And now for something completely different.
I just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver. I can't really tell you what drove me to request this book from the library. As I grew up, my parents always had a garden, although the size of it dwindled significantly after we moved to Texas, I am not sure if that's because of suburban acreage or climate-related issues. My parents both came from farming families. My mother's especially depended on what they produced...she came from a large poor rural family and they grew and "put up" copious amounts of food. My mother canned and pickled. My brother and I have canned tomatoes together as well. I've been thinking a lot on the concept of self-sufficiency lately, so I think that's what sent me to this book.
When I first started reading, I was kind of put off by the author's situation. Having a well-paying portable career certainly made it easier for her to drop her evil consumerist ways and just pop over to the conviently owned farmstead. As the book progresses, I was still left feeling like they were all invincible, there were no "hand of God destroying the crops" moments. No farm animals died unplanned deaths, even the children were never whiny and petulant over the loss of beloved junk foods. It was all just too good to be true.
Now, having said that, it was an interesting book. I enjoyed the story part of the book, where they progress through the year and she talks about the different things they are doing and growing. Interspersed throughout the book are essays by the author's husband and daughter. The husband's essays I could've happily done without. Most of them expound on evil corporate ways of manipulating our food chain. He even got his own acerbic font. The daughter's essays were basically her own personal viewpoint on the events occurring, with recipes and menu plans.
Near the end of the book, the author recounts a conversation with a friend of hers:
"How do you encourage people to keep their hope," Joan asked, "but not their complacency?" She was deeply involved that spring in producing a film about global climate change, and prooccupied with striking this balance. The truth is so horrific: we are marching outselves to the maw of out own extinction. An audience that doesn't really get that will amble out of the theater unmoved, go home and change nothing. But an audience that does get it may be so terrified they'll feel doomed already. They might walk out looking paler, but still do nothing.
So, last night, I found myself at Howdy's sister's home. They are interesting people, well educated, wealthy, but frugal in their spending decisions. They eat very nutritiously and have a small garden of their own every year. One of the things that intrigued me about the book is the concept that so much of what we eat from the grocery store is essentially sterile...it can not reproduce by itself. Much of the produce section is hybridized and the chickens and turkeys are all artificially inseminated and incubator-raised. I brought up the subject while we were there and commented that I'd really like to try a farm-raised turkey this year instead of a traditional plastic-coated grocery store model. You'd have thought I was saying that I was going to go out and chain myself to a local live oak tree to protest turkey abuse. I had the same problem when I broached the subject of trying out the farmer's market on Saturday morning...Howdy commented that it takes a lot of gas to get all the way down there, so is it really a wise environmental choice? And that's the crux of the problem for me. It seems like such a good idea, but it fails in completion. It's hard to imagine that changing one lightbulb from incandescent to florescent is going to stop an iceberg from melting somewhere.
So, I'm not sure this book really succeeded if it's goal was to convert me to a "locavore." Houston doesn't provide a lot of options for locally-grown food, especially this late in the year. It's not a cheap solution, either. Our diet has already suffered because of our economic situation. I know buying locally grown stuff supports local people, but there are local people working in the grocery store, too. Am I putting too much thought into this and not enough effort?
What do you guys think?
Hmm, I don't see why a comment about supproting more natural food would
raise such dismay. It's not like you ranted that they were awful people.
And the comment about the gas to the farmer's market? How does hubby think
the food in the grocery store that is closer to you got there from across
the country? going to your farmer's market might mean YOU spenda little
more gas, but the produce didn't spend extra gas, so on the whole, it works
out in favour of the ecology. I always try to support the local business
people. be they farmers or businesses.
I had the same reaction about patronizing the local farmer's market, it's
great to support local farmers and local businesses, but many local people
are employed by the so-called "evil" corporate supermarket too. I guess
there is no easy answer, but I do believe that small changes by many people
can make a huge difference. Have you read www.pocketfarm.com? It's written
by a woman iand her husband who left the typical consumer life to try a
simpler way. They are in Maine, so the geography is obviously much
differenct than TX, but you might find some bits of inspiration.
I'm not sure why there was such an unbalanced reaction to the idea of
buying something farm raised, but one thing is for sure. The home grown and
farm raised stuff tastes a heck of a lot better than anything you'll find
in a grocery store. So if there is a local meat source you can find that
does things more traditionally, I say give it a try. I have a friend in
Pennsylvania that started doing that and she says that what she gets from
there is really really good. My family grew up poor, we had a large garden
and chickens, so there was some stuff we could produce ourselves and we did
some canning. We had to use the store, too, of course, but our garden stuff
sure was good! As for the environment, we can all do our best, but in the
long run, it'll have to be a global change of attitude before any big
accomplishments are realized.
when i go to my local farmers market , it's to buy produce that was comming
to my area anyway, so the gas is a non issue to my way of thinking. i can
buy four times the amount of food for the same money . it's better tasting
and cheaper and that is not ! global thinkning is it? then there is the
side issue of food cosmetics. a year or so ago there was some news around
"florida tomatoes" that did not meed the pretty standard and so ; even
though they were more productive and tastier, they could not be marketed as
"florida' tomatoes. this is a real soap box issue.
I am lucky in that we have a company that delivers a box of organic, mostly
local, food to our door every week, and I can customize the box any way I
want each week. We also have several farmers markets very close by. But
remember that there can be many hidden costs to smaller grocery bills --
higher medical bills from unhealthy food, more pollution from agribusiness
and transport of groceries long distances, etc., more waste from "pretty"
packaging designed to make you buy stuff you don't want, etc.
I saw Barbara Kingsolver at a reading for this book and was so charmed I
went right out and got it. She did say some stuff at the reading that I'm
not sure is in the book but may answer your questions. She spoke of not
only going to farmers markets, but when you go, get more than just what you
need immediately and put it up just like you would if it was from your own
garden. And you can do the same with your local market. See what is grown
locally and is in season and put it up. It financially supports the local
growers and you are sticking with the in-season foods.
Well,
I guess you have to make a choice about what is important to you. Do you
want "really unplayed around with food" or economy? If you want the later,
it is going to take time, money and gas and there is no getting around
that. Short of pulling up stakes and living out in the midst of no where,
you have to choose.
There is plenty of time during the winter months for me to patronize my
local grocery, and I do. During the time of year when the farmers markets
are active, though, I really try hard to get my produce and other goods
through the local sellers. I've put up a few things in my freezer this
year, with the hopes of having a bit of summer to combat the long grey
months that make up a PNW winter.
The way I look at it: I'd rather pay the high prices at the farmer's market
than pay the drug companies and the know-nothing doctors. I am in my late
60s and in the 5 years since I began eating locally and, whenever possible,
organically, I haven't had the flu or headaches or a even a cold that
lasted more than 2 days. Good food will save you money. As far as gasoline,
I take a cooler along with you for the produce and anything else that needs
to be refrigerated. That way I can do all my errands on that same tank of
gas. I still work, but get no benefits, so good food is, literally, a
lifesaver. Your in-laws' reaction was really strange, unless they're like
that about everything. This is just my experience, but I urge you to think
about it. worstedwitch.com has lots of good ideas about green living and
good food. Wishing you good health, good food, and good company!
A friend and I were discussing this yesterday in relation to alternative
fuels. Her opinion, with which I agree, is that even though ethanol isn't
the best choice for a lot of reasons, it'sat least a start. Change happens
only if you try, and you don't have to reach the end all at once.
It's all very well to support local sources. But people are focusing too
much on the positives and not thinking about the negatives. What if
there's a 5 year drought? Kinda hard to go local when there's nothing
growing for 50 miles out of your home.
I suspect that once you start looking for local options you might find more
than are immediately apparent. That's how it is where we live - lots going
on 'under the radar' so to speak. After all, the FM in all those roads is
supposed to stand for 'Farm to Market' right? Good luck with your search.
I lived in Houston 15 years ago and found that stepping outside the narrow
view of 'normal' to be difficult. (But I was a Yankee, which didn't help.)
Ouch. Sorry you're surrounded by such negativity. Hang in there! Going
green is not merely a matter of faddishness or politics. Many "evil"
corporations, such as GE, have become concerned about clean air, clean
water, healthy food, and pristine environments because bad air, bad water,
unhealthy food, and polluted environments are bad for business. Because
negative impacts accumulate incrementally (sort of like unwanted pounds),
even small positive changes - say, just one compact fluorescent bulb - have
a positive impact. Not to mention the plain fact a farm-raised turkey just
tastes better.
The thing that struck me in your post was your acknowledgement your diets
(menus, eating, whatever you want to call it) are suffering due to
financial concerns. This grabbed my attention because many times that same
thought has crossed my mind. Often, it is we women who notice this stuff
first because we tend to be the menu planners/grocery shoppers. Change is a
slow, often painful ordeal. When finances are limited, those changes take
twice as long, sometimes even longer.
The gas you might use to get to the farmer's market is nothing compared to
the amount of fuel used to transport produce from the farmers to the
grocery store, since it's not a direct route. Sometimes it's sent out of
state to a central location before being shipped back into the area it was
grown. Now that's a negative environmental impact.
We all do what we can with what we have.
I'm very lucky that there's a local farmer's market only about a mile from
me that's held every Wednesday. Wonderful produce and the vendors are
friendly, too. Most of them automatically give me a discount if I purchase
several different kinds of produce from them.
Just an FYI, the offspring of inseminated animals are not sterile. They are
perfectly capable of reproducing on their own. It is just more efficient to
inseminate. Particularly in the case of chickens and especially if there
are genetic issues in play.
I think it's great that you are even thinking about making such changes,
even if they aren't practical now. I really believe it is more of a
lifestyle change than truely thinking that one fluorescent lightbulb will
change the world. Of course it won't, but buying it encourages others to
buy it, which works to allow alternative technologies and lifestyles
achieve the critical mass necessary to become commercially viable. Who
would have thought a few years ago that flourescent lightbulbs would become
popular? I'm pretty sure that I people scoffed at my suggestions to switch
(my own family too!) (Likewise, remember back when wearing seatbelts became
law? OK, I don't really, but I was alive when that happened! I know people
hated the idea when it first started because it was different than what
they were used to (some people anyway, this is what my parents have said).
But now most people can't imagine getting behind the wheel of a car without
putting one on. I know *I* can't! And think of all the lives it's saved.
Because of a lifestyle change (forced or not, it doesn't matter, the point
is public perception, and acceptance, has changed, and for the better.)
Actually, we've found that replacing most of our incandescent bulbs with
flourescents lowers our bill quite a lot. And since they don't burn out
nearly as often it's cheaper in the long run.
I loved Animal Vegetable Miracle. Also read Omnivore's Dilemma and
certainly have our food sources on my mind. In the "olden days" farms
were run by families and their reputations rested on the quality of the
products they raised.
I recall being at a restaurant many years ago and the server was extolling the virtues of their Iowa corn fed beef. I told the server that cows don't eat corn , they eat grass, and he looked at me like I was some kind of lunatic. Hey, I grew up in Nebraska and went to university in Iowa. I know from beef!!
Support your local growers when you can / seasonality of fruit and
vegetables. So you have to drive - you have to drive to the grocery,
right?
Hi. You might have a look at this website: http://www.localharvest.org/
There are a reasonable number of local farms to try. Something else you
can do is look into coop shares. Sometimes they will deliver. Look into
Central City Co-op. There's also an organic meat co-op listed in Spring.
I live in N. Galveston County, and even down here there's places to get
local produce. Unfortunately, despite our mild climate, it's not available
year round.
Haven't heard form you in a while and I check every day on your blog. Hope
all is well. Miss hearing from you..
I keep checking and you are not there....everything ok??? Miss your posts
and hope you are still knitting or doing something with your hands to keep
you sane.
Take good care and post soon ....pleeeeeeease???
Hi! Check out http://www.yourhealthsource.org/ to find out if there is a
location near you... I get produce from them & it's very good & fresh! :)