Resilience doesn’t only improve your ability to withstand disruptions.
If done correctly, it will improve what you eat.
The Logic
I’m in the process of sourcing a Concord grape vine I can utilize in my home’s foodscape. They grow wild locally, so the goal is to find a good specimen for a cutting.
Concord grapes were developed near to where I live, by Ephraim Bull (quite a name!) in 1849. Here he is with the original vine.
Concord grapes were so popular they became the source of the taste we commonly refer to as “grape.” You can still find Concord grapes in jellies and grape juice, but it’s hard to find a fresh bunch in the store.
Why?
The commercial bureaucracy that supplies our food narrowed our choices down to a few types of grapes (mostly the “white” Thompson grape).
As a result of this limited choice, few people have actually tasted a fresh grape that tastes like a “grape.”
Not only that, few people have even tasted a ripe grape. The industry picks them before they ripen, at a great cost to the taste, to make them easier to ship.
So, the Concord grape vines around my home won’t only be strong additions to my home’s resilience, they’ll provide my family and neighbors with table grapes that are far better than anything we could buy at the store.
Resilience +1
Quality of life +1
Simple.
Sincerely Yours,
JOHN ROBB
