Serious Solutions and the Food Revolution

"You say you want a revolution / Well, you know / We all want to change the world...
You say you got a real solution / Well, you know /We'd all love to see the plan..."
The Beatles, Revolution

There is a powerful movement going on right now- the movement away from processed, artificial foods and towards sustainable, local, real foods. The most exciting thing about this is, it's truly a win-win situation- we can eat foods are healthier and taste better while using our power as consumers to make a positive difference for farmers, farm animals, the economy, and the environment! You don't need to be an extremist or have a particular political viewpoint to participate in this revolution. It's a movement for realists, who want to make positive changes and take responsibility for their impact on the world. The food we eat at home and the recipes we post on this blog are part of the solution- examples of how we enjoy a real-food diet, cooked with local and sustainable ingredients. I provide vegetarian variations, and links to products that support the movement towards sustainable and responsible foods. Here are some great resources about how you can easily shift towards making the world better while enjoying great food. (Please check these out- just a click of the mouse and a couple of seconds!)


http://www.localharvest.org/
We are so fortunate to live in Davis- our farmer's market is open twice each week, year round, and offers a staggering variety of produce, eggs, meat, and local goodies. In fact, it was just voted the America's Favorite Farmer's Market! Use this website to find farmer's markets and family farms near you!




http://www.michaelpollan.com/omnivore.php
The Omnivore's Dilemma is a great read. It is a truly ground-breaking non fiction book, in which the author, Michael Pollan, tries to answer the question "what should we have for dinner?" A very even handed and fact based account of the history of the American dinner table. Pollan debunks fad diets, points out the reality that 'organic' and 'natural' have quickly become little more than marketing jargon, explains the historical events and political forces that have shaped our diet, and examines the dynamic and disconnect between Americans and our food. Pollan has also created a version for kids (age 10-16). Check out the resources on his website for more information about how you can improve your quality of life and make a huge difference for our world by becoming a conscious eater and conscientious consumer.



http://www.eatwild.com
Where's the beef? Right here! Eatwild.com is a great resource that can direct you towards local, natural, grass-fed meat! Support small farmers and improve the quality of life for farm animals by buying locally and consuming animals that were treated well and kept in good health.



http://www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html
Cornucopia provides a list of organic dairies, and rates them. If you want to go organic, this website will help you to use that choice to make a difference. It is easy to compare top-rated dairies, and see which brands are complete failures. Most brands are listed, so it's easy to investigate. For example, Archer Farms- the organic milk sold at Target stores nationwide only receives a rating of 1 (out of 5, with 5 being best). Target's organic milk is actually from cows living on factory farms. Their conditions are no better or healthier than cows on factory farms producing standard milk products, and they are likely exposed to all of the same stresses and pathogens, yet they do not receive antibiotics to prevent the spread of disease.



http://www.templegrandin.com/templegrandinbooks.html
Temple Grandin PhD, is an expert in animal science, and is famous for her lectures, books, and unique perspective. She is one of the most well known adults with autism in the world, and is passionate about making the world better for animals. In her book Animals Make Us Human, Grandin and uses her unique way of looking at the world and her expertise in animal science to explain realistic steps and innovative ways that we can improve the lives of millions of farm animals and pets in our country. She does not ask everyone to become vegan or vegetarian, and is a realist who eats meat herself- she simply takes an honest look at the factory farms, meat processing facilities, and lives of animals and farm workers, and she gives clear information about what each of us can do and how the industries need to change.



http://www.foodincmovie.com/
Food Inc is an eye opening documentary that takes the viewer behind the scenes of American factory farms, and examines what aspects of the food industry need to change. It features Michael Pollan, and is available for streaming/instant view on netflix. I highly recommend it. This film is not all doom and gloom- the ending will inspire and motivate, as well as give specific ideas about small changes and steps that you can take.



Think it over...

"Just because we can ship organic lettuce from the Salinas Valley or organic cut flowers from Peru doesn't mean we should do it, not if we're really serious about energy and seasonality and bioregionalism."

excerpt from The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan