Changing the World for the Better, One Meal at a Time By MaryRose Denton
A
recent Sunday evening, I find myself sitting next to my favorite guy, outside a local downtown Bellingham, Washington, brewery. We are sipping our cool ales and enjoying the last rays of a waning sun. A feeling of peace and normalcy flutters around on the light breeze. What could make this delightful scene even better? Dinner, from my favorite food truck! Outside the brewery, the familiar green food truck with the fist logo is parked off to one side. This is Sage Against the Machine. Owners Tara and Nate Johnson have been inside all afternoon cooking and serving up their version of down-home vegan fare, with a flair! Come early, is the best advice, for even though their open hours list until 7:00 pm, they typically sell out each evening. How it all Began Tara’s quest began seven years ago. She desired a healthier lifestyle, experimenting with various vegan recipes to find the ones her family would enjoy. Her love for cooking quickly turned into a passion. What she did not expect was to find love, community, and a sustainable small business. She took all her favorite recipes and turned them vegan. Now they are what’s for dinner on the menu. She has been an off-and-on vegan for most of her life. As someone who loves to throw big dinner parties and feed people, opening a food truck seemed like a natural extension for her tasty talents.
58
It was her read of the book, Forks Over Knives by Gene Stone which changed her view on food.
“I woke up to what is in our food and what is being done to it,” Tara said. For this reason, she chose the name Sage Against the Machine, inspired by the 90s alternative rock band, Rage Against the Machine, whose music a n d l y r i c s s p o ke to action and revolutionary change. Tara and Nate hold the same intention, hoping to inspire positive change in the food industry. “Changing the world for the better, one meal at a time.” Tara grew up in Oregon, moving around some before finding her way to Bellingham. Once she did, she knew this was her community. She was home. Finding love, community, and a new adventure It also led her to love. She met her husband Nate not long after moving to the Northwest. Having only a few social contacts, Tara took a chance at online dating. Her chance paid off. Tara and Nate married two years ago, the same year they jumped into purchasing a food truck and began their next adventure. Nate grew up in Montana, home of the meat and potato dinners. After meeting Tara and enjoying her cooking, he went vegan. “I don’t really miss a thing,” he says. Both Tara and Nate worked in the restaurant business, bringing years of knowledge to the table before stepping out on their own with the food truck. Now, they are
