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| Monday, July 28, 2008 |
| Local Attractions |
Back in the days when I thought everyone was young and everything was local, summer was the time of year we waited for. Summer days were perfect and the nights were better. We had traditions we loved and locally grown, seasonal food that meant spring, summer and fall had arrived.
We celebrated the last day of school, and first day at the beach, with homemade popsicles and new strawberries. Tomatoes that still smelled like the earth, sweet watermelons, and corn-on-the-cob came from farm stands straight to our dinner table. Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day. They all meant summer. Do you remember those days? Neighbors knew each other, no-one locked their doors, and kids played outside, alone.
Patricia Leigh Brown, of the New York Times, explores the roots of small town harvests, and the festivals that celebrate them. In spite of the changes time and trends have brought to American towns, traditions survive, and celebrations continue.
“The agricultural fair tradition dates back to 1784, when Elkanah Watson tied two merino sheep under a tree to entice neighbors to breed them.” Crowds gathered and “Agricultural Fairs in America: Tradition, Education, Celebration” began.
Patterson California is the home of the Apricot Fiesta. If you grew up in, or near, any small town, you’ll recognize Patterson. “The fiesta began in 1970, when 40% of the nations’ apricots were grown here. Like many other agricultural fairs, it began as a business promotion, and it raised money for the community.”
Apricots flourished in California’s long growing season, and in 1970, the fiesta’s first year, 7,300 acres of apricots were harvested. Nearby, Stockton California was the center of a canning industry, where fresh apricots were cut and dried, and “local teenagers could once rely on a summer job.”
Fast forward almost 40 years. American preferences for dried or fresh fruit led to the decline of the canning industry. 95 % of dried apricots sold in the United States are imported. ‘Sprawl’ swallowed up orchards; “acreage devoted to apricots is dwindling.” Local farmers say imported dried fruit sells for so much less than their locally grown apricots that they can’t compete. They’re selling their land “to developers or switching to less labor-intensive crops like almonds”
When a town in New England or a community in California loses the crops or industry they were known for, the town changes forever. What is lost and what remains after time and ‘progress’ have taken their toll? For each community, the answer is different.
What would an old neighbor or a new resident find in Patterson at this years’ fiesta? Most of the town still turns out to celebrate. “Boy scout troop 8 is serving up the last of 111 gallons of homemade apricot ice cream they had hand- mixed at the local fire hall.” You have to buy your ice cream early, because it always “sells out.” The incredible smells and tastes from the booth selling “deep-fried apricots only $3.50 – Yum!!!” are still a local favorite. “Joanne Waters is selling hundreds of apricot pies, $13.00 dollars apiece. The pie recipe came from a local woman whose secret she refuses to divulge.”
Ms. Waters isn’t sure “the new folks understand the relationship between farmland and food.” She’s probably right. New neighbors wouldn’t know that their homes were built on the old orchards and replaced the old way of life. New residents have never known the joy of watching apricot trees bloom, and the fruit grow ripe enough to bake into pies. The ‘new folks’ will bring a hunger to belong, and a desire to make friends. Communities, like families, are often blended, and come in all shapes and sizes today. They will eat pie from old recipes, shop in local markets, and appreciate the community they join. Next year they’ll know the apricots are local. They’ll share the traditions and celebrations of their new hometown.
Keith Boggs has a booth at the fiesta. He is from “the county’s office for economic development.” He will explain that small town living has so much more to offer than meets the eye. “It’s all about perception. The skyrocketing costs of gas makes our small-town neighborhoodly roots a draw.” I think he’s right. Smell the pies, get some ice cream. Everything is local. Everything is good. Traditions survive, and life goes on.
- Nancy
Labels: Healthy Planet, Nancy
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posted by The Sensei Team @ Monday, July 28, 2008   |
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