The more I learn about the industrialized food industry in our country, the more I want to swear off food forever, and find some other means of nourishment. And, as a side note, I'd like to thank Mangini for opening our eyes to the issues, RIGHT before Thanksgiving! (At least I didn't overindulge!) Anyway, back to the point of this post, I can't say that I disagreed with the sentiment behind Berry's words; however, I am not a fan of his hyperbolic writing style. It does not endear me to his message.
I agree that many people are clueless when it comes to food; they don't know where it came from, or what's been added to it. But, I think it goes too far to say that people are victims. If we are victims, we are victims of our own lack of curiosity and ignorance. All we have to do is pick-up any box of any food and look at the label - if you can't pronounce half the ingredients, then you know the food is filled with "stuff" - what stuff? Who knows? But, we are not victims if we go ahead and purchase it anyway. Now, had he said, "useful idiots," I may have agreed. But, victims goes too far - afterall, we live in the 21st Century, information is readily available - if one should choose to look.
I also agree that we should turn to localized farms for our food. I would much rather purchase fresh jersey tomatoes from Stella's farm than tomatoes grown in Taiwan. And for most of the summer, I do purchase fresh produce from Stella's. I'm also fortunate that my local grocery store sells products from local farmers. As far as meat and poultry is concerned, I have no idea where I would find beef from free-range cattle. This article got me thinking to check with the local butcher to see where he gets his meat. I don't eat much beef, because I just don't care for it; however, I do eat chicken. It makes me a little ill to think about chickens with broken legs, standing in their own waste. And I don't like the fact that they are given hormones and antibiotics. It is no wonder that some antibiotics are no longer effective for humans, if we're consuming them. First rule is, we are not supposed to take antibiotics unless it's absolutely necessary or they'll lose their effectiveness. It's crazy to think that all those drugs are being pumped into our food before it even leaves the "farm." Afterwards, they pump a bunch of other junk into it, before it hits the shelves in the store (I am so losing my appetite).
Berry wrote that the food industry has been politicized, and I agree whole-heartedly. The most important line (in my opinion) in Berry's article was, "we cannot be free if our food and its sources are controlled by someone else." This is the heart of the matter for me. He is right to promote localized farming; however, the government is doing everything to reduce (and I believe wipe-out) local farming. Apparently, they don't have enough pennies in the lobby pot to keep their businesses in good standing with the government. As I have blogged about in the past, the government has done everything to shut-down local farming to promote the industrial giants. They are stacking the deck against everything Berry promotes. The government wants the ability to "check" and "regulate" all foods sold in the US. Okay, these are the same idiots who can't figure out that the same regulations are the reason behind unhealthy foods in the first place.
The government promotes mass production so they can "follow the food" and "protect" consumers. Meanwhile, thousands and thousands of pounds of beef get contaminated by one cow right under their noses. The idea of freedom of choice is being replaced with the idea of government nanny, cradle to grave care. I don't need a nanny. I want the freedom to make a choice. The best thing that could happen to the food industry would be for the government to get out of it all together. No subsidies, no regulations, no "assistance." Let the free market dictate, let competition dictate, allow consumers to take-back responsibility in food choices and determine if they want to eat steak covered in cow excrement or steak from grass-fed, free-range cattle. This is the message (in my opinion) that should be spread far and wide. We don't need 535 + 2 "useful idiots" from Washington to tell us how, when, and where we purchase our food. We don't need to be protected from growing tomatoes in our own back yards, or God-forbid, from purchasing tomatoes from a local stand that the government hasn't checked. No, we need freedom of chocie, and for people to accept responsibility for their own choices. I don't like victimhood, and I don't like people to act as though they are victims when in reality, they are merely complacent.
Berry was right to promote local farming and home gardens. I have to say, I have a black thumb, I can grow weeds, but little else. And when I finally have the watering down right, and I see the little flowers blooming on the tomato plants, the deer come around and eat them. I can't win! But each year, I plant stuff anyway - just because. Who knows - one day I may get lucky and actually have a real garden.