Hi FEEST fam!

Happy Friday!!

Come check out intern Rubyna Vohra’s reflection on Natasha Bowen’s article  “The Color of Food”! Rubyna shares with us what it takes to build community and feel at home.

The Color of Food

This article reminded me of FEEST when the author wrote, “Farming isn’t about stewarding the land it’s about stewarding the community.” I see this with FEEST because with us it’s not just about making and eating food, it’s more about meeting other people and creating a diverse community. A place that feels like home.

Many areas that don’t have much access to healthy and fresh food tend to be more diverse and low income. In the article, the author mentioned how poorly the media responded when a shooting occurred in front of a community garden, considering it “expected” and “typical”. I predicted that the media would have that reaction because I too live in a diverse and low-income neighborhood. I’ve seen media depicting my neighborhood’s shootings and incidents as mere coincidences or a “typical” day.

I remember in 6th grade my neighbor’s house caught on fire and sadly there was a death. His family grieved in silence because our neighborhood was not connected. There was no one there for that family except my family because we knew them personally. We saw the hardship they went through and I then realized how and why my neighborhood struggles to come together.  Usually, when a tragic incident happens, the family grieves independently and silently. My community is not connected because we don’t have the funds or time for community gatherings, community gardens, or weekly dinners.

Most of my community is always working 2 or more jobs to support their family and pay for food, food that is so processed with so many chemicals-it’s ridiculous. I know many people from school and even from my neighborhood that rarely get a home cooked meal. Usually, their meals consist of packaged foods or fast foods.

I remember when I was in the 6th grade, my mom and dad were always working and they never had the time or energy to cook. I would eat McDonald’s every single day. It was fast, cheap, and accessible. McDonald’s literally was walking distance from my house.

This article really opened my eyes to see what my neighborhood’s condition is as a whole and how my peers’ relationship to others is. How food has changed and so has society. This article really makes you think about life and how everyday things have such a big impact.