b'beWhat local farms and artisansI couldnt help but consider the contrast to the homogenized Justin tells us its so much more. ttheir culture with visitors. edeliver is a sense of connection. This is the most honest thing I canfood culture that we experience in the US. Of course, Europeans are say. Our nations delocalized commercial food system is generic,thousands of years ahead of us when it comes to establishing those efficient and generally high quality at the cost of any sense of placeroots. But nonetheless, I believe regional eating is possible here, and or identity. You can take a country drive and visit these people forit can be a way to feel grounded in the place we livenot a luxury, the most part. Real food by real people; thats not insignificant andbut a key part of the Good Life.its not very common today, especially if youre urban based. We have the good fortune, here in Eastern Nebraska, of existing Heres what he wrote in a 2019 blog on the lonetreefoods.comat the intersection of two distinct farming regionsthe Great Plains site called Food and Cultural Identity: I recently returned toand the Midwest. Lone Tree Foods operates in both regions to give Nebraska from a trip to the Western Mediterraneanthe Ligurianour customers access to the resources of both. We can bring you coast of Italy, Southern France, and Barcelona in Spainwhilespecialty food itemsHigh Plains lamb from Colorado and dry the history, scenery, and people were beautiful and interesting, thebeans from the Nebraska panhandleMissouri Valley apples and food is really the highlight in that part of the world. In those areas,Amish eggs from Iowa. Add this to our local fresh regional cuisine is not a trend or a luxuryits how they eat, all theproduce growers and you have a really rich time. People identify strongly with their regional identity, sometimespalette of foods and flavors. We believe this (in the case of Catalunya in Spain, for example) as much as theirregional bounty should be accessible to national one. Food is central to how they live, and how they shareall food-focused people Page 12: Justin Jones, photo by Elayne Woods PhotographyPage 13: Mark Roh, photo by Erin Roh Photography13'