Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

Last night we took a break from the daily grind and sat down and watched a movie. We have received Food Inc in the mail and absolutely loved it. I know many of you have already seen it by now, but if you haven’t, it’s a must see. (Food Inc Trailer (2:16))

While the ideas & observations put forth in the movie were not new to my family, it was a good reminder as to why we make the buying decisions we make. The movie also made me all the more thankful for the community we live in!

For example, when we buy beef, we always buy it from our local co-op which sells Nevada County Free Range beef. I’ve met the owner, I’ve seen the cows grazing on grass just outside of town, and I know where the beef I feed my family comes from. A few years ago, when we lived in a large city, we would buy packaged beef that had been shipped in from half way around the world! Having changed our buying practices, our old buying habits seem rediculous. This made me VERY thankful that we have a local, grass fed, beef supplier.

Chickens, however, are another story. I know of at least four local farms that process chickens (I’ve learned of them via our Local Food Coalition e-mail list), however their prices seem to start at $10 a bird and go quickly up to $20 a bird. This is hard to swallow when I can buy TWO chickens for $9.50 at a big box wholesale store. I guess I find myself in the “artificially cheap food” vs “organic &/or local food” price personal battle. In 2010 I plan on visiting these farms I’ve learned of. I hope to find a way to afford and/or buy many local chickens in bulk this year. One this is for sure, after watching Food Inc, I don’t think I can stomach buying chickens at the big box store for some time!

May we all find more local (& organic) food options in 2010!

This weekend we watched Food Inc. and I must say I have never been so glad that I am a vegetarian.  Throughout the hour and a half of this informative documentary I vacillated through feelings of: shock, anger, sadness, disgust, and hope.  I have always known the food industry in this country is bad – I mean this is the main reason I eat organics and work with an organization that has sustainability in its forefront of awareness.  But seriously – if the mistreatment of animals, people, and the natural world in general displayed in this movie is even half true, these massive food corporations are utterly despicable.

Now more than ever it is imperative for each one of us to excersize our power in this country by influencing the production of food in this nation by every means possible.  We need to not only vote appropriately – but as the movie says “vote every time we go to the market.”  Buying organic products and local produce – and even better, growing your own garden, is a direct way to let these massive food producers know that individually we do care about the quality of our food, and we do insist that the means by which it is produced is viable and not damaging to the natural world.  Where you spend your money – determines how the environment is treated.

I will not lie to you watching this movie is a bit depressing, however, I suggest that everyone (especially those who consume foods that contain corn or soy products – which is most everyone because 80% of food and non-food items at the supermarket contains some of these derivative substances) watch this movie.  Depressing can be good if It inspires us to all take a look at where and how we get our food, because the truth has been hidden far to long, and responsibility is necessary if we want to turn this all around.  The motto of PVFS has never rang so true – Grow Organic! For life!