On my soap box

I'm turning over a new leaf and posting about ME-- things I like, things I'm reading, and things I'm interested in. Here goes.

My biggest interest over the past two years has been Food.
I think it was about the time that Dorothy was born that I started getting really interested in healthy food. I started reading books on how to eat more sustainably, how to do it inexpensively, and how to be healthy. The more I read and learn, the more passionate I become about it. My favorites on the subject are definitely In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma was equally as good, but I think this one is a better read for people trying to make changes) and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (it's more of a memoir than an informative book, but I think it's inspiring).

I think that sometimes people look at people like me with such a strong interest in food and think that I'm paranoid. That isn't so much the case. My biggest concerns are-
1. Health. You are what you eat. I'm concerned about my health and that of my family, but also the health of the farmers and workers. Many chicken CAFO farmers are now resistant to antibiotics because of their constant contact with the chickens and their antibiotic-laden feed. What does this say about those of us who eat those chickens regularly and the future of medicine?
And 2. Sustainability. Current practices burn through farm land while depending on petroleum-based fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides while animal sludge piles up with no place to go, contaminating our water. Think of the possibilities in our future: contaminated water, no farmable land, strains of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, and an oil crisis so we can't manufacture the fertilizers and pesticides we depend on or transport that food across the country. Terrifying.

We're leaving an unstable, unsustainable, cruel, and unhealthy food system to our children and it makes me angry to think about it.

I think the solution to both of these problems is to buy local, in season produce and animal products. They taste better, smaller farmers are going to be more concerned with the sustainability of their farming practices, it doesn't use up so much fuel for transport, it doesn't fill up landfills with packaging, it's fresher, it supports local economy and did I mention that it just plain tastes better? A big part of that solution is to actually cook things from scratch. You know exactly what's gone into it, and it's yummy and healthier.

The funny thing is, I feel like writing this means I have to be perfect. I am SO far from perfect that it's laughable. But I do try. I buy local milk, eggs, chicken and honey all year, we make our own bread and I shop at the farmer's market. But there are some thing that I definitely cut corners on. I could never be a hard-core "locavore". I couldn't toss out fresh salads in the winter or bananas year round. I've been making recipes lately with a lot of kombu and nori, and you can't exactly find that stuff in Indiana. I'm going to try very hard this summer to preserve a lot of food, but I don't think that I can preserve enough produce to last us all winter. I love ice cream and take-out on occasion. Yesterday I went grocery shopping and had to run some other errands. Dorothy was cranky so I bought her cheese puffs to keep her happy. Cheese. Puffs. Send the mother of the year award to me, please.

I could keep berating myself for lots of things. But I guess my point is that I try. This is something I'm passionate about and I think it's very important for both our health and our future. I know many people are well-educated about this already, but if you haven't read up on it, pick up either of Michael Pollan's books. It'll change the way you think about food.

Peace out. I'm stepping down from my soap box now.