Phenology and food: A photo shoot

This shopper was quite excited because the gluten-free macaroni and cheese was on sale.

As I mentioned earlier, I am currently working on a phenology project. The focus is following people's changing diets through the fall, winter, and spring. After sending out and receiving feedback on my survey, I have decided to delve deeper into my research.

Today I spent over an hour at the Whole Grocer, a local supermarket, photographing people's shopping carts and baskets. As the seasons progress I hope to track people's diets based on the items in their shopping carts.

My initial strategy was to follow people around the store until I thought they were done shopping and ask them if they would mind if I snapped a picture of their food. However, I soon realized I looked like a stalker when people kept looking over their shoulder to gauge how far I was from their carts. I modified my approach.

I slapped on my Teton Science Instructor badge (to look a little more of legitimate) and waited by the check-out counters. People were most willing to help me and would arrange their food in lovely designs giving me the best view of their full grocery purchase. They were also initially curious, and then quite supportive of my research. I will be returning to the Whole Grocer throughout the upcoming fall, winter, and spring months to get a more random sampling of people and their purchases.

The pictures above are some of the best from this afternoon's photo shoot.

Additionally, one of the questions on the survey was: "Write three words that describe your relationship to food." Here are some of the responses:

- Health, comfort, food
- Persistant, exciting, relaxing, useful
- Interested in it, experimenting with it, nourished by it
- I love to eat, I eat a lot, I eat very well
- Dynamic, thoughtful, tested
- Fresh, non-processed, spicy
- Passionate, conscientious, patient

I received some wonderfully insightful responses. I intend to take these responses and others from the survey and create a poem illuminating the main themes that emerged from people's answers. The initial presentation of the project is due next Thursday so I am working through the last minute "kinks!"