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What’s for dinner at your place? How about
having an earth dinner?
No, it’s not about eating dirt; instead
it’s a gathering to celebrate the bounty of our good green earth.
Most of us don’t realize that our dinner tells
many stories, embodying our personal histories, family memories, music,
art, and other connections . . . besides our tummies. To help reawaken
those cultural links in a way that can be tasty, touching, and fun, the
folks at the Organic Valley Family of Farms have come up with the novel
idea of earth dinners.
The concept simply involves throwing some sort of
dinner party at which the food is not merely consumed but also is the focus
of table talk, reminiscing, singing, laughing, game-playing, and whatever
else you can dream up. It can be a potluck dinner, a buffet, a five-course
gourmet meal, a backyard barbecue . . . whatever suits you. The key is to
know something about the food being served — where it comes from, the
history of some of the ingredients, songs written about it, and so on.
The goal is to get everyone connecting in some
personal or cultural way to the dinner as it progresses. Ask guests to tell
about their very first food memory or to recall any family member who was a
farmer or a jolly cook. Invite people of diverse backgrounds and all ages.
Ask a farm family, or a cheesemaker or others involved in producing food,
to join you. Then — eat, talk, enjoy!
Organic Valley’s Web site offers a sort of
earth-dinner starter kit, with tips on everything from menus to party
favors, as well as provide reports on successful dinners that others have
put together. Check it out at www.earthdinner.org — and have a good
time!
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator,
columnist, and author.
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