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I'M MAKING A PLEA...for our generation, our people, us gastronomes, us rural wanderers and change makers, tradition preservers, and hypothetical entrepreneurs - who see, understand, and interpret everything through food, but who feel hopeless and paralyzed to actually act upon that feeling.
How do we make it work? How do we find meaning and purpose in a rapidly evolving and unstable world? How do we not stay poor forever and manage to put some money aside? How do we not sacrifice our values and desires in exchange for following the conventional path? I want to know. I need to know.
Because I already recognize that if I'm not involved with food and agriculture in some way, I will be unhappy. So the question remains, what is the right work for me that will allow me to be a productive, effective person whose life is marked by a sense of purpose and meaning?
The words above were written to us by a brave soul who responded to last week's newsletter (NOTE: she gave us the OK to share this excerpt). It is merely a small snapshot of the articulate and honest email that she wrote. Her correspondence struck some themes that we hear over and over again:
- I believe in this work.
- I'm not sure how to proceed when there is no obvious or predetermined path.
- I try to be okay with taking an alternative path, but it's hard not to compare myself with those taking more conventional routes.
- When people ask me what it is that I want to do, I still - after years - respond with a resounding 'I don't know'.
- It's hard.
Do you feel the same way? Do you feel like you have so much to offer, and want to burst with all of the energy and interest that you have in this field? But are you desperate for 'the answer'? Are you feeling drained by seeing others 'succeed' around you? Are there things that you want out of life and don't know how to get them? Do you feel misunderstood by your parents, partner, and/or your peers?
We certainly did feel this way (and still do, to an extent, on any given day).
It's easy for us to understand that our food system is constructed in such a way that is not sustainable (in terms of the environment, food justice, and flavor), but we too often forget that our overall culture is flawed in the same ways. The system is not set up to reward those that go against the grain. Which means that 1) it's physically and financially risky because you don't always have the resources that other more predictable paths might provide, and 2) it's emotionally risky because you might not have the support and understanding that you need to do something that is different.
At the end of the day risk, uncertainty, and change make humans take pause. We crave control and stability. So we've constructed large systems that help to limit (or totally remove) the unwanted elements. But that has led to a tremendous loss - of creativity, and happiness, and heart.
We are so grateful to be in such good company, and we are so thankful that you all share your experiences and your feelings with us. We take it very seriously. We want to ensure that we can harness this energy for good. We don't want GFJ to be a pity party, where we simply allow for everyone to fall into a spiral of despair. It's important that we create a space where you feel supported, and where you feel comfortable sharing. But we also have a strong desire to cure the paralysis, one small step at a time.
How do we do this? How do we tackle a project with so much weight? Our goal for the next year is to build our community beyond the jobs - to create a culture that supports and celebrates doing things that are meaningful, even if they are hard. We have visions of creating tools that allow GFJ users to tell everyone who they are, to chime in, to meet up, to connect with each other based on our shared interests - not just in food, but in creating a better world through creating a better livelihood. We want to help you help each other to launch projects and organizations and businesses that matter.
We've been exploring these ideas for the better part of 3 years, all the while feeling nervous about putting something out into the world that is good enough and useful enough and meaningful enough. But it is time for us to take our own words of wisdom: done is better than perfect. Watch as we continue to put the wheels in motion. We know that there is a better way to work and to live and to learn. We hope that you'll participate in actively improving the culture that we all create, one imperfect project at a time.
Let's do it together.
Taylor & Dorothy
Co-Founders, Good Food Jobs
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Our minds, desks, and desktops are full of ideas. We're in the throes of making changes, designing and developing more new features for you. In the meantime, we've been plugging away at minor errors and site maintenance. If we've done our job right, you won't even notice the latest updates because your experience should only be smoother.
our job search engine is a work in progress. do you have a recommendation? constructive criticism? or have you noticed a glitch? let us know. we're improving every day.
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details / If you are anything like us, you collect cookbooks like your life depends on it. They line your shelves, cover your countertops, and provide you with unlimited pleasure - whether you are just leafing through the recipes imagining what you might want to make, or actually rolling up your sleeves and doing so.
This Winter we want to honor all of our cookbook collections. Whether they are collecting dust on the shelves, or covered in flour in your kitchen, show us what you've got. You can stack 'em up, spread 'em out, crack 'em open, and (pretty please) use them.
Tag your photos with #GFJcookbookcollection to win.
prize / We support your habit. The winner gets a $200 gift certificate to Kitchen Arts & Letters.
deadline / Contest submissions must be uploaded to Instagram by 11:59 PM Tuesday February 17th (EDT - that's NYC time for anyone who needs a reference). We'll announce the winner the following Tuesday, February 24th.
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