And this is the season of March in Michigan. Crocuses in bloom one day, snow the next. It doesn’t matter since spring will get here eventually, along with asparagus, which is always something to look forward to.
My brother recently mentioned having watched the movie Food Inc. He was utterly appalled at where our food comes from. His stepdaughter recommended the movie to him and her mother and now he feels that he needs to pass the word on. If you have not seen this movie, you must see it. You will never feel the same way about the grocery store again. It is a must for all people who care about this earth and what our system of supplying food to people in this country is doing to us.
So what is a person to do? Well, here are some suggestions:
When you shop at the grocery store, read the labels. Food producers are required by law to tell you everything that is in the product they are selling. Be aware of the fact that corn syrup, which is not a health food, is in a considerable number of products in the grocery store. If you can’t pronounce the word that is in a product, you are probably better off not buying it. Put products that have fewer ingredients at the top of your list. Browse the perimeter of the store—that is where fresh produce tends to hang out. Buy as few processed foods as you can. Visit health food stores, specialty food stores, look for the organic label. Ask your grocery store to carry more organic and locally grown products. Be aware of the fact that other countries may not have laws against the spraying of DDT. If you buy products from the United States you at least know they haven’t been sprayed with DDT since DDT is illegal here.
Better yet, shop at your local farmer’s market. Don’t know where that is? Go to http://www.localharvest.org/ and find one near you. I know that for many people this is only available at certain times of the year, but the advantage of shopping at these markets is that you can buy food in season which always tastes better. I just bought some locally grown greens (he grows them in a hoop house) from the farmer’s market in Lansing, Michigan yesterday, a day with a light snow on the ground! Truly amazing that this is possible!
I used to eat strawberries from my grandfather’s farm as a little girl-in June of course. Were they ever heavenly! After grandpa sold the farm the strawberries I ate from the store were hard as rock with absolutely no flavor. When I planted my first garden I planted strawberries because I wanted the memory of those strawberries with flavor and juice galore back in my life. They are definitely worth it. Do we want our children to eat their fruits and vegetables? Yes! How do we get them to do this? By eating in season when the fruits and vegetables are at their tastiest.
And finally, you can plant your own garden. You can even grow tomatoes in a pot if you don’t have a lot of garden space. What you need is at least 6 hours of full sun per day. You can feed your plants lots of compost (cheaper than fertilizer, especially if you make it yourself), keep them mulched and watered and you will have abundance. If Anne Birkam can do it, so can you!
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