Changing the world...in the ice cream aisle

So, this blog has never really been the "soapbox" type, or even really that much of a commentary on life. In fact, I don't think I've ever even had a posting without a picture! It's not because I do not like those type of blogs. I actually love reading about different people's "take" on things. One of my best friends just recently found out she's pregnant and started her own (hilarious) picture free blog about pregnancy and all the "wonderful" things about it! It's my new favorite. No, the reason my blog is mostly snapshots and a few captions about those pictures? Well, if we could add 10 more hours to the day, I still couldn't get everything done! I know every single one of you can relate with me, especially the working moms! I'd love to put all my thoughts about the day into words for everyone to see...but unfortunately, that time is normally taken up with work emails, bottle washing, and story book reading. But, today is a little different. There is something that has been on my mind for a while, and it all came to a head today - at the Whole Foods.

As most of you know, I was an Animal Science major in college. A lot of people take the class as a "pre-vet" track, but the class is really meant to teach the student how to manage a farm and about the food industry in general. We took classes in reproduction of farm animals, meat production, physiology and anatomy, and even a "slaughter" class where we slaughtered animals in the facilities on campus. (Yes, I went to school in southwestern Virginia). We were immersed, daily, in the ways of "big food". It never seemed weird to me that 7 companies basically own the genes to almost all the chickens in the world, and that cattle are raised on corn, in huge, jam-packed feed lots in the mid-west. This seemed normal to me. I understood the economics behind it. This is one of the ways that the poorer people in the country can afford food - business-like food production and government subsidies to farmers. I know that corn is subsidized like crazy and that farmers are actually paid to grow more than is necessary. That corn is put into everything, and that it's one of the reasons our country is a little plumper than it should be. All this I know. I have even been to feedlots, chicken houses, and commercial slaughter plants on field trips. These are places the general public is not normally allowed to see. I don't know if the companies are hiding something or if they are just afraid if people saw where their food came from, they'd all stop eating! Whatever it was, myself and my classmates where the people that these companies recruited to come work for them when we graduated - so they let us in, arms open. And again, this was all normal to me. It never bothered me at all. Until a few weeks ago...

Matt and I rented Food, Inc. from Netflix. I love all those Michael Moore documentaries, so I thought I would probably enjoy this one too. As the movie started, it showed the feedlots, slaughter plants, etc that you would expect. I even remember saying to Matt, "What's the big deal? I can't believe people don't know that this is where their food comes from. You want cheap meat, it's gotta be a business." My view changed about halfway through the movie.

If you haven't seen Food, Inc., I would recommend it. Oprah did an entire show special on the documentary. And, no matter how you feel before or after the movie, it's good knowledge to have. Anyway, the movie pressed on, and by about halfway through, they started concentrating more on the politics of our food industry. Like I said before, I know how subsidies work. I can't say I agree with it, but it's what I've known and I never really argued it. What I didn't know was that most of the heads of the government agencies that control our food safety either previously worked for, or still work for, some of the big food companies - Tyson, Con Agra, etc. And a lot of this insider stuff is what is responsible for a lot of our food safety issues. I'm not going to go into everything in this blog, you'd be reading for hours, but I think it says a lot for me, someone very familiar with the industry, to be upset. Can't really place the blame for this one on a political party either - happened on both sides. The guy who made the movie basically says, to send a message that this is not what you want to happen with your food, you need to buy the food that's not made/produced by these companies. They had a big segment on how Walmart introduced a huge Organic segment into their stores - and the guy's point was well taken - if a consumer can influence Walmart's buying, you can probably do it to any company.

So, where does this find the Phillips family? Matt and I talked about all of this after the movie. And, I have to say, makes you even more worried and upset once you have a child. A common theme in the movie, buy local. Not just the "organic" word thrown around all the time. Buy your produce in season if you can, from Farmer's Markets, buy your meat from local farmers when available. Now, all of these seem common sense right? Even helps out the local economy...but we're busy, and a one stop shop is SO easy!

This is where we have made some big changes in our house...and hence my epiphany in the ice cream aisle at Whole Foods today! :) I've always loved Whole Foods, who doesn't? I think if I won the lottery, the first thing I would do would be do all my shopping at Whole Foods. That place is amazing - fresh pasta bar, to die for bakery, every cheese imaginable, and you can't pass the produce section without wiping up the drool. But, like many people in our position, we just can't afford it. I'd go now and then for hard to find stuff, but not on a weekly basis. I look at the people who shop their weekly, and wonder two things...(1) can you hear a pin drop in your 401k? and (2) how much credit card debt do you have? Now, some people can do it, but I would guess that most can't...they are sacrificing elsewhere. Well, Matt and I decided that we wanted to make this change, and I was determined to make it work. Plus, a chance to go to Whole Foods each week is a special treat!

So, I made my menu list like I always do each week. Except, this time I didn't just pick the things I really wanted to eat for dinner, I picked only things that were "in season". What I could buy locally - either from the Farmer's Market or the local section in Whole Foods. I then decided that we would purchase all of our "not fresh" stuff from the commissary - toilet paper, cleaning supplies, water...well, you get the idea. We still save the same amount as before, plus the no tax thing is great. If the commissary carries a product that is "fresh" that I need and it's organic/local, I buy it there. Otherwise, I buy all my produce, dairy, etc from Whole Foods or the local farmer's markets. I did the initial experiment last week. And guess what, I spent the exact same amount as I would have at the commissary! This week I was within about $20 of my normal commissary bill. So, it took a lot more planning, and let me tell you, making a stop at each - the commissary, Whole Foods, and a farmer's market 9 months pregnant with a sleepy toddler, not super fun. But, I think in the long run, this is the best idea for our family, and probably a lot of others. Big business farms never really bothered me on the surface, but I don't like where things are going - something reminds me of banking in the fall of 2008....

So, what happened in the ice cream aisle of Whole Foods? I actually ran into a girl I went to college with - another Animal Science major. Crazy, I know. She has a little boy a little older than Jack. We got to talking - of course about our love for Whole Foods. Then, she asked why I shopped there. I gave her a condensed version of what I gave you. I asked the same question in return. Her answer, a little different. While she was pregnant, she ate something that was contaminated with salmonella and became very very sick. She ended up having her son at 28 weeks. Very early. Of course, I saw him today, so he's alive and doing well, relatively speaking. He spent months in the NICU and still has serious, daily issues. And to make matters worse, they found out that the company knew about the contamination weeks before the announced the recall. Something that could have saved her all this heartache. This is a story very similar to one in Food, Inc., and it really hit home. It was at that point that I was not only glad that we rented the movie but that we decided to make the change in our family.

Some caveats of course, I know I can buy "organic" places other than Whole Foods, but I like that they carry a lot of local goods. Buying local is as important to me - makes me feel better about the food, and the community. And, of course, I still have my little garden. Not going to feed an Army, but does well for us, and you can't beat a sun-warmed tomato fresh off the vine! So, like the movie says, plant a garden, no matter how small, and change the world.