In class Monday, we will screen the film, Eating Alaska. In preparation for that film, you're reading a short piece on food issues in Alaska by Ned Rozell. Class will also be devoted to discussing Ernestine Hayes' two pieces. Here are three options for your post:1. Given your own experiences about the topic of "food" in Alaska and your observations of the issue of food in popular culture more broadly, pose and respond to a question that you think captures Alaska's position within these discussions. These questions and responses will help us frame our discussion about the film.
2. Given our discussions about "traditional ecological knowledges" in our last class, pose and respond to a question that emerges from Hayes' writing for you. How might these texts help you develop your own thinking about Alaska Native considerations of environment, culture, and place in a rapidly changing north, if at all?3. Choose your own adventure: what kind of question might bring forward a shared concern between these two seemingly unrelated sets of readings?
Does hunting make us make better food choices?
ReplyDeletehttp://grist.org/food/girl-hunter-hunting-help-us-make-better-food-choices/
What can you do to address food issues in Alaska? Due to our cool wet summers, young soil, and short growing season it is not feasible to grow all of our own food in Southeast Alaska. Tomatoes, forget about it. Friends have succeeded but at what cost? Hundred dollar tomatoes are not the answer. I started providing some of my own food through fishing. Sport fishing is not cost or time effective it is more for pleasure than subsistence. I eventually got in with a few people to go to Sweetheart Creek and net sockeye salmon on a subsistence permit. We got 25 fish each after a long day of fending off bears and slogging back and forth to the boat with bags of fish. The next step was to start deer hunting. The venison from sitka black tail deer is the best I have ever had. I did not hunt deer until I lived in Juneau and tasted some of the local venison. It is raised on tasty organic greens which results in a lamb-like delicate meat unlike the mule deer of the west raised on sage brush and the whitetails of the east and midwest raised on corn. There are some birds to hunt in Juneau but I can’t say that I supplement my food much with them.
ReplyDeleteEvery year we gather large amounts of local fresh berries from our favorite picking spots. My girls still eat most of what they pick but we manage to put up enough blueberries to make them last until spring.
We started gardening once we settled into our sunny North Douglas home. I made some raised beds out of split cedar logs and we brought in most of the soil and improved it with sea weed, fish meal, and other organic nutrients. The work paid off and we have had great crops every summer. Lettuce, kale, carrots, bets, potatoes, leeks, and garlic are our most prolific crops. We started composting and adding all of our excess organics to the garden system.
The next big step was building a chicken coup after my youngest daughter brought home eight chicks that her kindergarten class had hatched from eggs. Once again the cost analysis has not evened out yet but we get about six fresh organic eggs a day. The chickens eat our compost now and we have been fortunate to receive some supplemental food from a local business’s waste.
We eat very well and reduce our dependence on the outside world but at this point we are far from independence. Most of the year we rely on fruits and vegetables from outside of Alaska as well as the staples. It would take an estimated three times our current level of effort to become completely self sustaining.
Jen Smith
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in a small town that gives entry only by sea or plane, has provided an especially interesting perspective on food decisions and dilemmas in Alaska. While being raised on a subsistence based diet that consisted largely of fish, venison and berries we still depended upon groceries shipped from out of state like fruits, vegetables, flour, rice, beans etc. And while maintaining a diet of at-home cooking to satisfy an economic need more than ecological awareness, we were still very far from a self sufficient unit, much like Tom pointed out in his post. My mom worked at the local grocery store that ships every single good it carries in from out of state. She began to special order organic produce for the store, which necessitated each batch be flown in from Seattle, and such is the case with most organic products.
Making conscious decisions about food in Alaska quickly becomes riddled with tension. Buying something organic may be better for your health as an individual, but like Rozell described in his column, the "food miles" add up quickly. For my parents who spend roughly half of the year hunting, butchering and packaging deer meat and the other half commercial fishing, smoking, filleting and packaging fish; maintaining a garden in any off-time doesn't seem plausible. This is not to say there is no interest, but many of the people who hold those interests just do not have the time (which may say something about the larger picture we need to recognize). There is no community garden in Cordova, and I'm not sure if you caught any of the news this winter about my home town, but it received over 300 inches of snow in 3 months. Needless to say, maintaining a garden-at least this winter-would have been out of the question. I think Marion Owen is on to something that would be revolutionary and plausible for Alaska, but her point that it would need to be "monitored by people paid to do so" is extremely important to recognize.
Once concerning paradox which has had a personal impact is the question of true sustainability of Alaska salmon. I am a complete advocate for the purchase of wild salmon and growing up in a fishing community and being the daughter of a commercial fisherman, I have been able to see first hand what the voices of copperriversalmon.org mean when they state that their mission is "a commitment to premium quality, family fishermen and long term sustainability". But I watch our 300+ fisherman fleet of gillnetters leave every opener in their boats that contain high powered gas engines that travel for hundreds of miles to flop nets made out of materials that do not biodegrade, to catch the fish that continue sustainable life cycles. They then pack their catch to tenderboats or canneries that also have processes worth inspection-in terms of carbon footprint-to ship boxes of fish off in plastic ziplock bags on boats or planes where the salmon gets placed on some ice under a label that reads "wild, sustainable, Copper River salmon". How long will this mode of sustainability be possible?
How can people living in environments unsuitable for a homegrown, subsistence lifestyle, or a dysfunctional family unit with no stable economic means, support healthy lifestyles in Alaska? Both Rozell’s and Hayes’ readings raise questions of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, despite conditions that are adverse or not well suited for the kind of lifestyle that is being sought, whether it be trying to buy natural, organic produce that must be shipped long distances or simply paying the bills.
ReplyDeleteRozell’s piece examines the air miles that most food coming into Alaska receives, while Hayes discusses the difficulties faced by Alaska Natives, including alcoholism, sickness and poverty, based on her childhood memories. Through these different methods of storytelling both authors share similar concerns for Alaskan citizen's and communities' health.
LaTia Jackson
ReplyDeleteDoes Alaska have the advantage when it comes to our food industry? I have always wondered if one of the reasons that Alaska is considered ‘the last frontier’ is because many people use subsistence to feed their families. In a way, yes, I feel like as an Alaskan, we eat better than someone from the lower 48. It is different living in a town though. I have not hunted or fished here in Juneau. I crave native foods all the time but, here in a city, I do my hunting at Fred Meyer. The price of Salmon and other locally caught fish is outrageous!
Alaska as a whole is no different from the rest of the U.S. It is harder to eat locally caught food here in Juneau. Most people rely on the local grocery stores for food. In the villages, people hunt but, they do not hunt with traditional weapons, they use guns. That is a problem because sometimes the local stores run out of bullets and people are forced to buy groceries. A gallon of milk in Kiana, AK is $15.00. It is a wonder that people find ways to live with such high prices.
On the Kobuk River, it seems during the last decade, the salmon runs have been bringing fewer salmon each year. I am not sure what to blame that on. We are going through climate change and rising gases in the water. Is there over fishing going on?
Where is a balance? What is the difference between Organic and non- Organic? As, a college student I sometimes cannot make the healthy choices that I want because funds are tight. There are sometimes that all I could afford is Top Ramen for the whole week. I think that it is crazy that many of the fresh foods that do not get bought in stores just get thrown away. A person has to have money in order to buy organic and healthy foods. I feel like there needs to be a better system of food distribution in this country.
One of the first things I noticed upon moving to Juneau from SoCal, besides the beauty of the landscape, was how expensive everything is. I went to Safeway with my parents and nearly died of sticker shock. I couldn’t believe how much food, produce in particular cost-and how poor the actually produce was for that price (by CA standards that I was used to). My sticker shock expanded that night when we went out to eat and meal prices were way higher than most prices back home. I just couldn’t believe that people who charge that much for such simple meals; I felt like I was getting robbed.
ReplyDeleteI eventually got over my initial irritations when I realized just how difficult it is for food to be shipped up here. Seeing some of the barges come into the harbor made me stop and think about how much time and how far my food has to come. I think this is a common problem most people in the country face-not just Alaskans. Our culture has lost touch with where our food comes from since most of it is either imported or grown somewhere other than the local community. My question is: If people had the opportunity to grow their own food, would they take it?
I’ve often had the thought that it would be awesome to have my own herb and veggie garden. In my mind, it would make meal taste better because my own produce would be superior to grocery store produce. I don’t know if that is 100% accurate, but the thought is there. I told all my friends and family about my great idea, and was excited to try it out. After months and months of telling people about it, it occurred to me that I would not actually go through with it. I’m not exactly sure what stopped me from doing it, although it’s safe to assume that laziness was the biggest factor. It makes me wonder though if other people would take the time to grow their own food if given education of how to make their gardens successful as well as tools to help cultivate it. If my own experience was any indication, I have strong doubts that most people would follow through with it. I think that we are a society that is too depended on the convenience of having corporations to grow food for us. We don’t know where our food is coming from, which in itself should be a huge concern, but we are more than happy to pay outrageous prices for food. We have lost all connection with food, and I think it would take a huge event to get people to start thinking about growing their own food, or turning to their local markets. I think it would make an interesting experiment to see if someone can get an entire community to create a neighborhood garden and see if they can continue to cultivate it. Research project anyone?
Liz Hendrix forgot to put her name on the above post. :)
DeleteSammy Becker
ReplyDeleteAlaska seems to be stuck in two opposite worlds when it comes to the consumption of food We are blessed with an abundance of wild game and high numbers of wild salmon that are available if we go out and get them, while on the other hand we have grocery stores at our convenience where nearly all the food has traveled at minimum 1500 miles in order to be available to us. How do we as Alaskan’s attempt to live a sustainable lifestyle when it comes to eating, what steps should we be taking to try and be healthy, while also trying to eat what is close to home?
In a time of corporations such as “Monsanto” that seem to be almost entirely controlling the production of most processed foods in America a call to action is being asked of the citizens of the U.S. to pay more attention to not only where they are getting there food, but also what is in it, and who is in control of the production of what is in it. Here in Alaska we are blessed to still have in tact sustainable harvest practices used by people who have lived here for tens of thousands of years, however they too have become modernized with the convenience of gas powered engines, guns, and other tools. Although we have the ability to live subsistence lifestyles, the lure of a rugged, “down to earth” lifestyle is not really why the majority of people in this state live here. Therefore the grocery and supermarket stores are crucial for the state to be able to support it’s population, because what if all the people who lived in Anchorage has subsistence fishing licenses, what would that mean for fishery. In Alaska we face short growing seasons and the feasibility of large farms supporting our most populous areas where grocery stores are most needed seems a bit unrealistic. For Alaskan’s does there need to be a statewide effort to try to make sustainable eating practices more available, and perhaps even more accessible through a call for more locally grown and harvested foods, or does it need to be the individuals choice. Even if Alaska had a larger percentage of food grown here, do you really think people would be ok with no more bananas in the grocery store… I don’t think so.
Kahle Ess
ReplyDeleteWhether it was my family or my aunt and uncles, there have always been gardens nearby in my life. These small plots that grew veggies that sometimes last through winter and produce raspberries for jelly and wine have always been something that require a lot of work, but are worth the reward. Still, with the short growing season the amount of food we could grow was not enough to support us through the year, even with the moose and fish that we supplemented with each year. I have had the benefit of living in an accessible and populated area, where food must be so cheap compared to rural villages in northern and western Alaska. I grew up in the Matanuska Valley, which is the hub for Alaska Grown products like potatoes, carrots, and even ice cream from the small local creamery. Even so, the differences in price can alter one’s decisions on buying food. Where local products may be more expensive than those shipped up, they are better because they are supporting local business and economy.
Then there is the case of buying organic, which is more expensive yet. There are co-ops such as Full Circle Farms which deliver organic locally grown veggies and fruits to places in Washington, Alaska, and Idaho. It certainly is a great way to support small scale farmers and a way to eat good organic product. There is a lack of attention to carbon footprint though in the case of Full Circle, and for that matter all food that is shipped to Alaska at all. When does buying organic, local, small scale foods outweigh the cost of shipping and carbon emissions?
Personally, I think that the idea of Full Circle is great and that buying organic is better. I would never be able to go without eating the fruits and veggies that I buy at the store that come from all over the country. Rozell’s article made me think about the miles that are stored in the food I buy, and it is absolutely insane. So what is the solution? Do we decide that we want small scale local organic food shipped to us? I think that the answer to the dilemma between feeding ourselves well and leaving the smallest footprint becomes growing more of our own food. Rozell’s article makes the case that it could be done. Greenhouses would be effective, and if people grew the right foods then they could last a while with canning and other methods. In places that are more rural I feel like there would be a decrease in the cost of food immediately if money was put into building resources to grow food for the longest time possible throughout the year. We have becoming accustomed to buying food from the stores that either breaks your bank or is bad for your health. Why not work towards a healthier way of eating while benefiting communities directly. There are some things that local gardens and greenhouses could not replicate here in our northern latitude, but even reducing the amount of product by what we can grow there would be less need for shipping food and less food being shipped, which is better for the environment and people. Maybe this is a way Alaska can be a teacher to others in the fight for climate change- it is a small step to reduce shipping of foods, but it would create change and show the nation and maybe the world that things need to work differently.
Everytime I go shopping in Juneau, I surprise how expensive groceries are, and also meat, vegetable, and fruits are not fresh at all but still really expensive. But I assume that weather and soil in Juneau and other part of Alaska isn't suit for agricultures, so even if we make a huge greenhouse and grow vegetables, it will cost a lot of money. Through Globalization, today we consume cheaper meat and vegetables which came from somewhere in the world, somewhere which has low cost labor and large field, rather than expensive local products.
ReplyDeleteIn my hometown in Japan, my family and most of my neighbors have vegetable and rice field, so we get a lot of fresh vegetables from our field and we often shared our vegetables with neighbors. I don't think it is easy to make big vegetable fiend in Juneau, but we can start traditional sustainable life again like we used to little bu little. Growing vegetables in our garden, or even in a small space in your house is good way to start. I'm not sure if Juneau gets enough sunlight to grow vegetables, but if people grow their vegerables even in a small amount, I think people start more careing about what they consume and where these come from.
Brittney Seavey
ReplyDeleteIf we as Alaskans choose not to practice complete sustainable living, then are we in the wrong for helping with greenhouse gas issues? Growing up in Alaska, I have been fortunate enough to have exposer to wild game such as moose, bear, caribou, and of course various fishes. On the other hand I know many people that live in Alaska as well and live a lifestyle in which they choose not to eat meat or don't have the ability to hunt.
For the people that aren't able to hunt or choose not to, they are reduced to eating fruits, vegetables and processed foods that are shipped from thousands of miles away. This ties into Rozell's piece where he speaks first hand about Alaskan's not being able to have access to fresh food. I also likes what Yosuke said about going to the store and seeing how expensive food is and knowing that it's not fresh and needs to be consumed rather quickly. When I think about that, it's sort of like a trap. We either spend higher amounts of money more rapidly on food we want or don't buy it at all.
Personally, I give in to the higher priced foods (including meat) because I don't always have the means to hunt or garden and I need to be able to give my body the nourishment it needs. But this still means that more and more foods are being shipped to Alaska from miles away and it is affecting our planet. I'm not sure that I have a solution to this issue...
Kristie Livingston
ReplyDeleteIs the “greenhouse food solution” a viable option for Alaska?
Ned Rozell makes a great argument for growing locally in Alaska with greenhouses, however he does not discuss cost. What would the start up cost be for these greenhouses and who would pay for their installation in apartment complexes, prisons, and hospitals? How much food could actually be produced and how will the extra food be preserved for winter months? Ethically, the cost of such operations shouldn’t matter. The environmental benefits and lack of dependency on a global market should be reason enough for most environmentally conscious people, however those people are not the only stakeholders. This does pose a very interesting problem though: why is it cheaper to buy food that has traveled around the globe and then some, and who is reaping the economic benefits of such operations and who is being hurt? I would very much like to see if this is doable and if it takes off in the future. Considering the ever-increasing price of fuel, food with high mileage may not be cheaper for very much longer. Are greenhouses a necessary investment for Alaska?
The three short readings we covered seemed to be centered on locality and our connection to locality. Rozell’s excerpt implores the reader to think of the logistics involved in the global commerce of agriculture and offers an alternative approach wherein horticultural gardening could reduce our dependence on the global market. While Rozell is talking of Fairbanks and other locations of similar climates, the message is still applicable in our walled-in Southeast archipelago, we merely have to turn to another source of energy. The cost and maintenance of an indoor garden is relatively cheap, thanks to hydroelectric power (which may merit discussion at another time) and can be maintained all year.
ReplyDeleteWhile Rozell hopes that Alaskans will develop a connection to the land through gardening and greenhouse operations, for Hayes this connection has already been made. She uses this connection to the land and the interdependency of all the organisms on this land in One Scrap of Earth to exemplify traits that we may benefit from or are at least worthy of merit. From the spider we can learn perseverance, from the raven patience, and from all of them a respect for ecology, the limit of this respect is still up to debate as Hayes finds it necessary to remove the spiders from her home. This may be saying something of boundaries, that boundaries may not be social but biological, which may be problematic in a social way.
Being transplanted from Texas/Oklahoma, how do I find my own way to be a part of the local environment and lower my own energy usage and waste related to feeding a family of four? Coming most recently from Anchorage, I am used to city life and the convenience of working in a grocery store. I try to make smarter choices in the foods I bring home, but how do I tap the local market and stop buying foods produced in Oregon, Nebraska or South America?
ReplyDeleteI feel a connection to the land wherever I live and I like to find ways to cultivate that feeling the way the authors we read this week have made connections to their own locality. I listen to the stories and talk to the people, always learning. Our new home includes a community garden where my daughter and I can work in the soil to grow our own produce for the summer and fall. My husband suggested drying and canning food for the winter as well, but I would have no idea where to start.
I would love to have the resources to build a year-round greenhouse to produce food, but that idea seems distant. I could develop a plan in a month or two, but would need capital, time and a lot of hands-on help to make it a reality. Like many Alaskan residents, I would like to have the freedom to do more but I feel pressured by time, finances, and family needs. Working 32 hours a week, taking 13 college credits, coordinating care for 2 disable girls, helping in the community... just where do I find the time?
Starting small with better buying choices and a community garden will help us feel like we are participating and teaching our children a better way. To do more I would have to cut back somewhere in my huge lists of responsibilities and activities. Modern life has us running in circles when maybe slowing down would do us more good.