Apple Bottom Genes

Aww man, I am definitely too tired to wake up. Eight o’clock a.m. on a summer morning is just way too early. But my alarm will not relent, so up I get. Throwing on an old T-shirt, I saunter down to the kitchen and grab an apple for breakfast. And a water bottle for outside. After picking up a large bowl from the kitchen, I put on my gardening gloves and go into my backyard, where my family awaits me.

Every morning during the summer, my whole family gets up early together to pick our fresh produce from our little backyard garden beds before it gets too hot. Since we live in the Central Valley of California, temperatures can reach the low 100’s by noon. Blackberries, green beans, strawberries, apples, squash, tomatoes, grapes, peppers, peaches, and herbs are just some of the things that we find ourselves snatching outside. On the good days we accumulate about 10 pounds of blackberries and baskets of fresh tomatoes and green beans. It’s hard work, but well worth it. Growing our own produce means knowing where and who it comes from. And plus, we get the luxury of enjoying fresh vegetable stir-fries or blackberry pies at or own convenience, without having to worry about spiking prices at the grocery store.  

Reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma has really provided me with some great insight as to where grocery store food comes from, like for real. It really shocked me how many things include some form of corn, as well as how much of what we consume has pesticides or is genetically modified.  

Having my own garden back home just really makes me appreciate fresh, organic food. It also really makes me wonder and question the issues that are brought up in works such as Ruth Ozeki’s All Over Creation, as well as The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Are we just making things harder than they really are? An organic, backyard garden has worked out really well for me and my family, so why not use this method on a larger scale? Are all of these pesticides and GMO’s truly necessary? Why not eat simply, things like salad, soup, and bread. What is all of this fast-food (which I’m not even sure I can refer to as food anymore) or pre-packaged ultra-manufactured food doing in our society?  

I have been raised as a Farmer’s Market, backyard-garden, local food co-op type of girl, and have loved every tasty second of it. Even though I like to be healthy, I still indulge once in a while by eating out or by buying a deliciously processed treat. But all in all, I think it’s safe for me to say that there is nothing like an apple crisp made from your very own tree’s apples. With a dab of vanilla ice cream on the side, nothing can top it.