Some of you may not know that I'm a foodie and part of the Slow Food Movement. If you are thus inclined, you may enjoy this trailer for the new movie Food, Inc (3:30):
The trailer for this movie was interesting! And it's true, if I had to watch how the food got to the supermarket, I probably wouldn't want to buy much of it.
I was reading a magazine article recently and stated in it was that the cost of 1000 calories of fast food was something like 1.85 but the cost of fresh fruits and produce would amount to 18.00 for about the same calories. Wow. It's so unfortunate that many, many people are limited in what they can spend at the grocery store. It's like the more ingredients something has, the less expensive it is, and the longer it lasts. LOL So people do buy it. I try to make better choices when I can, but I'm guilty of it too at times. Even though places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have some brands that are reasonably priced, most organic and simpler foods are very expensive. I shop at Wegmans a good bit of the time and while they do offer alot of those better products, I cannot afford to do a family shopping order with just organics alone. So I buy what I can and try to not stress over the rest. Hopefully that movie will not only show people how and why stores/suppliers/manufacturers, etc. do what they do, but show ways that we can get away from some of the more harmful things, and also offer suggestions on how to make changes for those who want to.
It is true that to eat healthfully costs more. I try to save as much as possible on non fresh food items, so our eating of fresh quality food is not compromised.
I see our future going back to the past. More and more people are growing Fruit & Veg at home since the GFC. Maybe we'll soon all have a few chickens in our backyard too, but for eating, not just for eggs, like in the old days. At least then we'd know exactly what we're eating!
Yes! Did you see Alice Waters on 60 Minutes Sunday night? I had seen it before, but it was just as good the second time. It's sometimes hard to commit to slow, and organic, food on a limited budget, but I feel it's so worth it and I would rather cut costs in other areas. Also, my hunting experience is an off-shoot of my commitment to eating healthy, getting back to the land, etc. We seem to be on the same wavelength a lot these days!
Thanks for a great discussion here, Mary, Heather, Patti, Angela, and Nicci. Some thoughts:
Yes, Angela I saw Alice Waters on 60 minutes; it was great. She wants to make quality slow food available for EVERYONE! She feels that this is a RIGHT, not a privilege for the rich. I truly love what she is doing.
Mary you wrote, "It's like the more ingredients something has, the less expensive it is, and the longer it lasts." and this is so true. I buy food of lesser quality sometimes too just for convenience. But cost is a factor for most people, and I appreciate what people are doing to make healthy foods more reasonable.
Patti, as you said, finding the future in the past. With gardens. Gardens for food used to be a way of life for everyone. Alice Waters wants there to be a vegetable garden in front of the White House. She is teaching children in schools how to garden and cook with fresh foods.
I don't think that there is any one solution, but many things all at once.
Yes, Heather, I have read "In Praise of Slow" (I loved it too) ...our society is in many ways trying to go faster and faster, but in many aspects (again the future in the past) we need to slow down to take advantage of what really matters.
As more and more people buy organic, the price will keep falling. Food prices are artificially low because of the factory farms, BUT quality foods will still cost less with demand.
This is a great discussion!
If anyone has any more ideas, keep 'em coming here :)
I'm with Patti. I will scrimp in a dozen other areas of my life in order to be able to afford the local organic foods whenever possible. I so yearn for society to return to supporting the small, independent farmer by paying her enough to make organic small farming worth her while. Hopefully I am doing my small part. What an important film!
I agree with you as well, Kelly. I like your view of paying the farmer enough to make it worth her while. Why does she not deserve a decent living?
At the same time, I understand Mary's family dilemma and look forward to more and more people going this way, allowing volume to make it more affordable for people with families.
Making organic small farming pay decently---THIS is a great way of seeing why we pay the price we do.
8 comments:
The trailer for this movie was interesting! And it's true, if I had to watch how the food got to the supermarket, I probably wouldn't want to buy much of it.
I was reading a magazine article recently and stated in it was that the cost of 1000 calories of fast food was something like 1.85 but the cost of fresh fruits and produce would amount to 18.00 for about the same calories. Wow.
It's so unfortunate that many, many people are limited in what they can spend at the grocery store. It's like the more ingredients something has, the less expensive it is, and the longer it lasts. LOL So people do buy it. I try to make better choices when I can, but I'm guilty of it too at times.
Even though places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have some brands that are reasonably priced, most organic and simpler foods are very expensive. I shop at Wegmans a good bit of the time and while they do offer alot of those better products, I cannot afford to do a family shopping order with just organics alone. So I buy what I can and try to not stress over the rest.
Hopefully that movie will not only show people how and why stores/suppliers/manufacturers, etc. do what they do, but show ways that we can get away from some of the more harmful things, and also offer suggestions on how to make changes for those who want to.
One of my favourite books in recent years is "In Praise of Slow". Have you read it?
It is true that to eat healthfully costs more. I try to save as much as possible on non fresh food items, so our eating of fresh quality food is not compromised.
I see our future going back to the past. More and more people are growing Fruit & Veg at home since the GFC. Maybe we'll soon all have a few chickens in our backyard too, but for eating, not just for eggs, like in the old days. At least then we'd know exactly what we're eating!
O,
Yes! Did you see Alice Waters on 60 Minutes Sunday night? I had seen it before, but it was just as good the second time. It's sometimes hard to commit to slow, and organic, food on a limited budget, but I feel it's so worth it and I would rather cut costs in other areas. Also, my hunting experience is an off-shoot of my commitment to eating healthy, getting back to the land, etc. We seem to be on the same wavelength a lot these days!
Wow. Thanks so much for sharing this. It is very interesting.
Thanks for a great discussion here, Mary, Heather, Patti, Angela, and Nicci. Some thoughts:
Yes, Angela I saw Alice Waters on 60 minutes; it was great. She wants to make quality slow food available for EVERYONE! She feels that this is a RIGHT, not a privilege for the rich. I truly love what she is doing.
Mary you wrote, "It's like the more ingredients something has, the less expensive it is, and the longer it lasts." and this is so true. I buy food of lesser quality sometimes too just for convenience. But cost is a factor for most people, and I appreciate what people are doing to make healthy foods more reasonable.
Patti, as you said, finding the future in the past. With gardens. Gardens for food used to be a way of life for everyone. Alice Waters wants there to be a vegetable garden in front of the White House. She is teaching children in schools how to garden and cook with fresh foods.
I don't think that there is any one solution, but many things all at once.
Yes, Heather, I have read "In Praise of Slow" (I loved it too) ...our society is in many ways trying to go faster and faster, but in many aspects (again the future in the past) we need to slow down to take advantage of what really matters.
As more and more people buy organic, the price will keep falling. Food prices are artificially low because of the factory farms, BUT quality foods will still cost less with demand.
This is a great discussion!
If anyone has any more ideas, keep 'em coming here :)
xo,
O
I'm with Patti. I will scrimp in a dozen other areas of my life in order to be able to afford the local organic foods whenever possible. I so yearn for society to return to supporting the small, independent farmer by paying her enough to make organic small farming worth her while. Hopefully I am doing my small part. What an important film!
I agree with you as well, Kelly. I like your view of paying the farmer enough to make it worth her while. Why does she not deserve a decent living?
At the same time, I understand Mary's family dilemma and look forward to more and more people going this way, allowing volume to make it more affordable for people with families.
Making organic small farming pay decently---THIS is a great way of seeing why we pay the price we do.
Thank you for furthering the discussion, Kelly.
Love and blessings,
O
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