In another life I worked for many years in a museum, backstage where all the artifacts were stored and cataloged and cared for. So understandable I have a soft spot for collections which is why I adored this recent blog post by anthropologist Sarah Weber looking at what collections of honey in Palawan, Philippines could teach her about the flow of wild honey from forest to market to home. The answer? A lot! Particularly interesting was the way in which this museum-y approach allowed her to explore question about value and authenticity. What the post reminded me were the photos I sometimes see on social media-- particularly facebook- that people take of food that they purchased from various CSA ( Community Supported Agriculture) that they belong to and all the claims of value, purity and even perhaps a gentle moralizing implied in the photos ( often in the captioning of them).
