I completely registered with Wendell Berry’s depiction of a passive consumer: one who blindly eats what is given to them and is disconnected from the land and the agricultural act that is eating. I was completely ignorant on the current disarray of the food system before this summer. Actually, if I’m being honest, I was completely ignorant of anything to do with food. I didn’t cook. The kitchen has always been left to my mother, who dished out delicious concoctions, which I ate and appreciated for their tastiness, but that was pretty much as far as I entered into the cooking realm.

I also have only a small grasp on nutrition. Probably due to her Texas roots, which come with a love of barbeque, butter, and big portions, my mother never really prioritized healthy eating in the house. In fact, we laughed at the L.A. women on their low carb, sugar free, trendy new diets, who would order a few leaves of lettuce at a restaurant with outward glee while, (at least I imagined) they wept internally for the sumptuous meals they passed up.

Even though we are only a week into the program, this summer has already been eye opening for me. To prepare for my internship at Food and Water Watch, I began reading the executive director, Wenonah Hauter’s book: Foodopoly. In short, Hauter explains how our current food system is broken, because of the dominance of factory farms over more sustainable agriculture. I was horrified and outraged over the government policies that are fueling this harmful system, and began to research more on the topic. I finally understood that by being ignorant about the food I ate, I was actually making a choice to support the destructive reign of factory farms.

This summer I’m trying to follow Pollan’s guidelines. I’m thinking about what my Great Grandmother, Meme Holmes, would think of the ingredients I purchase. I’m cooking, starting with simple recipes of the right portions and organic ingredients. Or at least trying. At work, I’m researching food policy. On weekends and lunch breaks, I seek to engage with the local DC community. Slowly but surely, I’m trying to connect with the land and take back my role as an active member of the agricultural food chain.

The thing I’m realizing is that eating responsibly is actually very freeing. I don’t have to be chained to some fad of a diet. Food should be enjoyable and flavorful. I think Petrini explained it best that good food should evoke history, culture, and tradition. I don’t have to write off my mother’s cooking. She reminded me on a call this weekend that good Texas brisket smokers, like my Grandfather, Poppa John, practice very sustainable cooking. They have incredible respect for their animals. Poppa John would use the meat from the cows of his neighbor (a small time farmer), wake at the crack of dawn to meticulously smoke the meat, and then later that night serve it to us grandchildren who came to visit on summer holiday. So when I’ve honed my cooking skills, maybe I’ll take on some family recipes….with some more healthy modifications and proper portions of course.