Howdy! Here are some conversation starters for our oral history project. We welcome suggestions for more food topics. For each food conversation of 10+ minutes that people have and document (sorry, always has to be legwork ;-) each participant will receive $10 to spend at the market! Bonus if participants are from different generations, then you each get $15!

Composting

→ Do you know what composting is?  

→ Have you ever tried it?  Do you know someone who does it?

→ Have you ever seen composting in a movie?

→ Have you ever heard composting in a song?

→ What countries do you think compost the most?  And the least?

→ If you are from different generations, do you think that affects your perspective on composting?

Recipes 

→ What are people in your family good at cooking?

→ Do you have a dish you always make for certain birthdays or holidays?

→ How old were you when you started cooking a whole meal for other people?  

→ How old were you when you started using a sharp knife?  Who showed you?

→ Were you taught to use food as medicine? If so, which foods for which ailment?

→ If you are from different generations, do you think that affects your approach to cooking?

Growing your own vegetables

→ Where do you get your seeds? Do you know how to save seeds from year to year?

→ How do you choose which crops to grow each year?

→ Do you have any tips to keep X  pest away?

→ Have you ever grown food indoors? What was it? What equipment/set up did you need?

→ Suspend all disbelief. If you could choose ANY food to grow on a tree, what would it be?

→ Do you have or have you ever had a garden?

→ If so, what are you good at growing?

→ How many people do you know who grow their own vegetables?

→ How many farms have you visited? 

→ What is the difference between gardeners and farmers?

→ Why do you think buying from local farmers is more expensive than buying produce that’s travelled hundreds or thousands of miles.  

Raising Animals

→ Have you ever raised an animal for meat?

→ Have you ever visited an animal farm?

→ Have you ever been a vegan/vegetarian?

→ If people are going to continue to eat the meat from animals’ bodies, what do you think is the right way to kill the animals?

→ Would you consider hunting or trapping animals? What is the role of hunting in our local public lands?

When you are finished, each participant please post on social media a short post or video about your conversation. Please tag the farmers market FB or Instagram account. Sorry no Tik Tok yet.

Or! You can write a short blurb with names and nearest cross street address about your chat in our big beautiful book (at farmers market on Saturdays).