When eating, do you think about where you food comes from? Where it was produced, raised or grown? More importantly, do you think about who brought you the wonderful ingredients you're about to consume. I was eating an apple the other day and I thought, at some point someone hand picked this single piece of fruit off of a tree, in an orchard somewhere in Washington State (or at least I hope that's right?!). I like to think they are earning a good wage, one that supports their family and helps them enjoy a pleasant lifestyle. And, I hope the farm or orchard is doing well, sustaining themselves economically as well as environmentally.
As a culture, we are so far from our food's original source and the original form of the product, that we no longer "connect" with our food. We forget to thank the farmer who planted the seed, tended to the crops and eventually harvested them. We don't appreciate the chicken who gave it's life so we could enjoy a deliciously sweet, grilled chicken breast at a barbecue with friends. We forget to thank the fish who died, so we could intake some super healthy omega-3s. And, we have a skewed view of how "expensive" real food is because we've so long become accustomed to the commodity, large scale production of it that we have no idea what the real cost of food is. The unfortunate truth is farmer's are not making a living growing our livelihood. And small scale, good fisherman are unable to compete on price with the mammoth fishing vessels that are destroying our oceans. This is not right.
Many of the processed foods we consume were not "harvested" at all, but rather produced in giant factories, with little or no money going back to support a family the way food production used to. Instead so much of our food dollar supports the giant companies that control over 80% of our food. Did you know the average meal in American today travels 1,500 miles before it reaches your table! Yeah, that's really far! ...Seattle to Colorado Springs is about the same distance.
Do your part...buy local, meet your farmers & producers and slow down your food ;) And thank everyone and everything that had a part in bringing you what you're about to enjoy. Because if it's real, someone, at some point, had a hand in your food.
healthy, happy, grateful eating. sincerely,
l.v.
love this discussion of food! it makes me sad that people don't think about what they're putting in their bodies and where it comes from. we have safe sex campaigns; i think we should have safe food campaigns!
ReplyDeletetotally with you on becoming more mindful of where our food comes from and how it affects our community.