Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

I am a work in progress.  Luckily, those around me allow for this.  I believe that I inherited a propensity to think critically from my father, and this trait is  some say irritatingly compounded by the need to question absolutely everything. Let's blame law school for the latter part.

However, I do not consider myself a cynic. Lets go with open-minded analytic instead.

So, last week we watched Food, Inc. Prior to viewing, I already knew that most of the food grown and consumed in this country is controlled much like the media by a handful of companies. I knew that animals, farmers and soy beans alike are often mistreated. And, I knew that in many depressed areas, soda, filled meats and pop tarts are all less expensive than a green pepper.

What I did not know, is that your average grocery store item was produced by one of only four companies. Your average veggie is genetically modified. Your average chicken farmer working for Tyson is $500k in mandated-equipment debt, yet only reaps an annual profit of $18k. And, your average teenager in dusty, rural New Mexico has at least three family members with Type 2 Diabetes.

I was fully yucked out by Food Inc. after learning of, and subsequently researching, a few simple truths so plainly yet brilliantly layed out in this documentary. Filmmaker Robert Kenner, with the help of experts Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) and others, lifts the veil of the beautifully stocked grocery store and shines a critical light on the machine of mass production that takes our food from laboratory to "farm" to processing and eventually to the table.

This is a must see for anyone that eats. PERIOD. This is not your Michael Moore brand of crab ass "Aren't you disgusted with yourselves, America?" rant. Nor is it a PETA-inspired indictment of companies that mistreat animals. This documentary is a calm and candid assessment of the food industry and the money and politics that drive it to work the way it does.

This brings me to the point of this post and the way we've tried to eat in the Freeman house for years: Organic, Local, Sustainable. I say "tried" because we are very successful in the summer, but winter is another story. The Green City Market doesn't run as frequently and we get complacent ordering from Peapod. As if it doesn't matter if we eat the fruit genetically engineered by the weed killer company during the inconvenient chilly months. It takes commitment and planning to only eat a food when you are cetain of its origin. Duh.

Food, Inc. shocked us back to our commitment to eating organic, local and sustainable - in that order of importance. The rules are simple to understand and less so to follow: Food consumed in our house must fit two of the three categories and we absolutely must know where it comes from. I'd like to say that all of the food we eat is organic, local and sustainable, but we'll take two out of three. As they say ... two out of three ain't bad.

FIND LOCAL, SUSTAINABLE AND ORGANIC IN YOUR AREA

Sustainable Table | Sustainable Table celebrates local sustainable food, educates consumers on food-related issues and works to build community through food.

Local Harvest | Find farmgate sales, Community Supported Agriculture deliveries, grocery stores, farmers' markets and restaurants across America.

Eat Well Guide | Find local, sustainable, organic food in your area.

Eat Local Challenge | A group weblog focusing on the importance of locally and sustainably grown food.

100 Mile Diet | This particular challenge to only eat foods from a 100 mile radius of your home started in Vancouver, BC. But, the original book has a US counterpart. Check it out and map your 100 miles.

Edible Communities | Network of award-winning publications that celebrate local foods, season by season. Scroll down for the Edible magazine in your area.

USDA Official Site | Find a farmers' market in your area.

Have you seen Food, Inc? Did you love it, hate it? Did you learn something new? Have you changed how you eat because of it? Do you eat organic, local and sustainable or do you find it difficult to do? Please leave a comment and share your fuss with us.

Comments

[Jennifer W. Freeman]

I just placed my Irv and Shelley's order. I ordered produce, eggs, cheese, meat and some of the Tomoato Mountain prepared tomoato sauces and purees. Very exciting!

[Evelyn]

Watching Food Inc. changed the way we eat here too. We are currently (3 weeks in) ordering our veggies, fruits, meats, and diary (and some other stuff) from Irv and Shelly's Fresh Picks. They deliver to our door, once a week--and the delivery fee is cheaper than Peapod. Check them out! All organic and they do their best to send you local, but obviously it's not all local in the winter. We are very happy.

[Jennifer W. Freeman]

@dsfss | I'm not exactly sure what to do with this comment. Technically, these are blog posts, not traditional articles. The intent of this blog is to offer my personal insight to my following and (from the feedback I receive) they enjoy that aspect of it. Many of my posts are completely about me, my family and my experiences and those are listed under "musings". I also have product reviews (labeled "What the Fuss?") and commentary on various topics (labeled "debatable"). If I don't inject myself into the "commentary" posts, then I'm basically regurgitating or retweeting content that's already out there.

Still, your point is taken - just not sure what I'm going to do with it. :)

[dsfss]

Not trying to be mean btw. :(

[dsfss]

I wish you'd talk less about yourself in your articles... it's annoying, because your articles actually have good points, but I really couldn't care less about your personal life...

[Jennifer W. Freeman]

I am pleased to report that more and more local, organic choices are popping up each time I log in to Peapod. The organic meat we usually order is raised in Wheeling, IL. hey now also have grass fed beef. Yay!