What I Wrote Today and Why #3
The geography of food and cities continues to be interesting. Today I began by reading a 1906 geography reader How We Are Fed and circled back around to Jane Jacobs’ 1960 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Both continue to relate to space and the diversity and interconnectedness of all activities related to making and delivering our food. The reader, written for students, described the life of individual food items, such as a loaf of bread. Its journey from field to plate revealed the interdependences of everyone involved from the wheat fields of North Dakota to the cities of the Northeast. Funny little bit in the back of the book has spices talking to the author about their lives post harvest.
Jane Jacobs is so articulate and relevant for today’s discussions about “Smart Cities.” She insists on short city blocks, density, and diversity (even age diversity) for cities to flourish. Would be interesting to ask her today about her opinion of vertical farms in cities.
Ended writing today with a short bit on how food supply chains flex when consumers change behavior from one food ingredient to another, such as from conventional produce to organic, or from iceberg lettuce to kale or to antibiotic-free meat. Need to find out how they do that, find new sources or change existing source’s practices.