Becoming a Peaceful Omnivore

By Jessica Arneson
Contributing Writer

This fall I attended a workshop coordinated by the ELCA World Hunger Appeal titled, “The Ethics of Eating.” I was among thirty-two Lutheran leaders from four states who gathered to objectively explore our current food production, distribution systems, and farming practices.

Contrary to the suspicious nature that has been circulating regarding the ELCA’s interest in the food system, this workshop addressed the need of, and barriers to, increasing access to high quality nutritious food. We reflected on our roles within the ecosystem, and our roles as consumers within the food system.  And we discussed how our choices and voices can be used to make healthy food more accessible to all people. 

We toured and studied small-scale organic farms that provide social entrepreneurship opportunities to empower women and new Americans, as well as several urban gardening centers throughout the Twin Cities area. One urban garden lies along a long strip of grass on the other side of one the tall cement walls one sees while driving through the cities. Located across the street from a large low-income housing development in the Little Earth area of Minneapolis, the woman who tends the garden explained her story to us. She had been unemployed and as a single mother, was struggling to incorporate healthy foods into her family’s diet because costly fresh fruits and vegetables were tough competition for less nutritious foods that allowed her tight grocery budget to stretch further.

Many of us feel that pressure; we know what foods are good for us, but our dollars stretch much further on low nutrient foods with subsidized ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated soybean oil. Surprising to many, highly nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, are considered “specialty crops” and are not subsidized; hence the higher cost to shoppers. So when this mother was approached to start a community garden, she went right to work, and the garden became a place where neighborhood kids now come to learn about food, health, and nature. The same kids who previously spent time seeking candy are now filling up on cherry tomatoes, and their favorite pizzas now are home-made with fresh vegetables, pepperoni, and whole wheat crusts. They understand that they will grow strong and healthy, their parents are now sharing healthy recipes, and this one-time unemployed single mom is now fully employed through President Obama’s “green jobs” initiative and is a respected leader within her community. 

Back at the Concordia Language Camp, where the workshop was held, farmers and horticulture professors re-enlightened me on our ecosystem. It was a flashback to 8th grade science, re-learning how nature is self-sustaining through the circle of life, such as how the decomposition of organic matter turns what is otherwise empty dirt into rich, life-giving soil. I felt an awakening as my eyes opened to how disconnected I had become to my food. I have to admit that at some level I had been aware for a long time of the contradictory and controversial components within our food system, but I had done my best to ignore the issue, passively submitting to the idea that “That’s just the way the world is now”. As a busy lady on the run, food had become a nuisance to me; the daily annoyance of deciding what to make for supper and rarely pleasing all, knowingly sacrificing nutritional quality for time and financial savings, and (most importantly) consciously avoiding a guilty conscience. Guilt from knowing that many fruit and vegetable farmworkers work long days in harsh elements and chemicals for minuscule wages (as little as less than a half a penny per pound for picking tomatoes!) without overtime, benefits, or protection should they get hurt at their very physically demanding jobs. Guilt from knowing the conditions in which many livestock animals exist are kept; as if not thinking about it prevents the truth, because sometimes a gal just needs a big, juicy burger.

Whether we choose to pay food the attention it deserves, or choose to stick our head in the ground and strive for ignorant bliss, we cannot deny that we are all aware of the problems at some level. It’s just all so heavy and layered, and every “expert” has their own spin that a person really doesn’t know where to start. I get that. But we do know ourselves, and we know what matters to us and when we are being true to what we believe in. What has centered me over the past month and half since the workshop has been a real, deep, come-to-Jesus-type reflection on my own core values. What I value the very most includes caring for my family, health, peace, doing no harm, respecting life, nature, my faith, relationships, safety, and joy. I don’t think I am alone here, and like most kids in the Midwestern United States, I was raised by the “Golden Rule”—treat others how you would like to be treated. We all know that one, right? Well, if I am going to treat others as I would like to be treated, then I must challenge myself to ensure that my food consumption reflects my values.

As I have worked through my own personal ethics of eating, my relationship with food has become reinvigorated. I once viewed organic food as an expensive way to potentially prevent any possible ill side-effects from chemicals. I now seek out organic, sustainably produced, and ethically traded food, and I happily pay more because I know that it is worth a lot more; both financially and intrinsically. My family and I have been preparing food together, experimenting with new ingredients, making our own breads with organic grains, and finding ways to enrich our favorites. Instead of feeling guilty, we feel pride, peace, and inspiration knowing that how we are eating is now better aligned with our values. It has truly enhanced the quality of our lives.

To bring this conversation into our greater FM community, those of us from the Red River Valley who attended the workshop are hosting a screening of the award-winning film, “Fresh,” at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead at 7pm on Monday, November 22nd. Following the film, Leaders from various sectors of our food system will join us in a discussion to broaden our perspective and to ensure that all sectors involved are fairly represented. Please join us for what will be a very positive, albeit honest, solution-focused evening and explore what the ethics of eating means in your life.

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