Food. Something we think about regularly. Whether that’s what we’re having for our next meal; trying to remember the contents of our cabinets or refrigerator; or what we need to buy on our next trip to the grocery store. As permaculture practitioners, these thoughts are also likely to include what we’ll be harvesting from our garden; searching for a local source from a producer we can meet face to face; or reading labels to find the indicators of where something comes from and how it was produced.
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Each of us are likely to have our own way to ask and answer questions related to whether or not the food systems we participate in and the food we take into our bodies are the right ones for us, our particular circumstances, and the planet.
What if there was a uniform method, however, to ask and answer these questions? Something we could use in our own lives, which is also easy to share with others. A way to examine, consider, and discuss our food choices, whether the scale is personal or planetary, and covers the range from policy to production to purchase.
This kind of model forms the conversation for this episode, as I sit down with Gigi Berardi to discuss FoodWISE, the system she’s developed and writes about in her recently released book of the same name. In a conversation where I share my own complex relationship with food, Gigi talks about the passion for food that led her to write the book, her sources of inspiration, additional resources you might find helpful, and how to keep ourselves informed and up-to-date on the latest food and agriculture science and research.
If you eat food, you’ll want to listen to this interview.
Click here to find out more about Gigi, her book, and additional resources
I wanted to interview Gigi and have this conversation because the foodWISE model reminds me of the ethics and principles of permaculture. The initial concept is quick to pick up and easy to teach. It provides a consistent way to talk with others about our interests, concerns, and how to resolve them. As a model and not a prescription, it is adaptable to a wide variety of situations. And, it allows room for us to make choices that best suit the resources we individually have available whether we need to find food at a farmer’s market, convenience store, or in our own backyard. I’ll definitely be sharing this with others in my personal life, so we can look and talk about our food choices more deeply.
What do you think about FoodWISE? Will you be picking up a copy of Gigi’s book? Are there other models, oriented around food or otherwise, which you use to navigate the many complex decisions we face every day?
From here, the next interview is a conversation with Shantree Kacera of The Living Centre, an eco-spiritual site located near London, Ontario, Canada. He joins me to share the ways he’s reinvented himself and The Living Centre over four decades engaged in ecological education and outreach, and how he’s planning for the succession of the location and organization.
Until then, spend each day making WISE food choices that take care of Earth, your self, and each other.