Down In the Holler

As a self-proclaimed foodie, a registered dietitian and an environmentally concerned citizen, I think a lot about what I eat and the impacts that it has on my body and the planet. I’m a pretty well informed eater, though there is always so much more to learn. I am and always have been an omnivore though I’ve become much more conscious over the years about the meat that I choose to eat and how it was raised. We are very comfortable at home going days at a time with little or no meat.

Additionally at the hospital we are starting to look at ways to reduce the overall amount of meat that we are serving by offering more vegetarian options and reducing the portion sizes when we do serve meat entrees. This change in menu planning is motivated by several factors including health, the environment and cost (not necessarily in that order).

I’m thrilled to be able to easily buy local, sustainably raised beef, chicken and pork from a variety of local producers at our farmers markets, grocery stores and quite a few restaurants. Among our favorites are Riverview Farms in northwest Georgia and White Oak Pastures in south Georgia.

I encountered this happy grass-fed Niman bebeh on a recent work trip to Bolinas, CA

With all this in mind, I found myself nodding in agreement as I read the op-ed piece in the New York Times today by author, lawyer and rancher, Nicolette Hahn Niman, The Carnivore’s Dilemma. I particularly appreciated the closing paragraph,

Still, there are numerous reasonable ways to reduce our individual contributions to climate change through our food choices. Because it takes more resources to produce meat and dairy than, say, fresh locally grown carrots, it’s sensible to cut back on consumption of animal-based foods. More important, all eaters can lower their global warming contribution by following these simple rules: avoid processed foods and those from industrialized farms; reduce food waste; and buy local and in season.

Amen, sister!

P.S. Ms. Niman is a vegetarian.

Last Saturday I woke up early and pedaled my bike all the way across town to the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market  in Buckhead so that I could volunteer at the Slow Food Atlanta table. I’ve only been to this market one other time and while it is on the other side of town from where I live, it is one of the best weekly markets in Atlanta. There are lots of vendors with a huge variety of foods in addition to the fruits and veggies that you expect at a farmer’s market. It is a really fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning.

My volunteer job was to stand at the Slow Foods Atlanta table and talk to people about what the Slow Food movement is all about as well as promote and sell tickets to an event that I think many of you will want to attend.

First let me speak to the glorious Slow Foods movement which was started in Italy by Carlo Petrini as an anti-movement to fast food. From the website,

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. To do that, Slow Food brings together pleasure and responsibility, and makes them inseparable. Today, we have over 100,000 members in 132 countries.

This organization bascially takes a bunch of things that I find really important: health, the environment, social justice, culture and delcious food and wraps it all up together in to one fantastic movement. If you aren’t familiar, cruise around the websites for Slow Foods International, Slow Foods USA and Slow Foods Atlanta or come out and visit me at the market this month.

So as for that upcoming event that Slow Foods is sponsoring. Imagine if you were to have a chili cook-off where you buy a ticket and get to taste as many samples as you like of unique creations from a big group of both professional chefs and home chefs, but then you took away the chili and replaced it with ICE CREAM!

Saturday June 27th at the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market from 12-1pm Slow Foods Atlanta is hosting that very event! A super delicious ice cream social where all the ice cream offerings are homemade, but the flavors are sure to be unique and exciting. Tickets are $10 for all the flavors you can cram in. You can purchase tickets here. Or even better, you can come visit me at the market this coming Saturday or the day of the event and buy a ticket from me while you are picking up your groceries for the week.

Hope to see you at the market!