Food Safety System
January 29th, 2007 by 
prep
I’m sure you realize that the food safety system put in place by the U.S. government does not favor you, the person wanting to eat that food, so much as mega agribusiness.
What are you going to do to keep your own food chain more safe? Eat local. Even if you aren’t ready to eat out of your own garden, you can take steps to eat in line with your values. It can be a challenge to eat local, but people around you are making it easier all of the time.
You might start by signing up with a CSA, which is short for Community Supported Agriculture. You can buy a share of the harvest in these local farms. Sign up soon for the upcoming season. Local Harvest offers a comprehensive list of CSAs. Check the list for farmers’ markets and restaurants, too.
Eating local doesn’t guarantee the safety of your food, but it takes you out of the longer chain where safety is more difficult to ensure. Supporting local food helps keep your local economy and community strong.
Posted in Food, News, Resources, Sustainability | 
2 Comments »
January 30th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
An idea that fits in with eating local is to start your own localvore group. This is becoming very popular in New England, in particular in Vermont. http://www.postoilsolutions.org/localvore
It’s quite a challenge to eat ALL your food this way, but once you do so, you will find yourself more in touch with nature and the natural cycles of the year. My mother was recently telling me how her family never had salad except in the warm months when lettuce grew. In the winter months, they lived on root vegetables and fruits that could be kept in the cool cellar.
Just because you can buy berries from South American right now doesn’t mean you should eat them!
January 30th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
I like that word, localvore. It sounds like a version of the 100-mile diet. I’ve seen the idea applied to a local wardrobe as well. Buy Local is good.