Sotheby's Heirloom Vegetable Auction Grows Elitism

Just when I thought the sustainable food movement was pulling itself out of its elitist bin, Sotheby's, a high-class auctioneer, had to push us right back in. It's not a Michael Jackson epaulet jacket that's the source of chagrin — it's heirloom vegetables. Next month, the ritzy auction house will host a $250-a-ticket event known as "The Art of Farming," which aims to bring local farmers, celebrity chefs, and high-profile New Yorkers together to "celebrate edible heirlooms and the art involved in their creation."

Don't get me wrong, the event does benefit a good cause. Proceeds will go to GrowNYC, which helps communities grow their own food, and The Sylvia Center at Katchkie Farm, which educates schoolchildren about nutrition and farming. But here's where things get nutty: The event calls for a "suggested donation" of $1,000 to send a crate of heirlooms to local food banks. I'm all for heirloom veggies, and I do think everyone should have access to them. But if you donated that grand to the food bank nearest you, it would undoubtedly be stretched a heck of a lot further than a crate full of Black Sea man tomatoes and Pink Banana pumpkins.

A blogger for the Huffington Post described the varieties of heirlooms available at the auction as "a roster of movie stars making their NYC debut all at once on a Broadway stage." The Wall Street Journal points out that many of the farmer's providing the veggies were growing them for the first time. Such comments drive home the point that this event is hardly about local farmers. It's more about celeb chef Eric Ripert, Bette Midler, and Dr. Brent Ridge, notable dairy farmer and star of the Discovery Channel's The Fabulous Beekman Boys.

There are plenty of farmers that have spent generations raising, growing, and perfecting heirloom seeds. The New York Times magazine recently featured a young couple dedicated to seeking out seeds from the 1800s. While the Sotheby's event does feature several seed banks as sponsors, the overarching symbolism of these "high profile" individuals shelling out more than $1,000 for a fancy meal does no favors for local farmers or heirloom vegetables. It simply reinforces the stereotype that sustainable foodies are rich snobs who don't care if half the planet's population  is undernourished. The "art" of heirloom vegetables would receive better tribute if the attendees just went ahead and bought $1,000 worth of seeds for GrowNYC and The Sylvia Center and spared themselves from sitting through the long-winded speeches of how important it is to preserve the Lady Godiva squash.

Photo credit: EraPhrenalia via Flickr