As Spring has sprung, food has been on my mind quite often. With gardens popping up everywhere–including our yard–and with the Farmers Market opening day fast approaching, I can’t help but let food consume my thoughts. In our garden we have all the early spring stuff already planted–broccoli, carrots, spinach, arugula, kale, cauliflower, beans, peas, onions, and lettuce–and tonight we will add in some tomato and red pepper starts around the border. I. can’t. wait. for. tomatoes. seriously. Last night my lovely grandmother, who gardened most of her life, gave me a lot of things to make our gardening endeavor quite inexpensive. Thank you, Grandma! I’ve now got everything I need to can all of our produce at the end of the season, except the know how. So, learning about canning is something on my list of things to do this summer.
More food references: watching Food Inc. on PBS last night. Wow. I knew about the crazy industry treating animals in ways I can hardly think about without tearing up, but seeing this film and being reminded of it was something I was in need of. Seeing these poor animals and farmers being brought into this horrible machine of get-the-most-food-by-any-means-necessary-for-big-profit totally sickens me. And seriously, I want to cry thinking about it. So, I try not to, but I do act on my feelings. We already have cut meat out of our household, but we do eat it when we are out. Now? After watching this film and seeing not only the horrible treatment of the animals, but these messed up, money hungry, and also GIGANTIC companies running the “food show”, I really want no part of it. I want nothing to do with a company that treats animals this way. I want nothing to do with a company that treats their employees this way. (I’m referring to the companies rallying Mexican immigrants to the U.S. to work for them, and then turning a blind eye when these fine folks are getting arrested for illegally being in our country! Infuriating!) And, I really want nothing to do with a company selling this crap they call “food” to consumers. So? No meat for me. I don’t even want to buy anything in a box after seeing this movie! Veggies all around for me!
Oh, and one more thing! Check out the Eating Locally page I added to another website I write for with great ways to eat local and organic food. (For the Lafayette/West Lafayette folk, of course!)