Lighting the Special Olympics Flame in Napflion Greece
We are just back from Greece, and grateful for our team. We are also rested (wonderful time with family), inspired (my that is a lot of rock high up on hills), and yet worried (will there be water to pump to all those orchards in the future and how will the people of Greece get beyond this time of duress?). We ran into the Olympic flame in Nafplion. Fifty law enforcement officers, including a Vermonter named Nicky, were escorting the flame to Athens with some local athletes for this week’s Special Olympics. Lots of inspiration came to us and we hope this global event and its focus on independence for people with intellectual disabilities proceeds safely amidst Greece’s struggles. But the Olympic flame also has a shadow. Our taxi driver lamented how the Olympic stadiums and supporting roads were not the infrastructure his family needed most, yet they will be paying them off for many years to come.
Greek Salad
We return in time to celebrate the Fourth of July. As summer heats up, so too will the barbeques. We are excited to send you into the holiday weekend of picnics and parades with this summer’s early fresh veggies and healthy grass-fed meat. But think beyond the beer brats! Consider pillaging the pantry for some more tomato puree and try your hand at some homemade ketchup or your own barbeque sauce!
Local food holds some really revolutionary possibilities – health (mmmm, ketchup without corn syrup), pallet, planet, etc. Looking back, we know our agrarian roots influenced our nation’s style of and dedication to democracy. Looking forward, it is exciting that the simple act of eating local could lead to strengthening our democracy. Our nation and world industrialized and gained efficiencies in production, and as a result, economic and political power concentrated. But with optimism, determination, and freedom—like the special Olympians—Vermonters are investing in local food and it could make our nation stronger and more independent than ever.