A Recipe For Peace: Embracing Diversity & Remembering Our Humanity

By Andrea Yoder

Andrea chatting with CSA Members at a
Strawberry Day potluck lunch

“You can learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.”—Anthony Bourdain

I am not a historian, a philosopher, a scholar or an academic. I write, but I would not call myself a writer. I am not as well-read in world affairs as I should or could be. I have traveled to only three countries outside of the United States. I identify as a human being, with a heart, living in a global community and I often seek to explore and understand different parts of the world and its people through food. This is the language I speak and thankfully, food is something that is shared by every other human in the world. Our common thread.

As we started the CSA season this year, the state of the world weighed heavy on my heart—and still does. I kept thinking to myself “what can I do?” The things that are happening in the world—in Palestine, but other areas as well (Ukraine, Sudan, Congo, sadly the list goes on), are incomprehensible to me. I cannot recall where I saw this quote, but it was something like “We judge that which we do not understand.”  As I reflected on these words, I thought maybe if we can understand more about other people and where they come from, that may be the start of breaking down walls and barriers of judgement. Perhaps the effort to become more informed could be an entry point for compassion & basic considerations of humanity, the first step in a recipe for peace. 

As I started looking at recipes to feature with each week’s delivery, I was drawn to looking at other cultures to see what I might learn from other parts of the world and how they prepare vegetables and incorporate them into their meals, traditions, celebrations, etc. I started with a recipe from India, found a rhubarb stew from Persia (Iran), a simple Hungarian Kohlrabi Soup, and an Israeli Fennel, Kohlrabi and Green Onion Salad. Yes, I will definitely be featuring some Palestinian recipes as well in upcoming weeks as more summer vegetables fill our plates. I also hope to explore some other areas of the world I know nothing about with the intention to embark on a steep learning curve. Perhaps we may honor the people of Congo with some recipes that represent Congolese culture or perhaps Sudanese cuisine. There is a vast world to explore.

I do not know fully what cultures, religions, or belief systems are represented within our membership. There may be people from India, China, Argentina, Palestine, South Africa, Israel, Mexico, Korea, Greece and beyond. There may be people in our membership who are Republicans, Democrats, or Independents. There may be Muslims, Buddhists, Baptists, Mennonites, Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons, and Jews. There may be people in our membership who support abortion and those who do not. We feed everyone. We may not personally agree with everyone’s beliefs, but we invite everyone to come to our table for peaceful, respectful conversation and acknowledge the sovereign right to agree to disagree.

Can we, the people of one CSA community in the Midwest, be a representation of a world living in peace, respecting each other? Can we be a representation of humans teaching other humans how to be good humans through example? Can we sit together and share meals and food in an effort to learn each other’s stories and in doing so cultivate compassion and recognize that beneath the skin we are all the same? Can we open our hearts to share another’s pain, and can we speak up to say enough is enough? Can we lead with love even when it’s so very hard to do? I challenge myself with these questions.

I recently had the opportunity to watch a documentary entitled “Where The Olive Trees Weep: No One Is Free Until We All Are Free.” The introduction to this film reads as follows: “Where The Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma and the quest for justice…..Ancient landscapes bear deep scars, having witnessed the brutal reality of ancestral land confiscation, expulsions, imprisonment, home demolitions, water deprivation, and denial of basic human rights. Yet, through the veil of oppression, we catch a glimpse of resilience—deep roots that have carried the Palestinian people through decades of darkness and shattered lives. This emotional journey bares the humanity of the oppressed while grappling with the question: what makes the oppressor so ruthlessly blind to its own cruelty?” 

After the release of this film earlier this month, the directors hosted 21 days of discussions looking at the history and current situation of the Palestinian people. They have interviewed leaders in faith, physicians, poets, artists, lawyers, activists, psychologists, all in an effort to understand what got us to the point we are at right now while simultaneously seeking answers and direction for a peaceful way forward for all. I have watched the discussions each day and this experience has been such a gift to me and has helped me be a quick study. I have cried and allowed my heart to break over and over as the names and faces become real to me. It is no longer “Palestinians,” but rather people with names who have suffered and died. People who have risked imprisonment simply by participating in some cases. People who had to choose their words carefully for fear they would be arrested. While my heart is still very heavy, my hope in humanity is renewed. I have watched Palestinians and Israelis come together to have conversation. I have watched people of differing religions come together in prayer. We cannot assume a belief system simply because one is Israeli, Palestinian, American or anything else. Through coming together, we can work with the common thread of a longing for PEACE.

If you are interested in viewing the film, you may find more information about how to do so HERE. You will also find some helpful resources if you wish to become more involved.

Bright blue skies and mineral 
rich valley soils.....we are blessed

As we prepare to pack this week’s CSA boxes, I am very much aware of how very blessed we are to be able to farm the land we are stewards of, to produce food for all of your tables. In a world where there are farmers without land and abandoned fields without caretakers while people face malnutrition and famine, the food we pack in CSA boxes feels even more sacred. Thank you for being part of our CSA community and our global community. May we all do our part to create a world where we are all free and live respectfully in peace, one meal at a time.