The Author. Jason lives in San Diego with his beautiful wife, Sarah, and their brand-new baby girl, Charlotte James, when they’re not traveling abroad, seeing what there is to see. He’s a professor of English and literature, writer, and admitted tree hugger. She’s an interior design consultant and hugs trees with him.
They hug each other, as well.
The Blog. The idea is to record the happenings, the fits and starts of trying to grow 15 percent of the author’s calories on his suburban less-than-a-fifth of an acre, and to serve as an example that anyone can grow some portion of their food themselves. Why do this? To reduce our reliance on under-priced, over-processed, and well-traveled food. So much environmental degradation occurs in the name of food — cheap food. And cheap doesn’t just have to do with price. It also describes the relationship the average consumer has with his or her food. And the concern that most commercial-industrial food producers have for the process, quality, and consumer of their product.
There is much to be gained by reacquainting ourselves with the origins of our food. Global improvements in quality of food, environment, and life can be had through super-local food production — meaning, grow it yourself. Can you expect to raise all of your calories in your yard? For most people, no. But if millions of people declare some kind of food independence, then it becomes possible to change the way commercial-industrial food is grown and sold. Homegrown food is not easy, but it’s good, and you know its history, where it’s been. The home is an ideal place to start for a little revolution, a little change for the better. Much of our consuming happens there, much of our waste is produced there, much of the educating of our children happens there. It is a fulcrum for global change.
That’s the idea.
