I now know few people in my circle of friends who are not concerned about the industrialization of our food supply, and about the health consequences of the adulteration of our meat, dairy, and produce. They and I are being much more careful about what we eat, and are continuing to learn the problems with the US food system.
For example, you probably do not want to eat beef that has not been grass-fed. Eating the cattle grown in industrialized farms is not a thought I find appetizing. No more attractive is the idea of eating eggs that have been raised in cramped cages, milk that comes from industrialized cows, or cheese that is made from that unhealthy milk.
I am appalled that even this year, I have eaten at McDonald's and other fast-food places, where the meat, chicken, and eggs very likely contain antibiotics and hormones. (Not to mention that genetically modified organisms or GMOs are probably in the ingredients.) Fortunately, I began a few months ago to research the state of food in the US. Very alarming!
A shortcut for doing this learning yourself: Watch the movie Fresh. It will change the way you eat.
As more people become aware of what is happening with our food and the serious consequences, the number of young adults who are becoming farmers is growing,
Young people everywhere are living with these effects first hand. The drastic changes, consolidations, short cuts, and widespread use of drugs and chemicals in conventional agriculture have all taken place right under our grandparent’s noses. Food did not used to be like this, and the older generation is our witness. While old timers can cheerfully reminisce about the days when they had chickens out back, or picked berries with their papa, people my age are first beginning to bear the true consequences of industrialized food. Young people can see it in their broken families, in their autistic sisters, and in their asthmatic cousins who survive on diets of fruity pebbles and Ritalin. We see it, and we want to change it.
For the first time in many generations there is an uprising of young men and women stepping onto America’s fields, digging into earth, and making a sustainable and satisfying life for themselves. We are doing it not only because we want to, but because we need to. We are passionate, we are educated, and we are on a mission to heal our communities, our families, the land, and ourselves.
More power to him! I applaud his enthusiasm and energy, and wish him luck. And I wish I were in his shoes.
Recently I have been recalling my 4-H days, especially my huge vegetable garden in which I grew tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, radishes, eggplant, cucumbers, and carrots. The crop was delicious. The growing was quiet and cherished. I would often stand near my garden and watch it, sensing the natural magic that happened in my patch of land each day.
I am feeling the call to grow.
Note: Click here and here and for more about people growing their own food and becoming more attuned to the problems with our food system.
Comments