Food. Food! Food?

I recently listened to two different talks on food both are found on Word for Word if you’d like to check them out too. The first was from author Micheal Pollan about the subject of his book the Omnivore’s Dilemma. A book I’ve yet to get my hands on but it has been on my list to read for awhile. I should note that this was recorded a year ago in June of 2007.

The second was from Paul Roberts author of the End of Food a book that I currently have in my TBR pile from the library. The recording at Word for Word is from this June 2008. I do find it ironic that the cover of Roberts book has an ear of corn on it. Especially after having seen some of King Corn.

5 things I took away from these recording at first glance:

1. I need to talk less about buying local and actually buy more local - and I need a bigger garden yet.
2. I am not the only one who is disturbed about buying apples from New Zealand, grapes from Chile and so on
3. China can touch my food without my knowledge (Eww!) Just buying a chicken that is product of the US won’t guarantee that it has been completely processed in the US as well. Local chicken here I come!
4. The creation of food - Centralization of such a dynamic system often breaks it or at least muddles it up really well.
5. McDonalds is still the devil (I know you’ll love this one honey )

My favorite line from Michael Pollan “The most important change coming from the food supply is that people are voting with their forks.”

My favorite line from Paul Roberts on the future of food economy: “It’s going to be about meat.”

Food is a huge component of the discussions here at our house lately. I’ve spent a lot of mental time weighing options in the last few weeks because the prices at the store have reached that tipping point. That point where $2.99 for a half gallon of organic milk from who knows where versus the $3.15 for a half gallon from the local micro dairy makes the cents difference seem like chump change. And I’m supporting a local product that is has all the benefits of local: It’s natural and has flavor. It travels a very short distance. It’s putting my dollars solidly back into the Iowa economy.

The money we shell out for food isn’t really changing - well it is changing we jumped from spending a typical $60 per week to almost a usual $80. (If that sounds outrageous please remember that I have 2 grandparents, 2 parents, 2 children and 3 dogs in our household). What has been really changing is my awareness as to how far that easy food product I purchased is really going - just how far does that box of mac and cheese go in our home. How often when I feed myself or the children a processed product do they come back 20 minutes later with an “I’m hungry”. How does that compare to when I take the time to take raw (unprocessed) items and create a lunch?

That saying “curiousity killed the cat” well it’s “curiousity killed my grocery shopping” here lately. By looking at the actual things I’m purchasing, the success of those things making us feel satisfied at the end of the meal and so on - - it is significantly impacting my ability to just go into the store and purchase things blind. I need to know more about that item I’m looking at. Where did it come from? How was it processed? But I’m also feeling empowered to make my dollars go where I’d really like them to go.

I think I’m having a “get off the fence” moment.