Introduction
My relationship with food and the food system differs significantly from that of my parents and grandparents. My family has a long history of rural life; I was raised by farmers who barely scraped by on the land they were given. They were self-sufficient in food because they grew and harvested much of it themselves (Allen & Wilson, 2013). However, their limited ability to affect the food system was due to their dependence on the land for survival, making them vulnerable to market fluctuations and natural disasters. Their access to fresh, nutrient-dense foods was limited since they were limited in the kind of crops they could raise and sell.
The contrast between Will’s relationship with food and farming to that of his parents and grandparents
In contrast to the perspective on life, food, and farming he received from his family of origin, Will Allen has developed his unique perspective. Will’s family originally hails from rural Alabama, struggling to make ends meet due to a lack of land and agricultural resources. As participants in the sharecropping system, they fulfilled the role of tenants who provided rent in the form of crops. Since they could not acquire land, they depended on white farmers for survival. Working in what amounted to indentured slavery, they lacked control over their property.
However, despite spending his formative years in North Milwaukee, Will was able to pursue further education. His upbringing was vastly different from that of his parents and grandparents, and he benefited from advantages and opportunities that were unavailable to them. His parents and grandparents did not share his exposure to a new culture (Allen & Wilson, 2013). He realized his ambition to become an urban farmer and now has complete jurisdiction over his land. Because of his success, he accomplished both of these goals. He could manage his finances and decide what crops he wanted to grow and what kinds of meals he wanted to provide for the neighborhood. All of this he accomplished without relying on anyone else.
The contrast between Will’s own experience of poverty as a child and the poverty he observes around him in North Milwaukee
Will’s childhood poverty differed considerably from the poverty he witnessed in North Milwaukee. Will had a unique encounter with poverty. When Will was a kid, his family always had enough to eat since they had a steady income and access to resources. He was able to get an excellent education and go to college because of his parents’ solid financial situation. However, North Milwaukee suffered from a lack of resources. Therefore poverty was widespread, and residents had few opportunities to improve their economic situation (Allen & Wilson, 2013). People relied on processed and fast food due to a need for more affordable, nutritious alternatives. The lack of convenient access to these foods hindered people’s ability to make healthy food choices that would improve their health and help them escape poverty.
My relationship with food and the food system differs from parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents.
My family tree stretches back several generations, and each generation had a different relationship to food and the food system than I have now. In many ways, I was raised completely different than my parents and siblings. On the other hand, my grandparents and great-grandparents did not have the same opportunities that my parents did. Therefore they could not afford to feed me well. Those people had to make do with the processed or fast food that was readily available to them. There was nothing else available, so they had to consume it.
Moreover, I may use land and materials unavailable to my forebears. Because I can choose what I cultivate and consume, I can make well-informed judgments about the nourishment I provide for my body. I am grateful that I can make well-informed, nutritious eating choices since I have more resources and a higher standard of living than my forefathers.
References
Allen, W., & Wilson, C. (2013). The good food revolution: Growing healthy food, people, and communities. Avery.
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