Barbara Kingsolver and her family decided to live for one year on food that they either grew or raised themselves, or could find locally. This book details that year-long experiment and opens the eyes of the reader to some of the underhanded tricks of agribusiness and to the consequences of the big business conglomeration of our food sources.
If you want to go for a double whammy, I would recommend the book, In Defense of Food, as a companion. Together they may change the way you think about the food you eat.
It's funny that Time came out with an article in the Aug. 31st '09 issue titled, "The Real Cost of Cheap Food," which details some of the issues brought up in the book. I recommend the article, too, while you're at it. (The link will only take you to a picture of the cover, because at the writing of this post, this is the current issue of the magazine and so the article isn't available online yet).
So read, and then go to your local farmers market, or begin planning your garden for next year.
With my tiny yard in the desert, I'm afraid I won't have my dream garden. But I did just find out about a new farmer's market nearby - thanks for the reminder to check it out!
ReplyDeleteHi adrienne!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to live in a garden-friendly place right now. I'm not that great at watering, so the desert is out for me (although I have lived in one before).
I love, love this book! However, I took things a bit too far, and because we couldn't get the supplies from a suitable source, we went without fresh veg for a looong time. I've got it more in perspective now!!! It did change my life though and in such a positive way :)
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Hi Yarrow!
ReplyDeleteIt really does make you think about your food choices and their consequences. I know that I'll be planning more things in my garden and I'll be visiting the farmer's market a lot more.