early retirement from a career in juvenile justice, I felt drawn to starting a business providing a useful, healthy and sustainable product or service. Investing a few hundred hours to become a certified aromatherapist, and a good deal of money, I went into partnership making organic personal care products. Within two years, the business became an overwhelming burden for my partner, who has small children and a fulltime job. In 2008 we closed, and I felt hurt and defeated.
After a few months of healing, I looked for a part time job, with no success. I’d watch the news and the jobless rate and fume. What could be done to bring money into communities and therefore increase employment? What could I do? Researching options, I discovered the Sustainable Table website. It’s educational, empowering and all about food: what we eat, seasonal eating, land use practices, and humane treatment of farm workers and livestock.
With a long unused degree in restaurant management, love of culinary arts, and years of professional cooking and baking experience, I became a seasonal eater and local shopper and began teaching others to do the same. I researched, put up my website and spread the word that Portland Home Cooking was open for service.
I believe in the importance of this mission, and sustain my seasonal soapbox by advocating for family farms, teaching seasonal cooking, promoting local shopping, volunteering for Friends of Family Farmers, sharing advice and recipes on my blog and online articles and developing new seasonal recipes.
Many consumers don’t realize that buying oranges from Australia, asparagus from Costa Rica, or grapes from Chile does more than impact the environment. That well traveled food is stale and less nutritious when arriving at its destination. And this sort of spending has a negative impact on our local food sources, businesses and jobs.
Sadly, more than 300 farmers leave the land every week. If they can’t make a living on the farm, our scenario for fresh food in the future is alarming. Buying seasonally helps family farms remain viable. These careful stewards of the land (unlike corporate farms) spend most of their money close to home. So the more they can spend, the better. The farmer’s spending benefits local business, and positively impacts my community, my neighbors and me.
Judith Yamada is an advocate for family farms, using her culinary training and experience to teach seasonal, sustainable food purchasing and preparation. | Portland Home Cooking
