Food sustains life, and without it we simply would not be. Every year the average family of four spends $8,513 on groceries. So much of our society is centered around food. Think about how much of your time, spent with family and friends includes food. Today, you go to the supermarket, purchase what you need and viola... it's time to cook (or eat). We take for granted how that food got to the supermarket, and most of us NEVER think about what is in it.
There are approximately 5 million fewer family owned farms in America than there were in 1930 due to a food industry that is dominated by a handful of giant corporations, which benefit from government policies that favor large-scale production. Farmers are a dying breed and according to Farm Aid 330 farmers leave their land every week.
So, why buy locally? Aside from large-scale agricultural business hurting our local farmers and taking money from our community, it is not sustainable. Most produce is picked 4-7 days before getting to the supermarket. Cheap oil allows us to ship produce from all around the world, but with prices rising how long will we be able to keep it up? What happens if oil skyrockets? We will see the prices of so many necessities go through the roof, and many families will go hungry. The implications of a wide-spread food shortage will be something this country has never seen. We will have to depend on our local farmers. If we don't support them now they can't be here to save us later! I'm not saying this is going to happen but why would you want to chance it? Think about it!
If the promise of a food shortage isn't enough for you to buy locally, what about your health? Most local farmers do not use the genetically-modified organisms or GMOs that the large corporations use. A genetically-modified organism is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Scientists are actually able to insert DNA from one species to another. For example there is an arctic fish that produces a sort of antifreeze to keep it from freezing in the arctic waters. The DNA gene that allows this fish to produce this antifreeze is actually inserted into strawberries. Inserting this gene keeps the strawberries, normally susceptible to frost, from freezing.
I must tell you there is no proof that genetically-modified foods are harmful, but GMOs have a short history of use, and therefore safety. It could be years, or even decades before we are sure of the effects of GMOs. Again why would you want to chance it? We all know that our bodies are very delicate and everything we put in them affects them one way or the other. Scientist have even taken the gene that produces venom in scorpions and modified it to act as an insecticide in cabbage. Apparently this venom is not harmful to humans and only to insects.
This doesn't just happen with strawberries and cabbage.18% of all GMOs even produce their own pesticides. According to the Center for Food Safety, up to 85 percent of U.S. corn is genetically engineered as are 91 percent of soybeans and 88 percent of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products). It has been estimated that upwards of 70 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves–from soda to soup, crackers to condiments–contain genetically engineered ingredients. Which leads me into why you should eat organic...
When I used to hear the word organic I thought about those save-the-planet-smoke-some-pot hippies. I am NOT one of those hippies and personally think a lot of this going "Green" stuff is just propaganda, then I did some research. I discovered that organic foods have higher nutrients like vitamin C, antioxidants, calcium, iron, chromium (the good kind, not the bad kind) and magnesium. Hey, what so bad about getting more nutrients?
Organic foods are also free of neurotoxins that could damage brain and nerve cells. Organophosphates were originally developed during World War I as a toxic nerve agent. When there was no longer need for them in warfare, industry adapted them to kill pests on foods.
So maybe this doesn't bother you, but children are more susceptible to toxins and choosing organic helps support their growing brains and bodies. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that 80% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides, and 30% of insecticides are potentially cancer causing. You wouldn't put your baby in the car without her car-seat, or let you son play football with out a helmet would you? Of course not... then why would you feed them foods that could cause cancer, or heart disease? After all, you might not get in a car accident, and your son might not get a brain injury, but the fact is you DON'T take that chance.
Think about all of the e-coli outbreaks you hear about on the news. The CDC documented 11 food borne outbreaks in 2011. Compare that to the 3 that were reported in 2006. The CDC estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of food borne diseases. I wont even begin with the obesity epidemic.
We can contribute a lot of the obesity epidemic to fast food chains. McDonald's is the single largest purchaser of beef in the US, selling around 15 million hamburgers A DAY. I am willing to bet you didn't know what happens to that beef before it gets to your tasty Big Mac.
With such a demand for beef, large corporations have found ways to fatten cattle up as quickly as possible. Most beef cattle spend their short lives in concentrated animal feeding operations in very close conditions with 1,000 or more head of cattle. Cows are also fed corn (genetically-modified) to fatten them up quicker. This is a major issue because it upsets their tummies and makes them sick. Corn causes a layer of foamy slime to form in their rumen (or big food-processing tank) that traps gas. Since the cow can't poot or burp, the rumen balloons out and presses against the animals lungs, causing them to suffocate. Usually a hose is rammed down the animals throat to prevent this. Okay, so they are cows, and they are relatively stupid, but they shouldn't need to suffer. We should respect our food, it does give us life after all.
If the inhumane treatment doesn't phase you think about the disease? A corn diet generates acidosis and produces nasty parasites and bacteria like E-coli to form. Most of the time cows are given many doses of antibiotics. Eating grass-fed beef, or free-range chicken/eggs, insures that you don't get the residual antibiotics. What is so bad about that you ask? The over use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Mad Cow disease anyone? How about all the new strains of flu?
Eating grass-fed beef does a lot more than keep those antibiotics and growth hormones out of your system. Grass-fed meat is lower in overall fat and provides Omega-3 fats (good fats). They are also up to 4 time higher in Vitamin E, and a nutrient called Conjugated Linolic Acid, which is associated with lowering cancer and heart disease.
Okay, so I pay a bit more for my organic eggs... I also pay a little more for organic milk but you know what's cool? Organic milk lasts up to a month longer than regular milk. Why? According to Craig Baumrucker, professor of animal nutrition and physiology at Pennsylvania State University, organic milk uses a different process to preserve it. Organic milk is heated to 280 degrees Fahrenheit for two to four seconds, killing any bacteria in it. Regular milk is only heated to about 160 degrees F for around 15 seconds in a process called Pasteurization. Pasteurization doesn't kill the bacteria in the milk, just enough so that you don't get a disease with your morning cereal. No Bueno my friend... I don't want all of that bacteria, and I never have to throw milk out!!! I also don't get the B.G.s when I have organic milk (also know as the bubble guts).
Purchasing locally is going to help our communities, and our friends. Eating organically is going to insure our children, and our loved ones are safe and healthy. The great thing about America is we have a free-market, well more or less, but this isn't a political discussion. If we as the consumers say "NO MORE", our grocery stores will begin selling more organic foods, and local produce will be more easily accessible! Inform your loved-ones and take a stand. Tell the corporations "I'm not taking a chance with my family.". Tell your local farmers you appreciate all that they do! Eat organic and purchase locally. Get on the Internet and research for yourself. I have the power to change how America eats and so do you!
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