58 GOURMET TRAVELLER
ELIZA CANNON
CO-FOUNDEROF BORROWED GROUND FARM
AND PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERW
henI reflectonmyrelationshipwithfood,I see
anundulating,at timeschaotic,spectrum.It has
alwaysbeenat theforefrontofmylifebutthe
waysinwhichI haveengagedwithit haschanged
andevolvedgreatlyovertime.
Mymumis anamazingcookand,eventhoughwedidn’t
havemuchmoneygrowingup,shenevermadeusfeelthatwe
werefallingshort.We’dalwaysbethekidswitholivemortadella
sandwichesat school.Growingup,myhomelifewasextremely
tempestuous.Myfatherwasa violentalcoholicandmysister
andI witnessedviolencefromanextremelyyoungageuntilmum
workeduptheincrediblecouragetoleavehimwhenI was12.
Thistraumahasaffectedmehorrendouslyandmycoping
mechanismshavebeenfoodandalcohol.Foodwastheonly
thingI couldmanageandregulatewheneverythingelsefeltout
ofcontrol.WhenI turned18,I waspartyinga lotaroundOxford
StreetinSydneyandI remembergettingtoa pointwhereI just
feltreallyunhealthyanduncomfortableinmyownskin.I started
watchingwhatI ateandrunningquiteobsessively.Thatsnowballed
intoaneatingdisorder,fuelledbypeople’scommentsabouthow
goodI lookedandhowmuchweightI hadlost.
Atmyworst,fortwodaysstraight,I’deatthreeapplesand
twomueslibars,thenbingethefollowingday.It wasa vicious,
self-destructivecycle.
I can’tpinpointanexacttimeorepiphany,butI can
definitely say that my internship at Old Mill Road – a bio-intensivemarketgardenontheSouthEastcoastofNSW
- wasthecatalystforrealisingthere’sa wholeotherworld
outtherewhenit comestofood.I stillhaveperiodsof
destructiveself-talkwherea particularphotowillsendme
ona negativespiral.Yet,thesedarkperiodsgrowsmaller
andlessaggressiveeachyear.
Thisis becausefarminghastaughtmethateatingis an
actofnourishment,privilegeandjoy,asopposedtoa guilt
trainofshame.Followingmyinternship,mypartnerAlex
andI bothbecameobsessedwithgrowingvegetablesand
knewthattheendgoalforuswouldbefarming.
Farminghasnodoubthealedmyrelationshipwithfood
andtheEarth.Itsoftenmonotonoustasksallowyouto
contemplatethingsona dailybasis,ina non-confrontational
way.Eventhoughthat’sscarysometimes,it hashelpedme
processmyworriesandfigureoutwhatI actuallywantinlife.
Also,justbyeatingfoodgrownethicallyandlocally,you
feela thousandtimesbetter.It’ssatisfying,packedwithnutrients
andtastyashell.It almostsoundstoosimple,doesn’tit?Healing
willbea lifelongprocessforme.Butmyyellowbrickroadis
a foodexpedition,whichhasshownmea worldwheretrue
contentmentandsatisfactionis possible.
Forme,growingfoodandcookingis a formofmeditation.
There’snothingI lovemorethancookingforthepeopleI love.
Sharingmomentsofgoodfood,wine,storiesand belly-aching
laughter is what makes me the happiest.● PHOTOGRAPHY NICOLA BROWN.