Mad Cow....Chicken, Pig, Soybean

I made the brilliant mistake last week of watching "Food Inc." on PBS. Brilliant because wowee oh wow did I need to have my eyes opened to what my family and I are actually ingesting. A mistake because now I have my eyes opened to what my family and I are actually ingesting. I question everything that goes into my mouth these days, wondering where it actually came from, how it was raised, etc. Do I still eat these questionable things? Well, yeah. I don't want to starve. But I of the iron stomach, who will eat (and very nearly have eaten) almost anything, find myself queasy as I pass by fast food restaurants and panicky as I peruse the grocery store aisles, wondering what's safe.
If you haven't been privy, yet, to this documentary, you're probably getting talked out of it right now. But don't. It is SO important to be aware of these things in our lives and I have put off this topic, amidst many others, basically because I'm lazy. It's tough to change. But I would rather be slightly inconvenienced and know that I am making healthier choices for myself and my kids. The synopsis of Food Inc. is basically that our food and the way it's raised are being determined by the almighty dollar. Giant fast food chains as well as a handful of manufacturers are monopolizing the food industry and have found ways to cut corners that are horrifying. Just one example: beef. Cows were designed to roam grassy fields, chewing their cud and naturally fertiziling the ground upon which they live (if you catch my drift). Instead, the powers that be have found that it's cheaper and quicker to corn-feed cattle and raise them in mass quantities upon flat expanses of muddy acreage. The short story here is that this has led to e. coli infestation in these animals. Rather than going back to the natural way of things, however, industry has instead found high tech ways of "cleaning" our meat before it finds its way into our burgers. One such way being meat "filler" that has been showered in an ammonia mixture. Grossed out yet?
In James's and my quest to become healthier and raise healthy kids we find that this food issue is not one we can ignore, especially having been educated by this film. I was outraged at how my food is being controlled and misused, and, darn it, I intend to do something about it. What, you may ask? Going organic is one way. I love stores like Trader Joe's who give me multiple options in this area. We also intend to start buying more local produce and livestock. I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting the start-up of farmers' markets in my area. If you live in the Chicago area check here or here for a list of local markets. I also hope to check out the Green City Market located downtown (which is year-round - woohoo!). We also are interested in things like fruit and veggie co-ops (still learning about those) and buying a cow. Seriously. Not to raise (though I'm tempted) but bought direct from a farmer and then butchered for us by a local butcher. It all sounds pretty extreme right? Well, extreme times call for extreme measures I guess. I know it probably means slightly more cost and time investment for us, but in the end I see it as worth it. Now, realistically, does this mean I will never again visit a fast-food chain or pick up produce at such-and-such grocery store? Of course not. But can I work to make changes, however small, to produce dividends of benefit for my family in the long run? You betcha.
Seriously, see Food Inc. All ignorance ever produces is more ignorance, and I refuse to believe that is truly bliss.