Out of bananas for breakfast? Make a quick stop at the store.
It’s Wednesday and you realize you need to stop by the grocery store to pick up a few things. As soon as you walk through the automatic sliding doors you behold a wide expanse of a clean, modern store that boasts an abundance of ripe produce. Ok, well maybe the avocados or bananas are the exception; they’re usually green.
You may want to consider what you’re buying.
Have you ever wondered the process that the broccoli went through to be in the vegetable case? I know what you’re going to say…everyone knows there are huge industrialized farms in the U.S. that raise mass amount of vegetables or livestock. You’ve seen the videos: produce is picked by migrant workers, the livestock is confined, the fields are sprayed with pesticides. At some point, we have all been exposed to the truth regarding these horrible acts. Yet Americans still willingly visit the grocery store weekly. Why are we so quick to forget about how their food is sourced?
Maybe we just don’t want to think about it.
Ignorance is bliss. It’s tough to face the facts and realize that due to industrialized agriculture’s practices, we are poisoning ourselves, torturing animals and exploiting other human beings. How can consumers fight back against a toxic food industry that has been established for over 50 years?
We have to snap out of our oblivion and regain a connection with our food.
There are many ways that we can start.
- Visit your local farmer’s market– It’s the best way to witness farmers in your community growing their own food. I have asked many of them questions about their organic farming practices. All of the vendors I have encountered are passionate about their work, are open about their techniques, and want to educate others.
- Support local farmers whenever possible– The more people purchase locally, the less the huge food retailers earn. It’s their massive gross income that creates a “monopsony”, where they can dictate the price they want to pay farmers. This stretches the farmers’ resources and reduces pay to laborers.
- Grow your own food-I know we live in New England. There’s not a great growing season, but anything that we can produce that we don’t have to buy at the store counts.
- Become more aware- There are amazing documentaries out there. Besides Food Inc, Unacceptable Levels, Food Chains, and Sustainable are eye-openers.
Here are some other great resources for you to check out:
- https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/public-outreach-new/media/growing-local/
- https://ciw-online.org/
- https://cuesa.org/learn/10-reasons-support-farmers-markets
Do you typically do most of your shopping at the grocery store?
How and where do you purchase your food? What are your reasons? I’d love to have you join the discussion!
