Here Comes the Sun!
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A bi-monthly publication for members of the Olympia Food Co-op and its surrounding communities JUNE / JULY 2013 Food: Security or Sovereignty? By Jayne Rossman, Staff Member When I think of “security,” I think of deadbolts, the faux cops that patrol parking structures, alarm systems, and the Department of Homeland Security. Perhaps the meaning has been hijacked in the previous decade, but it’s not a word that makes me think of dinner. And that must explain part of my reluctance to embrace the term “food security”, which has been used in international agricultural development for roughly forty years, and has recently enjoyed a revival in describing individual families’ access to food. Here Comes The Sun! It turns out that a lot of people are uncomfortable with the concept of “food security”, which was defined (in 1991, by the Life Sciences Research Organization) as “sustained access at all times, A Shout-out to All Seasoned, in socially acceptable ways, to food adequate in quantity and quality to maintain a healthy life.” Junior and Future Gardeners The problems with the concept are tucked away in the details of that definition: what does “so- By Kim Langston, Westside OFC Garden Center Manager & Dirt Magician cially acceptable” mean? What defines “quality?” By most accounts it’s been a fantas- Even the most seasoned garden- And who gets to decide the answers to these tic spring for gardening. All those ers have their doubts and every questions? warm days and nights paired with year brings a new set of challeng- Overwhelmingly, the answer to the latter has the glorious rays of the sun create es. Late spring, hot peaks, torren- been governments and corporations, and the re- the perfect environment for your tial rains, early fall, freezing cold sults have been farm subsidies that support big gardens to grow and your imagi- nights long after the projected corporations over small farmers, a proliferation of nation to run wild. It’s funny how frost date all come into play and untested GMO crops, “free trade” international when the sun pours in everything we never know exactly what to ex- markets for staple foods that have put local farm- seems more possible. That trellis pect or when to plant. One week ers out of business, and other food policies that you always wanted to build but it’s in the high 40’s, the following attempted to solve the problems of hunger and couldn’t figure out how to sudden- continued on page 8 famine from the top down. And that’s why, in ly seems so simple. The chickens 1996, a worldwide coalition of “peasants, small you always wanted finally arrived and medium-size farmers, landless people, wom- in the mail from the Sandhill Pres- en farmers, indigenous people, migrants and ag- ervation Center (http://www.sand- ricultural workers” called Via Campesina coined the term “food sovereignty.” hillpreservation.com). The Uprising Seeds Sugar Anne snap peas you The difference between food security and food were so certain would die are now sovereignty is the difference between a chain su- 5 inches tall and reaching for the permarket donating its day-old bread to the food sky. It’s all a little scary, but totally bank, and your local co-op offering members’ worth it. You’re a gardener! Rising River, one of our photo by Jennifer Shafer classes on how to cook on a budget. It’s the local starts suppliers continued on page 9 June / July 2013 page 1 Co-op News Editor & Advertising Volunteer Profile: Coordinator Jennifer Shafer Staff Liaison / Coordinator Maureen Tobin Pat Kolstad Graphic Artist mom and sister. And be- Rachel Carns By Desdra Dawning, Co-op Member cause her father had been, Photographers Unlike so many of us “newbies” to as she puts it, “old school,” Desdra Dawning, Patrick Maley, the Pacific Northwest, Pat is a na- Gary Galbreath and “didn’t believe that girls tive Washingtonian. Born in Bell- should drive,” she had nev- Newsletter Committee ingham, and with the exception of a er learned the art. Want- Jennifer Shafer, Maureen Tobin, few years living in the California Bay Desdra Dawning ing to continue attending Area while her dad attended Stanford her high school after the Westside Store University, she has lived in this wet move, and with a crash 921 N. Rogers • Olympia, WA and green part of our country most 98502 course from her uncle, Pat (360) 754-7666 of her life. Her family–mother, father, quickly became the one to Open every day, 8am - 9pm one brother and one sister–returned drive herself and her sister photo by Desdra Dawning Eastside Store to the Seattle area when she was in to their school every day– Pat Kolstad 5th grade. She has remained in this 3111 Pacific Ave. SE • Olympia, a feat that sent her even a month, on 5 acres with many out- WA 98501 • (360) 956-3870 neck-of-the-woods ever since. Once more quickly toward adulthood. buildings. Her neighbors, being of Open every day, 8am - 9pm back to the waterways of the Puget the good sort, proceeded to help her Both Co-ops are open every day Sound, Pat found herself investing Following her high school years, Pat turn her place into a menagerie, with of the year (except New Year’s much of her spare time, along with spent the next 10 years at the Uni- a few chickens here, a few turkeys Day, January 1st, for inventory). her siblings, in a chore that taught her versity of Washington, slip-sliding there, here a rabbit, there a goat, The purpose of the Olympia Food much about boat-building. Her grand- around through majors, loving the everywhere a critter, critter! Then, Co-op is to contribute to the health pa was a boatbuilder who passed and well-being of people by provid- academic environment so much that working as they did in local gardens, on his knowledge to his son. Upon ing wholesome foods and other she was in no hurry to graduate. Her her neighbors even brought many the family’s return to the Northwest, goods and services, accessible original program–Performance Arts delightful scraps to feed her hungry to all, through a locally-oriented, Pat’s dad bought a used steel-hulled with a music emphasis centered on farm! collectively managed, not-for-profit Navy lifeboat, and put his children to cooperative organization that relies the flute–eventually morphed into work helping him transform it into a on consensus decision-making. Ethnomusicology as she became Settling into life in Olympia, by 1974 sailboat. Because of the hull’s shape, We strive to make human effects more and more interested in studying Pat had landed a job at the Red Ap- on the earth and its inhabitants it was well suited for shallow waters, native music. This led her to join some ple Health Food Store near Division positive and renewing and to so much of her childhood from that encourage economic and social of her fellow students in a musical and Harrison. Mary Ann, the owner point on was spent traversing with justice. Our goals are to: group, Gagaku, that played traditional at the time, liked to send her staff her family in and out of the many • Provide information about food court music, both Japanese (playing to product trainings and health-food inlets and bays of the Salish Sea. • Make good food accessible ryuteki, or Japanese flute) and Ko- events in the area, so Pat’s educa- Looking back, she remembers how to more people rean. Several in the group had friends tion into the world of good food ex- very pristine everything seemed to • Support efforts to increase who lived in Olympia and members panded and grew. The owner also her at that time. When she returns to democratic process of the Ethnology Department would worked with other local merchants, some of her old haunts now, she is • Support efforts to foster a come down and spend a few days sending her customers to the Co-op socially and economically saddened by the changes. “Beautiful playing music from various cultures, and other stores if she didn’t have egalitarian society little coves lined with forest are now so after a period of time partying and what they were looking for. Pat loved • Provide information about nothing but houses and businesses. collective process and playing music with them, Pat found working there, in an environment The trees are all gone,” she muses. consensus decision-making herself, in 1972, ready to move to this that was conscious and fun. This • Support local production friendly little town that enticed in so drew to a close, however, when the Just as she turned 16, her life took a • See to the long-term many charming ways. owner decided to sell her business. health of the business sudden turn. With the tragic death of The new owner, functioning from a • Assist in the development of her father and brother in a boating ac- Her first home in Olympia was in a more corporate business ethic, and local community resources. cident, Pat’s home was relocated to house she rented for–get this–$40 little knowledge of herbs and coop- Opinions expressed in the Co-op Seattle’s University district with her continued on facing page News are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Co-op Staff, Board of Directors, Co-op advertisers or anyone else. Co-op members are welcome to respond. The Co-op News is published on a bi-monthly basis and comes out in February, April, June, August, October and December.