The Listening People Look for Good Food

Once there was and once there was not a dark time that appeared to be full of brightness and light. Everywhere there were bright and shiny objects.

In the mornings, the people would get into their bright and shiny cars and drive to huge shiny towers where they sat in front of plastic machines and moved their hands all day. At night all the people would go into big shiny houses and play with their clean machines, eat food from bright and shiny packages, and watch bright screens.

Some of the people were listening people.  They tried hard to pay attention and listen to the world.  At times they heard the most beautiful singing, but sometimes they heard terrible cries.  It can be hard work to be a listening person.

Once in a while a listening person stood in their shiny clean kitchen, tore open the cardboard or ripped off the plastic and tried to hear what their food was saying. But the food just lay there. Silent.

One of the listening people went to Mr. Supermarket Man. Mr Supermarket Man, he asked, “Where does my food come from anyway?”

Mr. Supermarket Man huffed, and puffed, and said ”Why the Ontario Food Terminal of course. It comes in a big truck ready to eat. It’s all made with seven essential vitamins”.

“But”, the listening person said, ”Where does it come from. Who grows it? How was it made?” But Mr. Supermarket Man couldn’t tell him.

Another listening person phoned up Ms. Transnational Food Corporation. She asked Ms. Transnational Food Corporation ”Where does my food come from?”

Ms. Transnational said, “why from us, of course. We have nine plants in five countries and we make the best product we can at the most profit we can. It’s new and improved just for you.” “Oh”, said the listening person. “But where do the ingredients come from? How is it made?”

Ms. Transnational said “I can’t tell you that. But I can send you the nutritional information. It’s made with seven essential vitamins.”

Seven essential vitamins is great, but the listening people were curious and wanted to know more.  They began to meet each other in the supermarkets, looking for food that seemed healthy and happy.   They found carrots that went “crunch” and apples that said “juicy” and cherry tomatoes that said “squish”.  So they ate more carrots and apples and tomatoes.  And their tummies said “yum!”

The listening people said “we want good food! We want to know more about our food. We don’t want to hurt the earth with what we eat. We want food that is good for everyone’s health”.

And some of them found farmer’s markets.  And some of them learnt how to cook. And some of them began to eat together, having potlucks and feasts.  The food wasn’t so bright and shiny anymore, but it sure tasted good.