Today had a rough start, I felt tired, frustrated and nervous for the future. Little did I know that a trip to the Yotsuba Co-op would not only leave me with a full belly, but a positive attitude and hope for the future. The Yotsuba Co-op located in the Tochigi Prefecture, began in 1982, and has been a valuable member to the surrounding community ever since. This Cooperative Union offers standard and specialized products to its consumers including locally sourced food products and other household goods. The standard of the food sold at Yotsuba is astonishing, with a focus on solely selling foods that are locally sourced, not genetically modified and grown without pesticides, Yotsuba Co-op provides its consumers with safe and healthy food, while supporting local farmers. Beyond, selling high quality, healthy and safe food,
I was happy to learn that the workers at this distribution center were also the members of the Co-op. The dedication to providing safe and healthy food to the community shone brightly from the workers, who clearly care enough about the cause to devote their time to packaging the products. We were given the opportunity to ask some of the women who work there, why they choose to work at the Co-op and I loved there responses. The differing answers ranged from, their appreciation of the Yotsuba Co-op lifestyle, being a foodie, and the non-capitalistic structure of the Co-op, to their concern for providing safe food to the community and protecting the environment and to being a part of the larger food based social movement in Japan. I was excited by their responses, it was refreshing to hear about the motivations of these women and how they are taking action in their community to promote a cause they believe in. I am so grateful for the time I got to spend with these women, and enjoying the food they had prepared.
Through and through the meal those ladies had prepared for us was absolutely delicious and incredibly thoughtful. I am a vegetarian, so eating in Japan can be tricky sometimes. Yet, those women kept me in mind throughout the entire meal and made it possible for me to enjoy almost everything they prepared. (The picture of food is the plate I had at the Co-op!) Additionally, I was shocked by how every ingredient used in the meal was chosen so intentionally, to ensure it was locally grown, non GMO, and was not grown with pesticides. I think it says a lot about each of those women and the institution they represent, that they took the time to find healthy and safe ingredients. No wonder it was one of the best meal I have ever had. Finally, I want to connect this back to my first blog post where I discussed how I define good food. I think that this experience captures my
idea perfectly in that it, unites a community and simultaneously supports farmers. Additionally, it also fostered a brief discussion about the differences between the United States and Japan. This discussion was filled with laughs and allowed different people, both Japanese and American, to share their favorites snacks, how they learned to cook and so much more. Through this discussion, we built a bridge between the two cultures, while addressing the real problems we have with food today, in both America and Japan. That is the power of food.
What the Yotsuba Cooperative Union is able to accomplish is amazing, and provides safe and healthy food to over 20,000 people. The members of this Co-op illustrate what it means to take action in support of a cause. Through food, this Co-op supports farmers, raises awareness around safe and healthy food and fosters essential discussions about good food. Driving away from the Co-op, waving to the women who take the responsibility of good food into their own hands, who had just made an absolutely delicious meal and had a delightful discussion with us was a wholesome and unforgettable experience. Many thanks to the Yotsuba Co-op.
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