Ignorance Is Bliss

Hello... Just thinking about some of the books I've read lately, and where this has been leading my mind... "Animal,Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver leaps to the fore. In it, a family decides to feed themselves for a year, without being too precious about it all. After all, they live in a very beautiful rural area and can get so many things locally. They still buy the things they can't get from the region such as coffee and olive oil( Salt for that matter!), but manage, with their huge garden and poultry, to make more food than they can consume on their own.

Do you think that people enjoy their disassociation with the food they eat, and become uncomfortable when they ask themselves where it actually comes from? Are they afraid of what they might find out? This struck me in the supermarket today (yes I need milk and cream, and dairy is so regulated that that is where I have to go), as I passed asparagus from South America, apples from China, and umpteen other products that come from the other side of the world. What is it about our society that says it's OK to do this? Sure it's convenient, but at what cost? Why does it cost more for us to buy our own produce than it does imported produce? Why are there "sales" on meat products that we know nothing about in terms of its food and life prior to the point it appears in our supermarket refrigerators? Why do "tomatoes on a vine" cost more than other tomatoes? They ALL grow on vines!!

These things strike me as being at the forefront of our current global warming crisis... The amount of money that it costs to send this produce around the world, the amount of fossil fuels used to power the vessels/vehicles, the greenhouse gasses produced are mind boggling in scope. I can't grow citrus or coconuts here in Muskoka(yet!), but I sure can grow my herbs, and vegetables, and one day I hope , my own meats. It makes sense to buy things that one cannot produce at home, or have locally available from one of our fantastic local producers, but it does NOT make sense to buy the things we already have here at home from the other side of the world.

The benefits of locally produced foods are huge! First of all, we inject our hard won money into the local economy from the ground up, benefiting our farmers, cheesemakers, etc. We know what goes into our poultry and meats, and how they are raised, through interaction with the very people who raise them. This knowledge is important, enabling us to steer clear of any drugs/ hormones/ pesticides that may be in commercially raised foods. Best of all, THE TASTE! The ability to eat something picked the very morning that you eat it is awesome in this world of airmile produce. It's healthier, more ecologically sound, and with more time, sustainable. We CAN feed our selves!

Admittedly, here in the north, we do not have the luxury of the growing season enjoyed by the Kingsolvers, nor the extended variety of foods enabled by a more temperate climate, but we DO have a fabulous amount of food grown here in the Muskokas, and it is produced by committed caring farmers and producers! If there is something you can't live without that comes from afar, than get it, but look no farther than your local farmers market to get most of what you need. Here at the end of July, we're going into the salad days of summer as the early crops are already out, with more and more ripening by the week!

I hope this points your thoughts in the direction of your stomach, and what you put in it. Look to your local Farmer's Market, and try some really good food! If you can't make the market, get someone to bring it to your door, the service is out there!
Next time, I'll profile some of the producers that make Muskoka so tasty!
Cheers!

- Chris Wagland - The Muskokavore

Think Globally - EAT Locally!