Airports are curious places. People coming and going, nameless faces attached to rushing bodies—rushing, often, so they can be among the first to wait. I was having one of these waits recently at Denver International Airport when I heard my name and felt a hand placed on my arm. I turned, saw a thin arm, and followed it down to a bony wrist, out of which sprang bluish veins beneath papery skin. I looked up and recognized the face that peered back at me. It belonged to someone whom I had interviewed for this book. The manuscript had been written, at least a first draft, so I was able to outline its contents while we waited together, making sure to repeatedly thank her for her earlier willingness to be interviewed.
Most of what I know, I know because people have been incredibly generous with their time. As I like to tell people, I earned my real degree interviewing people, after getting my PhD.
I wish I could express personally my gratitude, punctuated with a handshake or hug, to everyone who gave to this project. Thanks to everyone who donated their time to be interviewed for The Food Sharing Revolution. Time is precious; I realize that. I hope I have respected that gift by accurately recounting your stories.
I owe no less gratitude to Emily Turner. I continue to learn by the grace of your experience and writing wisdom.
Who I am, and why I’m interested in food, can be traced directly to my parents and to my very small town (350 people strong!) upbringing. Food and agriculture are issues that have been deeply personal for me for as long as I can remember. Mom and Dad: thanks for that.
Nora, Elena, and Joey. For you, this project meant numerous nights away from Dad and days of Mom having to do the parenting of two. This is really one of those situations where words of thanks just don’t do justice. So: thanks. And also: sorry, as I realize I can’t give you those lost hours back. I might have been away, but you were always with me.
I also want to thank the following institutions and professional networks that supported this project in their own unique ways: Colorado State University (United States); Korea University (Korea); the Australasian Agri-Food Research Network; Otago University (New Zealand); the University of Auckland (New Zealand), the University of Toronto (Canada), and the Toronto Food Policy Council (Canada).
Parts of this project were supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (grant number COL00725) and by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2016S1A3A2924243).