Notes from the trenches....

Well, it looks like Annette has pulled ahead today (12 to 11), so I'll need to step it up!! But I've been out learning about worthwhile causes:

On Tuesday, I attended a "Slow Food Summit" at the local library, all about the benefits of slow food (as opposed to fast food). The movement started in Italy back when the first McDonald's arrived, and has spread around the world. The main emphasis, and one that is particularly important with the current cost of fuel, is to eat food grown locally as much as possible. The panel said that if you have a choice between organic food from 3,000 miles away or locally-grown food from around the corner, the local food is the best choice, even if they did use Round-up to kill the weeds (although it would be good to convince people to try more natural methods of pest control!) For more information about the slow food movement and how to buy locally in your little corner of the world, go here.

One of the panelists at the summit was James Spencer from Grow Alabama, a local food co-op. By joining, I will not only be guaranteed wonderful, locally-grown fresh produce, but I'll be doing my part to help local farmers and the state economy. (A little, anyway. For ways to REALLY help this State, check out my previous post about the Constitution). I can't wait to get my first veggie basket!!

I think it's great that so many people are taking a step back and realizing how good it is to buy local food when possible. Another panelist was Edwin Marty from Jones Valley Urban Farm, a downtown farm that not only provides organic produce to many of the local restaurants, but also provides educational opportunities for children and youth in downtown Birmingham.

Yesterday, I attended the second meeting of the Baptist Church of the Covenant class to raise awareness about the state of the Alabama Constitution. If you haven't watched the movie, It's a Thick Book, I highly recommend it. It's funny and educational, and highlights why we so desperately need reform in this state. But even if you're not from Alabama, I think it's interesting to learn more about taxation (our tax code is embedded in the constitution) and about how to tax in a way that is equitable across different levels of income. I don't like giving up my money any more than the next person, especially since I enjoy eating and having a roof over my head, etc.; but if it means creating a better and healthier community in which I can live, and if it means providing basic goods and services to me and to my family, I am all for it.