IMHO, paleo is just one expression of a larger desire: the wish to reject the "advancements" in food production and nutrition of the last 100+ years, and return to a pre-industrial age (pre-1800) standard of eating (or at least in food quality).

• No processed foods.
• Whole foods.
• Meat, fish, and eggs were a large part of the diet.
• Vegetables were a heavy part of the diet.
• Fruit was eaten seasonally.
• Grains were a major part of the diet, but they were no where near the amount they were in modern diets.
• Dairy was whole milk, butter, and full blown real cheeses.
• Sugar was expensive, so it was used in smaller quantities as more of a treat than an everyday staple in every food.

Paleo is the far, opposite swing of the pendulum from modern food standards (rejecting everything post-agriculture), and I think most people will end up with the pendulum somewhere in the middle--accpeting a lot of things paleo rejects (dairy, beans, etc...), but rejecting the "modern advancements" in food (over processed food, man-made oils, frankenfoods, etc...).

Here in Santa Fe, we are seeing several new community gardens spring up, complete with chickens, turkeys & goats. Definitely some tribal connections being formed...

http://thedandelionranch.blogspot.com/

http://gaiagardens.blogspot.com/

Whether it has to do with people accepting Paleo or just letting people in the city discover where the heck food comes from, it is a good idea.

I like coming across Community Gardens in cities like Vancouver BC. It is like an oasis in a nut house.

More schools should get into the act and have gardens, compost systems, and maybe some chickens like Ohlone School in Palo Alto CA. My grandkids are fortunate enough to attend. Parents and kids get involved in farm chores at regular work bees.

Yes, I think more people are aware of the issues (who sincerely wants to support processed foods when they have the knowledge and means to do otherwise?). But some very pro-ancestral thinkers who come to mind, like Derrick Jensen, argue that seeing small changes like this doesn't mean everyone is ready for the change. Even if the change is necessary.

I am pleased to see that even in places like NYC there are farmer's markets, small community gardens, even supposed sources of raw dairy.

I also know that in North Carolina where I am from, there are more organic-only, and often gluten-free restaurants. One I hope to try when I go home next week is a place that serves grass-fed meat. Exciting!

A good friend of mine cued me in to this, as well: http://urbanadamah.org/ What stands out to me about that is how it brings in people who already have certain values (Judaism, in this case), allowing "going back to our roots" to not be something just for bohemes and radicals.

The real test, I think, will be when people see that it is not just about politics or lifestyle choices, but about getting in touch with what works.