Planet Veggie Garden

Slow Food Nation ’08 is coming to town this weekend – August 29th to September 1st. Just what is Slow Food? (from slowfoodusa.org):

Slow Food USA is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the food traditions of North America through programs and activities dedicated to Taste Education, Defending Biodiversity and Building Food Communities. Slow Food USA believes that pleasure and quality in everyday life can be achieved by slowing down, respecting the convivial traditions of the table and celebrating the diversity of the earth’s bounty.

Slow Food Nation ’08 is part promotion for the cause, part education and part celebration of how far we’ve come since the Slow Food movement began in Italy in 1986. It is expected that 50,000 people will be participating in the festivities. We’re mainly interested in the Victory Gardens so will pop over to tour that.

Change

The point is that we can and do have a say in how our food is grown and we do not have to succumb to the industrialization of our food supply…we do not have to live the life of the Fast Food Nation.

While the Slow Food Nation event in San Francisco seems to celebrate perhaps the more gourmet (and costly) items on the food palate – certainly foods that are outside the budgets of the average person – we can take the message…the mission of Slow Food USA and find ways to make the changes that make sense in the context of our living situation.

For what is at stake – but the most precious possession of all – our health.

Industrialized food has been implicated as the cause of most of today’s chronic diseases. Study after study shows people who eat more fresh vegetables and fruit (read: less processed foods) are healthier.

Industrialized food’s dependence on oil is undisputed

• 10% of fossil fuel used in the US goes towards food production
• 40% of the energy used for food production is used for producing pesticides and fertilizers – that’s 5 ½ gallons of fuel per acre
• Fertilizer runoff is responsible for a ‘dead zone’ the size of New Jersey at the mouth of the Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico
• 23% of the energy used for food production is used for processing and packaging
• The food in the typical grocer has traveled an average of 1,500 miles

Industrial food has decreased our food diversity

• Historically we cultivated up to 7000 species of plants
• Today, 90% of our food comes from 15 plant and 8 animal species
• Biodiversity is important because a varied gene pool helps with natural pest and disease control as well as providing a more complete nutritional profile for our plate

Industrial food increases our chances of food borne illness

• Many processed animal products are made from a pool of thousands of animals from multiple sources. One diseased animal can contaminate thousands of pounds of product
• Even fresh produce can be pooled and repackaged before sent out to retailers
• These practices and others make it all the more likely for contamination and food borne illnesses to occur.

Fresher food, grown locally without chemical fertilizers and pesticides IS no doubt healthier for us – more nutrients, less contaminants – both chemical and microbial, less green house gasses, less pollution.

Do we need yet another multi-million dollar study to prove this to us? Don’t you know it in your gut?

It’s within our power to choose to commit to the principle of supporting sustainability and biodiversity for our food supply, though it’s not always the easiest (but surprisingly sometimes is) route to getting a meal into our stomach.

The beauty of moving toward a healthier food model though is – it isn’t an all or nothing proposition. We can slowly take steps towards improving the quality of what we put into our bodies. After all, we are worth the effort.

One way to start no matter where you shop is to cut back or stop eating altogether, processed foods: frozen dinners, canned soups, baked goods, etc. Buy and eat more vegetables and fresh meats. While many items may not be local you are reducing your consumption of industrialized foods.

Another place to start is your local farmer’s market as these markets have rules ensuring vendors are local. Peruse the items, shop, taste – learn what’s in season. Take home something new to try.

Another way to eat local and fresh is to plant a vegetable garden. Yes!
It can be anything from a few pots in a sunny spot on the front stoop or balcony to your entire backyard or maybe even replacing your front lawn.

It may very well be that the Victory in the Victory Garden is that of reclaiming our food – the source of our energy, vitality and health.

No matter how or where in the process you start, the important thing is to remember that every step, big or small, is a step towards a healthier food model which translates into a healthier you.

Eat your veggies!

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