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| The Importance of Eating Locally By: Clover Lee America has a major problem. When it comes to the food we put in our body we tend to go for whatever is fastest and cheapest to buy and consume because of the constant on-the-go lifestyle we live. The quality of the food is out of sight out of mind. People who live in cities and that are out of tune to the logistics of growing food are completely unaware of the growing, purchasing and distribution; what happens when a cow is slaughtered, how does it end up on a fast food chain hamburger? People that do realize the unhealthy eating habits of America’s then make the mistake of thinking eating only foods labeled “organic” is what they have to do to eat healthy. But what they don’t realize is that that major companies that support and purchase products from industrial farmers have paid the FDA to approve and loosen the requirements to label their product “organic”. Fruits and vegetables labeled organics in our supermarkets have a high probability of having been grown with chemical pesticides. So you ask, if I shouldn’t support industrial farms or lean towards buying foods labeled “organic”, what should I eat? I’m so glad you asked! What individuals CAN do to not only eat healthy, but support local small farms is to purchase from the growers directly. Take turkeys for instance. There were originally several hundred species of turkeys, I know, crazy right? But because of America’s history of buying cheaper and the more available, big time industrial farms have sold only one the species of turkey, the kind that has the most meat and is easiest to take care of. It’s the Thanksgiving Day turkey that we purchase in all the chain grocery stores and one of a very few species of turkey’s left. This is just one example of the power that businesses have on our eating and buying habits. Now, what about small time farmers? You know, the small scale family owned mom and pop producers. Why then do farmers not fight the business ventures and make attempts to stay independent and grow truly organic crops? It is because businesses provide more financial security. All these small time farms that care about the condition of their produce barely make enough every year to stay afloat because of the large chain grocery stores, therefore more desirable to sign a contract with big businesses because of its profitability. The farmers are then forced to conform to industrial farmers and grow specifically one item at a large scale. By eating locally, you support local growers, help an environmental cause, reducing carbon dioxide emissions emitted by vehicles that transport the produce thousands of miles to get to us and contribute towards a humanitarian effort, reducing the use of petroleum that the U.S. often times participate in wars with other countries for. Many people argue that they do not buy organic foods is because it is more expensive than industrially grown foods. What most people don’t know is how much they are already spending on “conventional foods”. The price it costs to ship conventional foods are equally if not more expensive than local foods. It is not a well known fact that our tax dollars are part of the petroleum used by the machinery to grow and process the food, and then eventually ship the marketable products. So what do we all earn from this? Eat locally, support our small time farmers and save the multitude of species of produce and meat that once existed but are now slowly disappearing because of what, our eating habits. |
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