“Globalized industrialized food is not cheap: it is too costly for the Earth, for the farmers, for our health.
The Earth can no longer carry the burden of groundwater mining, pesticide pollution, disappearance of species and destabilization of the climate.
Farmers can no longer carry the burden of debt, which is inevitable in industrial farming with its high costs of production.
It is incapable of producing safe, culturally appropriate, tasty, quality food.
And it is incapable of producing enough food for all because it is wasteful of land, water and energy.
Industrial agriculture uses ten times more energy than it produces. It is thus ten times less efficient.”
― Vandana Shiva
A small reminder of the crossroads we find ourselves at in these times of ecological destruction.
This was something I was discussing with those attending last Saturday’s workshop and how we can all grow something, no matter how small, to add to our daily diets.
The old concept of growing food to the end of it’s lifespan and harvest is no longer considered the only way.
Micro-greens, that is, growing until a small, but perhaps more nutritious harvest is produced and continues to produce, is now considered to be a viable option.
In this way, we can all grow some of the essential nutrition we need for health.
The way to use these small harvest can be as simple as a salad, or even a stir-fry, (one of my favourite meals this year!).
The essential thing is to move away from corporate “hunger” food as much as we can manage.
Hunger food is what is passing in the western world as food, which it is quite patently, not!
This mass-produced, processed stuff is causing us to be both ill and dangerously overweight.
We know it, yet are almost paralysed to extract ourselves from the catastrophic loop! There has never been as much food available or as much prescription medicine doled out!
It’s not difficult to connect the dots!
It is also not difficult to grow food, even without a garden, balcony or even window box. Sprouted beans are incredibly nutritious and can be added to any diet.
Seeds and grains can be added to the simplest of dishes…seeds are easily saved, even from nettles! Foraging in hedgerows and wild areas can produce nutritious add-ons to most diets. I often foraged in small wild areas when living in London. Alys Fowler, among many others, has written some excellent books on the subject. Solving a big problem begins with small, manageable steps!
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