Chicken

I would like to start off with an apology for being absent.  I will discuss that later, but I want to get right into this for those of you who won't make it to the end of this blog.

Not that long ago, I was asked "why are you doing this?  What's your point."  I didn't really have an answer that I could articulate, partly because I'd been drinking, and partly because I'm so passionate - but I don't really know why.  Why am I doing this?  

Wednesday, that question was answered for me in a very painful way.  I've only made a handful of posts, but I know I have mentioned my "chicken man" on several occasions.  Farmer Jones personified why this is important to me.  I'm passionate about food.  He's passionate about raising healthy, happy chickens.  I can't say this better than him, so please read this.  Click on the picture to make it bigger:

I cried when I read this letter.  I cried as I am writing this.  This is a man who cared about what he was doing, and what he was providing.  This is a man, who this time last year, sent a letter to his customers stating that we should let him know families in our area who were suffering due to the economy.  Who sent a letter, stating that he knew times were tough, and was happy to provide food, at no cost, to those who could not afford it.  This is a man who knew what I ordered and when I ordered it, and worried about me when I didn't show up at the market on Saturdays.  This is a man who cared about his customers.  This is a man who I joked with.  This was a man who I made chicken Christmas cookies for.  This is a man who cared about his community.  He didn't deserve to lose his business.  Moreover, he didn't deserve to lose his dream.  This was a man who I considered a friend.

I had one chicken left from him, which I baked up for dinner.  I stuffed it simply with onion, garlic, and a half a lime.  Seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.  I served it with mashed potatoes, and local greens with ranch dressing.  It was a fitting last chicken dinner.  I'm pretty sure if I knew I was going to die tomorrow, this would be my last meal.

I know there will be more chicken.  There are farmers at the winter farmers market with chicken.  But this was a friend, and he didn't deserve this.  Those of you who know me, know that the environment is important to me.  I know that replacement energy sources are important.  But I also know that ethanol is not the answer.

What I ask from you, is to think about where your food comes from.  If the answer isn't a person, then you have no way to know what you're really putting into your body.  If the answer IS a person, then they deserve to be treated like one.  If you're interested in learning more about where your food comes from, visit http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/global-grocer/  I know I'll talk about this more later.  Right now I'm too upset to be rational.  But think: everything in life is a trade off.  Make sure you trade wisely.

I love my husband.  He's a good man and he cares.  He made a copy of the letter and sent it to our representatives in state government.  I ask you to consider doing the same.  Our environment needs to be protected, but so does our food supply.  Without either, we are truly lost.

Rami says, "what do you mean there's no more chicken??"