I’ve always prided myself on having somewhat of a green thumb, or at least being a bit more knowledgeable of farm life than my peers.
I’ve lived on a fairly large plot of land in a suburban area for my whole life, complete with free range chickens and a small, backyard vegetable garden. I grew up hearing stories from avid gardeners and dairy farmers about the trials and tribulations of farm life. I passed sustainable agriculture last semester with flying colors, and the plants in my windowsill never look too droopy or withering.
So, I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when I was asked to harvest turnips on the first day of my farm apprenticeship, and I had no idea what a turnip even looked like.
I asked one of the farm managers to show me where to look for them, just to make sure I wasn’t digging up something entirely wrong.
After picking all of the turnips in that particular bed, I prepared them for their final destination by washing them, picking off the less appealing leaves, and bundling them tightly with colorful rubber bands. Since the turnip bulbs are all different sizes, they are bundled by weight to create relatively consistent-sized groupings, about $3 worth.
Coming to terms with my turnip trip made me wonder why we have grown so accustomed to not really knowing anything about our food or where it comes from. While pushing my shopping cart through fluorescent-lit grocery store aisles, topics such as who grew those cucumbers, where the chicken laid those eggs, or how long any of it took to get to me were not at the forefront of my mind, and studies show that I am certainly not the only one.
According to a study conducted by the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, 72 percent of consumers polled knew nothing or very little about farming or ranching. People have to eat daily, but they generally have no clue what goes on beyond a trip to the grocery store. As long as products are in date and haven't been recalled for some heinous disease, consumers don’t really bat an eyelid at where an item comes from or the conditions under which it was produced.
These concepts are infiltrating the next generation, too. Almost a third of UK primary school students think cheese is made from plants, and a quarter believe that fish fingers come from chicken or pigs. Increasing agro-literacy will help kids become more inquisitive and help them develop better relationships with food overall.
Becoming more mindful of the food we consume daily helps bridge the gap between farm and table, a relationship that so desperately needs to be mended.
As an apprentice, I got to do just that, gaining hands-on experience working at a real, organic farm. Over the next ten weeks, I got the chance to learn more about sustainable urban agriculture, best farming practices, and, of course, pick a whole lot of turnips.
At least now I can say with certainty that I know what they look like!
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