CHAPTER 1 The Path from Seed to Stove It’s dinnertime What’s on the menu Bread Fruit Vegetables Cheese Meat Or is it some combination of the above like pineapple and ham pizza While we’re asking questions let’s add a few more Who grew or made what you are eating Where was it grown How did it get to your table Some foods travel a very long way to get to your table They may start as a seed in a far-off field and end up being harvested processed boxed shipped and shelved 4 21st century skills library
A Hawaiian pizza includes meat dairy vegetables fruits and grains 5 5
It can take weeks for a head of broccoli stalk of celery or spear of asparagus to reach your grocery store’s shelves Take a look at these supermarket fruits How far do you think they’ve traveled It turns out that even simple unprocessed foods rack up thousands of miles and change many hands to get to your plate Watermelon Apples Peaches Strawberries Grapes 791 miles 1,273 kilometers 1,555 miles 2,502 km 1,674 miles 2,694 km 1,944 miles 3,128 km 2,142 miles 3,447 km 6 21st century skills library
Foods that require factory processing some cheeses breads meats and grains take many more steps to get to your grocery store It all adds up to a lot of distance between producer and consumer seed and stove Do all foods crisscross states countries and continents to get to your table Are there always so many miles steps and people between you and your food The simple answer is no It’s definitely not the case for Andrea Andy Hazzard Andy is a farmer who lives in northern Illinois and grows heirloom grains When Andy makes cornbread oatmeal or cakes she uses resources planted cultivated and milled right on her farm Andy harnesses human capital physical capital and natural resources to bring delicious food not only to her table but also to customers in her community 7 Nature’s Makers
