Project Genesis...

This Project Genesis is a proud one for me...

Meet John...

He is a 2011 graduate of the University of Michigan.

His degree?

Environmental Science with a major in Food Systems.

What does that mean for our world?

It means we have someone who has put his heart and soul into finding a way to make sure our food is healthy.

His dream job will be to find ways to convince cities and the people who live in them to eat food 

that is grown locally and is a sustainable product.

 Could I be more proud of him?

 NO!

He is in this sea of humanity... waiting his turn to stand with his class to be told you are now a graduate of 

U of M...

He will be doing his internship in northern MI. and will be doing research at a Biocenter up there.

Before he moves to WA. to begin his next chapter.

Food is an important topic for John... he loves to eat.

But healthy food is a main ingredient in his diet.

He is a vegan.

He is serious about everyone eating food from their local farmers.

Organic food is a high priority for him.

He doesn't expect everyone to embrace the vegan life.

He just wants all of us to know exactly WHAT is in our food.

Do you read the labels?

Do you try to buy your groceries so that most of your food comes without a label?

These are questions he has asked me.

That is what he will be working toward for you and your family.

He wants to extend our lives by teaching us to care about what we put in our bellies.

He wants to preserve the small farming communities by having us buy our food right from them, not a middle man, not a huge company that dictates to the farmer how to grow our food so that it lasts longer on the shelf.

If your fruit rots after a week, although that would be a bit disappointing to have to throw it out,

it is supposed to rot.

Strawberries are red.

Bananas are yellow.

Tomatoes are red.

Wouldn't it be nice to find them that way at your local grocery store?

Wouldn't it be wonderful to know that you and your community provided a way to keep a local farmer in his home, farming his own land just for you?

John said even if you want to eat meat mom, you should know where it was grown.

It doesn't have to be shipped across the country when we have farms right here in our area that can provide the meat for you.  Farms that will open the barn door and let you see your "future dinner" and know that the conditions that it lived in were good.

That it lived a healthy life, NOT a drug induced life, 

so that YOU can live a healthy life, NOT a drug induced life.

Can you imagine the pride a farmer would feel knowing that his family was able to provide the community where they live, wholesome produce?

Our farmers are no longer able to sustain themselves by growing a combination of crops.

They are providing large companies enough corn to make sure that it goes in everything we eat.

It must stop.

 You can see, I have a good teacher.

 Our diet is still not where he would like it to be but we are getting there.

One step at a time and I do pay attention.

Old habits die hard, but they will die.

Just today he was telling Hannah why buying a bottle of water was a waste of money.

He doesn't just stop at telling her that it's because it's really only tap water in a plastic bottle,

 he gives a lesson on how much energy goes into making that bottle and how much energy and pollution is created to bring that bottle to the store.  Only to end up in a landfill.

It is these conversations that he has had with us, that has convinced Hannah and I to become vegetarians.

We are still going strong, and loving it.

so I will take the lessons that he teaches me and do my part to feed this family well,

to stay informed and to know where our food comes from.

I will buy locally whenever I can.

So hurry up summer...

I need our farmers market to open!!!

He is as persuasive as he is handsome,

I wish I could put you all in a room with him for one of the best food lessons you will ever hear.

(since I can't I will do my best to pass along the lessons that he teaches me.)

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN!  

I love you so much. xoxoxoxoxoxxoox

I am linking up late, because I just came home from taking him back to his house in Ann Arbor.

but I didn't want to miss out on the chance to link up to Project Genesis over at Old Grey Mare

Thank you Z for this very important and inspiring party!

Thank you for reading my Proud Mom post!

Theresa xoxo