planning

It has been a few days since I last posted, more than I feel comfortable with. I am, at all times, a planner and a perfectionist. This doesn't mean that I'm successful with all of my endeavors, and while we're being honest, my definition of success is pretty far-fetched. I do however, love to makes lists with occasional sketched renderings and attached magazine articles. This is all to say that I have lofty hopes for this blog and for myself.

I had originally planned, for a long time and in a very methodical manner, to make this blog mainly non-personal, information-based, dry and to the point. I quickly got bored; and if I'm bored, then you're probably bored. So, very early in the game, I'm going to glibly change the rules and not think twice about it.

zazucity will still be about Atlanta, about this city's struggles to find itself beneath miles of overly-widened streets, poorly-planned strip malls and the scattered, beautiful neighborhood and village oases. I am particularly interested in how urbanism and sustainability affects my life in a very detailed way, right down to the food I eat. So zazucity will explore the balance of growth in my city and my attempts at maintaining my own balance.

In the next couple of weeks, I'll try some different kinds of posts and I am foolishly welcoming any feedback you have to offer. You can leave comments on this site or reach me at zazucity[at]gmail[dot]com.

Community Profile: Farmers' Fresh

Every week, I would like to profile an organization or company I think contributes to the Atlanta community. This week, I was absolutely tickled to chat with Cory Mosser, General Manager of Farmers' Fresh Food Network. I have participated in their CSA program for a couple of years and while I don't always love every veggie I get in my weekly bag; I feel more connected to the food I eat and more aware of how eating well affects every aspect of my life. Cory generously answered some questions about Farmers' Fresh.

How do you think CSAs in general and Farmers' Fresh specifically support urban growth and sustainability in Atlanta?

"CSA's started in post WWII Europe and Japan as a way for communities to find reliable, affordable produce against a backdrop of scarce resources and increasing prices. Communities partnered with farmers who could provide a safe, steady supply of produce to meet the basic needs of the community. Today, the situation is almost the opposite. Food is plentiful and cheap. The advent of industrialized agriculture means that you can find on any given day, exactly what you are looking for. What is interesting is that given all this choice, people are increasingly searching out local options, because they want a connection with the food that they eat. They want to know how it's grown and who grew it. Our farmers (and other local farmers) are dependent on people who make their choices based on these desires. So I would say Farmers' Fresh doesn't, per se, support sustainability in Atlanta, but rather the urban sustainable movement in Atlanta makes a company like Farmers' Fresh possible. Local agriculture by its definition promotes sustainability. CSA's are simply a vehicle for those interested in sustainable living to realize their goals."

Why should people sign up for a local CSA? What are the individual benefits?

"CSA's aren't for everybody. It requires a commitment, a trade-off. It is difficult to reorganize your eating habits from convenience to seasonality, but it is a sacrifice worth making. In exchange for not having a tomato in December, you get to taste everything that a tomato should be in July. Besides experiencing the true taste of food, you also get incredible health benefits from eating freshly harvested produce. During the fall and winter, your body calls for nutrient-dense food that is specifically high in iron. Well, guess what's in season? Collard greens, broccoli, kale and spinach- all very high in soluble iron. When summer comes around, your body craves foods that are high in phytochemicals to protect you from free radicals in the environment. Highly pigmented blueberries, watermelon, and peppers come to the rescue to meet your body's needs. The benefit of buying locally is amplified by the fact that your food is, on average, 1-2 weeks fresher than supermarket produce, which means that all those essential nutrients haven't leached out while languishing in a storage cooler. There is also the benefit to the local economy, food security, and farmland preservation, but I've gone on long enough..."

Why is Farmers' Fresh relationship with local and regional farmers so important to the mission?

"Farmers' Fresh is a farmer owned cooperative, which means all the "big" decisions are made by the farmer members. Farmers' Fresh was created to ensure local producers could sell their products at a price which would allow them to keep farming. There is a cautious relationship between the farmer and the urban dweller. On one hand, local farmers are almost completely dependent on customers who have the education, the resources and the desire to contribute to a local food infrastructure. On the other hand, the swell of our urban areas generates enormous pressure on development driving land costs skyward, which in tern makes starting as a new farmer cost-prohibitive, as well as making it extremely tempting for a farmer facing mounting debts to sell out. To say that the life of a small farmer is tough is an understatement. Security is something rarely found. This year, farmers in our region experienced the worst drought, latest freeze, and longest heat wave in recorded history. Despite all these pressures, our farmers continue to plant fields for next year, hoping that it will all balance out. No one is looking to get rich, but to at least be able to continue to do what they love. Some might call that stubborn, or even foolish. In my estimation it comes from a contrarian spirit, which only a farmer can have that has no other option than to answer every 'you can't' with a 'watch me'."

Can you tell us about something new and exciting for Farmers' Fresh coming up soon?

"This weekend (Saturday, October 13th) we are hosting a Farm Field Day at one of our member farms. This will allow customers to meet the people growing their food face to face, and have the opportunity to try some amazing dishes. One farmer will be barbecuing one of his heirloom breed pigs for the event; you have never tasted BBQ until you've eaten pork from an animal that didn't have the flavor bred out of it. Next year we'll unveil a new model that will provide customers with the option of ordering what they want, when they want, in the quantities they want. We are basically starting an online farmers' market, where customers can place orders at their convenience and gradually immerse themselves in local food. One problem we've identified is that urban customers want local food, but they want it to be somewhat flexible with their schedules. Signing up for a season means you get a set bag of produce every week for 14 straight weeks. It's very hard for most folks to plan meals around that type of schedule. We want to find a way where everyone wins. The farmer gets to sell their produce, and the customer can support them and enjoy the benefits of eating locally without 'CSA burn-out'."

What is your favorite community spot in metro Atlanta or regionally and why?

"I don't get to experience the metro area as much as I would like to, so as far as a community spot though, I would have to go with what I know, and that's Carrollton. We have a nice square with good places to eat, we have a growing university. There is a strong sense of community, and a diversity that keeps things interesting. It can almost be considered a young, slightly pubescent Athens We are far enough off the major thoroughfares that rampant development hasn't sucked the uniqueness out of the town (yet). The person who graduated high school here 10 years ago and couldn't wait to escape would kick me for saying this, but Carrollton is kind of a cool place to live."

If you are are interested in signing up for Farmers' Fresh or would like more information about the program, visit www.farmersfreshfood.com. Cory noted, "The price listed on the website is for the full 14 week session. We are currently in week 5, so you would be paying roughly 2/3-1/2 of the price you see on the site. If you sign up, I will send a confirmation email with the correct price." You can also contact Cory directly at freshtastesbest [at]gmail[dot]com.

what about the rest of the country?

While this blog will be primarily focused on local Atlanta developments, I think it's important to know what's happening around the nation with cities facing similar dilemmas or cities and communities doing really extraordinary things. This week I'll combine local and national news links, but going forward they'll be in two seperate posts.

National News

• Green tax credits taking a hike - two steps forward, one step back.
• Ticky-Tacky Westlake - fantastic pictures of one of the first planned post-war suburbs. A mid-century extravganza.

Local News

• Charter schools in Decatur? - how or would this affect the disparity in schools across redeveloped neighborhoods? Consider the difference between Decatur City's affluent schools like versus Dekalb County's more mixed bag.
• Are we making the same mistakes again? - can Atlanta break its bad habit of excluding less fortunate neighborhoods from city-wide windfalls of good fortune and good design?

to begin

I want to begin with my general thoughts about communities, cities, my city and my intentions with this blog. This is the part where I woo the Internet masses with daises and lemonade on the front porch. A few weekends ago, we left the comfort of our in town Atlanta neighborhood, with myriad options for coffee, drinks and gourmet pet treats within walking distance, for the unruly and unpredictable hills of Tennessee. We packed up our low-emission, compact city car with camping gear to visit my sister at the intentional community where she lives. The community is generally billed as a haven for transgender or queer artists. This was a special weekend, the group was hosting an annual music festival. After traversing winding country roads with no signs and rocky, dry creek beds, we were welcomed with the unusual performance of "Oklohomo: How Musical Theatre Ruined My Gay Life." Men dressed as women, women dressed as men dressed as women and generally bizarre costumes. The protagonist told a woeful story of being ostracized from the gay musical theatre crowd and searching for a home and respite from the cold, harsh world. The outcast found a wandering group of queer and bedraggled minstrels. Cuddled around queer campfires, singing jubilant songs, newly founded friendships were formed and all was good. In our search to define ourselves, we pull from our experiences with comrades, friends and family to create our unique, complexly wonderful voice. This is how I see Atlanta, as a city with a deep, rich history, incredible diversity and potential to become a new kind of city in the south. With zazucity, I'll explore the facets of Atlanta's spurts and fits of urban growth as well as the moments of clarity and beauty and hopefully find my voice in the process.