I recently threw up all over a recent post with tangents and ideas which I neglected to relate or fully explore. The one about food.
I question the reasons behind what are considered normal farming practices; things like mass production, growing food in dead soil, and viewing all critters as the enemy. Is it better for us this way or is it about money? Money for whom? It isn't going to farmers.
Companies make products and the goal is to increase sales every quarter. Farmers try the products - like chemicals - and then become dependent on them and must keep buying more in order to grow their singular crops. This relationship based on business means that it's less about the health of the food and more about business. The goal of business is profit. When profit takes precedence over what is best, that's when I have a problem. I don't like that this is what is normal. Especially when it comes to something so important to human beings as food. We have to have it to survive, and the quality of food that we eat equates to the quality of health we will enjoy. I don't want to compromise our health in order that a company can make an extra buck without being responsible.
Our garden is big but it doesn't provide us with everything we need. I certainly do buy regular vegetables at the regular grocery store. I didn't mean to sound like a snob, what with my "we have a garden" and "I buy organic" blah blah blah. I'm in the same boat as everybody else, which is that I look for good prices when I go grocery shopping. It's exhausting to have to make a judgment call about everything I put in my cart. I want to pay a good price on tomatoes, take them home and enjoy tasty vegetables.
Farming is a give and take with the earth, which we all benefit from if it's done right. It's been done that way for thousands of years previous. I certainly feel better knowing that when I buy organic foods I support a type of agriculture I respect. It's a judgment call I make for myself, not something for which I judge others.
2 comments:
I love that you're so committed to organics. My grandparents were farmers. My mom had approximately a zillion plants and knew every name of every tree, flower, grass, etc.
I always have great intentions to plant veggies, and then forget to water them. My relatives would be so proud. :)
Here here! That was well said.
I try to buy organic and from the local farmers market as often as I possibly can because I too am disappointed and angered by what the "business" of chemicals is doing to our food supply and the farmers that used ot have that beautiful "give and take with the earth".
Thank you for writing this post.
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