The Fashion of Farming

I've been doing a lot of reading lately about organic farming, local foods, and co-op agriculture. I generally agree with most of the political and social reasons for following this movement but I can't help but notice how trendy and posh it has all become.

New York Magazine recently featured an interesting article about the changing status of farmers. The writer describes with vivid detail how the farmers who grow produce for upscale urbanites' consumption have become godlike figures in the eyes of their customers. Strange role reversal, no?

Not only are the laborers replacing the office workers and creative execs as the people in power, but the entire mindset of many consumers today has moved from glitz and glamour to a much more simple sophistication. A reusable shopping tote now makes as much of a fashion statement as the Hermes Birkin bag, or any other (over-priced) bauble prized in the past. On the surface it appears to be a great development: average citizens are embracing a healthy and ecologically sound lifestyle. Isn't this what we've been waiting for? I'm afraid, though, that this will be short-lived, and all interest will wane when it is no longer cool to be so concerned.

On a side note, of particular interest to me was the fact that the farmer featured in this article is a woman. I believe that this is indicative of another shift in the agricultural movement: along with trendiness and cache, interest in farming has expanded beyond rural midwestern dwellers to include people of varied sexes, income levels, and social backgrounds.

I got the chance to work on my college's organic farm for two weeks this summer and, aside from one male volunteer, we formed an all-female crew. There was something very satisfying about completing a day of labor outside with a group of strong, dedicated women. Though I never saw myself as a candidate for physical labor and preferred books to basketball as a child, I could not help but smile as I heaped forkfuls of rotting lettuce on the compost pile and drove large wooden stakes into the ground to support the climbing tomato plants.

After a lot of reading, experiencing (and eating!) firsthand, I'm still fairly torn about embracing this movement as a sign of positive change - but I am hopeful that it will have positive effects on both the physical environment and the mindset of the public.

Here's a link to the article, if you haven't found it already: http://nymag.com/news/features/48929/

What do you think? Is sustainable, environmentally-friendly eating part of a permanent cultural shift? Or is "green" the "new black", merely an upscale foodie trend that will fade away with the arrival of the next big thing?