A day for "light" reading

We're pleased to announce that, after fussing some months ago about  the lack of options to acquire kernza flour, we now have some on order. In fact, we've signed up to be a commission-earning affiliate of Perennial Pantry. If you follow that link and order either flour or grain, I'm supposed to receive a reward through Kickbooster. Kernza has been developed as a perennial grain at the Land Institute in Kansas. I'm a long time fan of both Wes Jackson, Land Institute founder, and Wendell Berry's thinking about  how to make agriculture better for both humans and the environment. I'm looking forward to trying the kernza flour in artisan sourdough baking. Expect to read more about it here from time to time (whether or not I earn any commissions).

artisan sourdough bread, made from earth, air, fire and water

Photo by J. Harrington

In addition to announcing our  discovery of a source for kernza flour and grain, we're pleased to note that today is the International Day of Light (would that our internet connection were fiberoptic). Is it karma or was it planned that today would also be the day on which the folks who are espousing #DemocratizingWork arranged to have their op-ed published around the world? Some of each we suspect. The coincidence is too fortuitous to be entirely coincidental. For the most part, we are in agreement with the aspirations expressed by those who would democratize work but we then ponder: what if the workers are disproportionately like those who support tRUMP and the NRA and terrorize state legislatures? Can we reasonably expect science-denying racists to change their spots if their work environment is modified "By involving employees in decisions relating to their lives and futures in the workplace – by democratizing firms." It seems to me the challenge involves implementing systems that limit the damage done by either or both short-sighted, self-centered, greedy workers as it does capitalists. Those who have been portrayed as having lived at that point in the future when representatives of the Dark Side and The Force fought with light sabers seem to still contend with the yin and yang of good and evil. Two sides of irreducible reality?

no kernza in this crumb, but soon

Photo by J. Harrington

I'm getting befuddled even before I try to factor in William McDonough's "Less Bad" Is No Good. In his Five Goods, he writes:

Many companies are doing good work to reduce their negative impact on resources and workers, but often through a narrow perspective focused on piecemeal improvements. They improve transparency and traceability, and make some processes more efficient, but pay little attention to their heavy use of toxic chemicals. They develop complex recycling for hybrid materials, rather than redesign the product and delivery for full-value recycling. These efforts all focus on minimizing short-term damage, which is certainly important. But it can be done better by eliminating problems altogether with designs that optimize long-term gains.

As part of our "both, and" approach toward addressing climate breakdown and COVID-19, we think radical, perhaps total, changes are needed to our "food system." Supporting the development and use of kernza moves us, we hope, in a "more good" direction. For the moment, buying our pork from a local, sustainable, humane producer is the best we can do, but that is both less bad (no CAFO support) and more good (local agriculture support). We'll try to cast more light on this theme even when it's not Light Saber Day. 😉

What Work Is

By Philip Levine

We stand in the rain in a long line

waiting at Ford Highland Park. For work.

You know what work is—if you’re

old enough to read this you know what

work is, although you may not do it.

Forget you. This is about waiting,

shifting from one foot to another.

Feeling the light rain falling like mist

into your hair, blurring your vision

until you think you see your own brother

ahead of you, maybe ten places.

You rub your glasses with your fingers,

and of course it’s someone else’s brother,

narrower across the shoulders than

yours but with the same sad slouch, the grin

that does not hide the stubbornness,

the sad refusal to give in to

rain, to the hours of wasted waiting,

to the knowledge that somewhere ahead

a man is waiting who will say, “No,

we’re not hiring today,” for any

reason he wants. You love your brother,

now suddenly you can hardly stand

the love flooding you for your brother,

who’s not beside you or behind or

ahead because he’s home trying to   

sleep off a miserable night shift

at Cadillac so he can get up

before noon to study his German.

Works eight hours a night so he can sing

Wagner, the opera you hate most,

the worst music ever invented.

How long has it been since you told him

you loved him, held his wide shoulders,

opened your eyes wide and said those words,

and maybe kissed his cheek? You’ve never

done something so simple, so obvious,

not because you’re too young or too dumb,

not because you’re jealous or even mean

or incapable of crying in

the presence of another man, no,   

just because you don’t know what work is.

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