After writing my own op-ed piece on Thanksgiving last week, I read Dan Barber's piece in the New York Times. I had to chuckle at myself - it seems Barber and I were thinking similar things, but in his case, he said it with far greater eloquence and convincing grace. And because I ended up not having the guts to read it outloud to my in-laws at our Thanksgiving meal, I thought I might expand a bit in this week's Nourishment post.
My thanksgiving dinner, delicious as it was, lead me to think about the dozens, if not hundreds, of people I know who do not eat organic local food: people who are concerned about the environment, who care deeply about their health and the health of their family and community, not to mention the vast majority of which admittedly love good food.
Why?
The only answer I could come up with is a simple lack of knowledge. One friend wrote to me this week saying she’d read Barber’s op-ed and “it makes me want to go organic” – that’s a start. What can we do to get people to take the last step?
Get out the knowledge.
I urge everyone to read Dan Barber's piece, and to read more about the quality of our food and how it affects our environment and our health, and to then ask yourself if you're ready to start making simple, easy choices about your food. And if you have the guts, read it out loud to someone you think needs to hear it. skgr of SKCooks
These are great resources to get started with:
Veronica & Keith's Handmade Chic 
Before & After: A Bathroom Goes From Pinky Peach to Sleek and Chic
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Hunslet Dinner Plate
A Beginner's Guide to Superb Stir-Fry: Quick, Healthy Meals from a Wok
Easy Pitcher Cocktail Recipe: Strawberry Basil Margaritas
Comments (4)
The reason most people haven't gone organic yet?
Simple. It's the cost.
Couple that with the deceptive "organic" labels big agri-biz co.'s use, and it's real easy to shrug it off.
How do we battle that?
Right on. I admire those friends of mine who act on their social and environmental conscience, but for someone just beginning a career, the cost of buying organic is flat out prohibitive. Are there any competitive alternatives out there?
The key word in this equation is "local".
When food is produced locally, it's in season and genereally fresher, more nutritious and often cheaper. And, nobody had to harvest it before it's ready and pay a middle man to fly it to my table. All this is to say, shop at your local farmer's market. If you go late in the day there are many deals to be had. Many farmers are organic and just haven't gone to the trouble of being certified-- the beauty of the market is that you can actually talk to the farmer. Sometimes I will choose locally grown food over certified organic.
The only downside to this is that in the North, there's not as much available in the winter. Still, it may just be a question of getting used to. I am not sure we were meant to eat those white strawberries that tast like cardboard in January. When you ask why more people don't eat local organic food you are asking them why they don't live more simply. And, well, Good luck with that.
Hey SKGR, how about a running calendar of what's in season in the region (maybe a "market report" on your blog?
frankly there are 2 things that convinced me, Adbusters Eat issue from Nov/Dec 2002 and CSAs.
I was adamantly apathetic about organic, even convinced it was a scam. My immune system can be made stronger by conventional vegs and there's really no threat, I thought (in truth, anything that encourages your cells to divide increases your chance of cancer, like smoking. I would think pesticides would also). I read that Adbusters issue (secure.adbusters.org/orders/backissues/) and I was converted immediately. I preached the word, encouraged people to buy the issue when you still could. I was convinced.
The other part is the lifestyle element. Valuing what you put into your body, what you put on the table, and cooking at home is not part of the American tradition. It is part of the European one (slowfood.org, saveur.com), it is part of the "french paradox," it is part of an older emphasis on conviviality. Community Supported Agriculture came into my life with my boyfriend, and it was 3/4 of a bushel of vegetables of all kinds, as per the harvest, in our kitchen every week. It was and still is a challende to finish the vegetables and to discover ways to use them, how to care for them, when to eat them. This was my change of lifestyle. From June-November I cook almost every meal at home. If you would have told me this 3 years ago I would have never have believed you.
My dedication to this has meant that I crave the slower West Coast more than the career driven East Coast. I am now in NYC and have been discouraged. This city is so fast, so empty of gereenery on the street; slow food can readily be found in restaurants; the city is centered on business rather than community; there is so much social stratification, people are so alientated from integrated senses of community--where all these things are essential to integrated, healthy living. I would not know what it would take to convert New Yorkers. I think those who may be tired of their fast lives are the easiest targets. Other than that, people have to come to value these things on their own.