The rock star of urban farming. There she stood on the hunter green stage at Auntie’s, making the audience giggle about the prospect of slaughtering bunnies in their backyards.
Behind the podium in black and a recycled sari silk scarf, she was upfront and comfortable about her urban cultural leanings, citing a hipster-driven tour through some of America’s most recited “cool” cities: Portland, Brooklyn, Austin, Seattle, and now the up-and-coming Oakland of all places.
But how many of the audience’s middle-aged green thumbs were able to fully grasp the reference? I will never forget in college the awkward moments where I had to explain to my parents the difference between 40′s jazz hipsters and the modern hipster. It was like the day I tried to teach my sweet old grandmother how to text. Futile.
A reoccurring theme throughout the talk was Novella’s juxtaposition of urban and rural experience. She even got to crack a few jokes about being an Orofino Maniac. Before starting in on her first passage she paused to explain “Sometimes I get a little nervous around audiences like you. My New York audience is a lot different than in places like this. They are all like ‘Whoa!’ whereas… How many of you have been to a pig auction before?” No one that I could see raised their hand. “Oh, well I guess this is my New York audience after all!”
This honest little miscalculation says a lot about Spokane’s identity issues. Are we urban? Are we rural? Why can’t people seem to comprehend the gaping chasm in between? Defying the polarity doesn’t just create confusion, however, in the world of grant writing it can carry a cost. Being neither urban or rural can make it difficult to qualify for certain types of funding, especially when it comes to agricultural projects. No one seems interested in earmarking resources for “suburban renewal” or “suburban development.” It just isn’t as sexy or poignant as the categorized extremes.
Another thing that got me thinking about Spokane was the author’s comment that she tends to gravitate towards places that present a challenge. This played nicely into the theme of being a pioneer, or a homesteader of sorts. She spoke blithely about gun shots and prostitution in the neighborhood. All elements that contribute to a graphic, gripping tale.
But what about the challenges of the mid-sized city? The challenge of a community that is just functional enough that the majority of its problems are simmering right below the radar? What about the challenges of social isolation, boredom and homogeneity? These are themes that simply go untreated when your Yemeni neighbor is coming over with his family to butcher a goat for dinner.
Think about the examples of Riverfront Farm and One World Cafe. They are both doing exceptional work for exceptional causes. They’ve received some much-deserved local press, but what are their publicity prospects much beyond that? If Ghost Town were located out in Hillyard by the new freeway, would the story retain it’s tantalizing appeal?
Regardless we can’t wait to read the book and start shopping at the new co-op. It was touching to observe how Novella used the word “honor” in the same sincere way as our own Jennifer Hall. We’re telling you, these Slow Foodists are really on to something!
Tags: Community · Identity Crisis · Local Food3 Comments
3 responses so far ↓
We are a small city, I think the term “small Portland” fits (I’ve had even Portland natives admit to as much). We have at least tiny parts of most everything you will find in a larger city, just not a ton of any of them.
there’s one of these in Moses lake. I don’t know why a town surrounded by farmland would need an Urban farm, but its there none the less. check it out if ever there.
You touched a nerve. I have always thought education reform would be easier in Harlem than in Spokane for the suburban identity reasons you cite.
In fact, I dare say students in Harlem have more education choices than students in Spokane. Our region has a way of slipping through the cracks that is very concerning at times.