Consuming Conciously

Tags: Consuming Consciously, Farmers Market, Farming, Fast Food, Fresh, Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, Junk Food, Natural, Organic

We live in a nation where the consumer is king. Cars drive by fast food restaurant
windows like clockwork, feeding families of six for less than twenty dollars. Then
one day, after years of consuming cholesterol-packed double-deckers, these families
decide they need to become more health conscious. Companies in return aim to
move toward “healthier options,” offering salads on their drive-thru menus. This
may seem like a well-balanced relationship; however, these salads will cost you
more than the average quarter pounder and fries.

The buzzwords used these days are “organic,” “natural,” and “fresh.” Health-
conscious consumers stream through the aisles of Whole Foods purchasing the
ripest, highest quality, “Certified Organic” fruits and vegetables that money can buy
– but you better believe it’s going to cost you. Has anyone wondered why organic
foods are practically double the price of nonorganic? Has anyone ever wondered
where these “certified organic” apples, the sizes of babies’ heads, actually come
from? Do we think twice while shopping, or do consumers put blind faith towards
the USDA and big businesses to feed us well for prices we can afford?

It would be nice to believe that our government would not allow us to eat foods that
are detrimental to our health, but the plot thickens when the dollar is involved. As
consumers, we should question the source of the foods we buy at the grocery store.

Corporate farmers are not required by the USDA to list the myriad of pesticides they
use on their product labels. These farmers can also grow “organic” crops a mere
one plot away from their genetically modified or GMO crops. The sheer proximity
often results in exposing the “organic” crops to factors like cross-pollination and
over-sprays of pesticides. However, upon meeting the loophole-filled criteria, these
crops may still be labeled as certified organic by the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).

One may speculate that there is an unholy union between government and big
business. But what is the true nature of this relationship and how does it affect us as
consumers?

An organization dedicated to promoting health, justice and sustainability is the
Organic Consumers Association (OCA). Made up of over 850,000 members and
volunteers, the OCA is the only non-profit organization exclusively focused on
promoting the views and interests of the nation’s estimated 50 million organic-
purchasin, socially-responsible consumers.

Recent studies by the OCA have found that approximately two-thirds of the products
found at Whole Foods have no business donning the certified organic label. Their
main distributor, United Natural Foods (UNFI), in actuality, provides food akin to

what is available at Wal-Mart or any other corporate market. These foods are far
from what we would believe is natural, and are oftentimes genetically modified and
doused with pesticides.

The UNFI claims their reason for labeling foods as “natural” is to sell them at a
reasonable price. If this was true, why do we find our natural products from Whole
Foods costing us more than the rollback prices you would find at Wal-Mart?

I know what many of you might be thinking: if I had the time and extra energy, I too
would become a self-sustaining farmer. This is exactly what the Stower family had
in mind. The Stowers, like many others, needed a way to feed their family of twelve
something they could trust was healthy and cost effective The Mana Storehouse
is a large and well-known food co-op run by the Stowers on their farm in Ohio.
Jacqueline Stower began ordering food in bulk for her family, and soon after, several
other members of the community asked if they too could gain access to the food
sources.

On December 1, 2008 the Department of Agriculture along with the FBI and local
law enforcement, raided the Mana Storehouse. One, if not more officers, allegedly
had their guns drawn during the unconstitutional raid. Police dragged Jacqueline
and her children down the stairs, detaining them in the living room for six hours.
Law enforcement seized computers, cell phones, the family’s cattle for the year, and
over $10,000 dollars in food stock.

There is currently a court case in progress with The Buckeye Institute (a coalition
of citizens dedicated to enhancing prosperity for people in Ohio) against the Ohio
Department of Agriculture. “The Stowers’ constitutional rights were violated over
grass-fed cattle, free-range chickens and pesticide-free produce,” said Thompson,
the institute’s Center of Constitutional Law director.

We must remember that, like most stories, there are two sides to everything. It may
very well be possible that the Stowers knew they needed a permit but chose to defy
the law. However, The Buckeye Institute sought “an injunction against similar future
raids, and a declaration that such licensure laws are unconstitutional as applied
the Stowers and individuals like them,” the institute said. “There has never been a
complaint filed against Manna Storehouse or the Stowers related to the quality or
healthfulness of the food distributed through the co-op.” Perhaps it is possible that
big business is pulling the strings in government to hinder the growth of smaller,
sustainable, innovative farming. Whatever your conspiracy theory may be, things
have gone rotten.

This information may come as a shock to many Americans who have not been
directly affected by these raids. However, there is a silver lining, because as
consumers, we have the power to make changes. If we want genetically modified
foods, pumped with hormones and sprayed with pesticides, than that is what we
will get. However, if it is sustainable and real natural products that we are asking
for, then it’s time to make the leap towards consumer consciousness.

It seems that everywhere we go people are talking about the new craze of
supporting the local, sustainable food market. The key to sustainable farming is
above all community cooperation. Utilizing environmentally-friendly techniques
while maintaining respect for the farmer, the consumer, and the animals is
imperative to creating a balance in the industry that is beneficial for all. Take a visit
this weekend to a farmer’s market in the Orlando area—Lake Eola, Winter Park
and Waterford Lakes are great choices. Feel free to ask the farmers where their
products come from and how you can grow your own. The more people that invest
in the local alternatives, the more inexpensive and available they will become. Take
this chance to learn what is in season and how to become creative with cooking.
We don’t need to transport our food cross-country in gas-guzzling semis. Why ship
oranges from California to Florida, when Florida is the citrus state? These types
of puzzling decisions lead to food that is not as fresh, gas that is constantly being
wasted, and time that could have been better spent. We as Americans need a shift
into what I call being “sensibly sustainable.”

In my travels, I became hooked on some fresh ideas found in local sustainable
market of Athens, Georgia. As I sat outside in the ally of Farm 255, a local restaurant
in Athens, I reviewed the fairly priced, mouth-watering menu. I choose to sample
the “Harvest Plate” and a cheeseburger – simple enough. Until two years ago, I had
never tasted food so fresh. The meat was grass fed from free-range animals and
the veggies were local, organic, and seasonal. No preservatives, no pesticides, no
problems. And let me tell you, while sinking my teeth into the best burger I have
ever tasted, boy did I feel like royalty.

Always remember, the consumer is king.

-Kelsey Fitzpatrick