What a beautiful day we had yesterday! It’s lucky when it’s so nice–Maggie and I had so much fun! We met a friend for tacos at Chipotle, and then we did this:

I'm going plash you, Dada!

And this:

I'm plashing you!

And then, after nap, we went over to PSU to listen to the panel discussion on food justice, organized by Slow Food Portland.

Well, actually, I listened to the panel discussion. Maggie ate a banana and watched episodes of Dora on my phone without the sound (because she’s afraid of the headphones) and then played games before she started whispering sweetly to me, “Dada, I all done here. I want to go bat home.”

But she was wonderful there for most of the time there, and I managed to get in about 3/4 of the presentation before she lost her patience–they’d been doing the audience question and answer for 15 minutes. I have to say, I was proud of her, and I’ll totally try it again in the future.

As far as the discussion goes, it was thought provoking.

Let me qualify that.

The discussion was, while it was happening, actually quite tedious. It wasn’t much of a discussion, frankly, it was more like 7 people (several of whom were, it turned out, not particularly good public speakers) sitting in front of a group of 50-60 and giving very brief overviews of their positions–as community organizers, farm laborer rights advocates, or public health students. I have to admit that at the time I was a little disappointed.

But, once I was home and washing the dishes, and listening to Maggie ask me again and again exactly how many bites of chicken and carrots she had to eat to be allowed desert, and mulling over what we’d just heard, I began to make connections.

The two Latino farm labor advocates were by far the most compelling–for me, at least–because their cause was the immediate rights of immigrant laborers, who’re often among the most disenfranchised people in our state and country, and their passion was evident. But their cause is, of course, not entirely distinct from the causes of the other panelists–most notably the Farm to School program panelist–and that was one of the points the group as a whole kept making, that all the causes of food justice are entwined.

I have to admit to not having given much thought to the idea of “food justice” before last night, and my interest is certainly piqued. It seems as if every day another something that wasn’t on my radar at all a few months ago is showing itself to be intricately connected to the things I’m becoming more and more passionate about–which is kind of intimidating–and lovely.

So, in all, the group gave me very much food for thought–which I’m still digesting. More to come!