An evening rant.

I don’t necessarily want to knock on Chipotle here—Here’s my disclaimer: I think they do have good principles; sustainably sourced food is always a plus for a chain restaurant.

However, the new ads that are all over the metro just piss me off. My least favorite says the following: “We wanted to have farmers in our ads, but big burritos sell better than lessons on sustainable farming.”

Wait a minute! Why can’t lessons on sustainable farming sell? Is our society than shallow that we will only pay attention to a mouth-watering burrito over the future of our planet?

Okay, yes, its marketing tactics, and I suppose they work on some level. I get it, they are a sustainable company and burritos are yummy… but it bothers me still, the message is all-wrong.

Yes, this rant is a little, well there’s not much to it, except the fact that the ad annoys me so much on my way to work everyday. And, hey, what do I have this blog for anyways?

Certified Organic: The importance behind label

I find that individuals, who start to buy “sustainable food” items, often fixate on buying solely organically certified products. While this is a good step, to begin thinking about our food—organic is not synonymous with sustainable. It is a common misconception we have as consumers prone to marketing tactics and green washing of products.

As vulnerable customers, we need to remain wary of the product’s legitimacy. Labels can say “natural” or even “organic” without actually obtaining the certification—therefore the product is not necessarily complying with the regulations as it claims. Even with an “official seal” of organic, there is reason for question. Different organizations offer third-party certifications and while all claim to offer the best package of compliance rules and regulations, the specifics are not listed on the package. (And let’s be honest, who really is checking the company or label’s background when doing the week’s shopping?)

For example, the United States Department of Agriculture has it’s own set of guidelines, with the National Organics Program, but as we all know—any government program (Okay, any program really—but government in particular!) is accompanied by a great deal of compromise. This is not necessarily a negative component of our system; in fact, it is often one of the greatest aspects of it. However, in situations such as with food and agricultural policy, really do need strict guidelines and sacrificing standards and assurances may be in the best interest of the policy makers but not of the general public.


I am not claiming that organic certified products are bad here—it certainly is a step in the right direction and good when it claims are fulfilled. If nothing else—green washing or not—the mainstreaming of organic food instills awareness in the public. It is merely important to remain conscious of the information we are fed and to be cautious concerning the matter of what our food claims to be and what it, in fact, contains.

The Cost of Food Part II

Can sustainable food be ethical if it is socioeconomically un-just? A peek at the American food system and why we need a change.

I feel the need to the write a follow-up to my previous post, The Cost of Food. In reference to a comment stating that sustainable food is a result of privilege and access—and I agree. Yes, I am privileged in that respect—I have access and the choice, there is no denying that. And yes, I do choose to prioritize both my time and money to ensure my food is more sustainable, for the reasons I have explained.

I should, however, clarify that when I talk about the need to eat sustainably and make the sacrifices to do so, I am talking about people that are able to do that. Let me be clear that an overwhelming number of people, who are able to do so, choose not to. I am not denying the fact that there are people who do not have the means to guarantee their next meal, let alone debate between organic versus local vegetables.

Herein lies the problem with the American food system. Quick lesson: government subsidies are provided to large corporations that manufacture unhealthy food at a cheaper cost, creating the situation we have today where it is cheaper to buy a bag of chips and a soda than apples and milk. For people who struggle to make ends meet, the concern is not centered on if the food is ethical, but rather if the price is affordable. The affordable food is not ethical nor is it healthy—hence the health crisis. But the system does not have to be this way; it is not something that we should take as it is. The richest nation in the world should not be food insecure; Food security is not only defined as access to food, but as access to nutritious food.

Is this too communistic for you? I am not advocating for handouts here, rather I think market-based solutions can be found that do not compromise the livelihood of the consumer not the future of the planet. I am not naïve to think that we can change the system overnight or single-handedly. Nevertheless, I am still idealistic enough to believe that with effort, with a movement and with collective steps, a difference can be made. And part of that is making the effort to do what you can in your own life.

So, to reiterate, often eating sustainably at this time in our society is a privilege. However, if you are privileged enough to be able to do that—than it’s a good place to start and then the next step is to insure that sustainable food is not a privilege, but a right.

The Cost of Food

The other day a friend of mine asked me if my groceries cost me more than normal people. My first response was to question the integrity of the question—excuse me, what qualifies “normal people”? After thinking about it—I said, yes, when I go to the organic market, the farmers market, or even the Supermarket, my food probably does cost me more than “the average person.”

But, then again, maybe not—I buy lots of fruits and vegetables, I don’t buy meat, I don’t buy ultra-processed snack foods… I buy whole foods (no, not the store), raw foods, and ingredients. Regardless of the cost of my actual groceries, the cost-benefit (what up, economics!) analysis will still come out in my favor if I am paying more for my food in order to ensure that it is good for me.

The taste is the most common reason. Paying for higher quality food just plain tastes better and I enjoy what I’m eating. When it costs more, I am more conscious about my appreciation for it. (See previous post to hear more of my ranting on this matter!)

Beyond the obvious, the health benefits from eating better quality food also weigh into the cost. Paying the higher price for food, the health care costs are often reduced. As epidemics of diabetes and obesity are becoming bigger issues for the public, the cost of healthy food that prevents these diseases is low in comparison.

The benefits behind the price of food do not stop on the personal level. The environment, of course, is another major reason to care about our food. The environmental impact of industrialized agriculture and farming the United States uses today is catastrophic. Buying food that has less of an impact may cost more at face value, but the long-term costs on the planet are far worse.

I am going to conclude with something that my vegetarian roommate (who is doing her best to convert me—into a vegetarian, that is) lives by. Although we spend more on our vegetables when we buy high-quality Organic, we still are saving money compared to the “conventional” shopper because we do not buy meat, which is expensive on all accounts.

So, “Average Shopper,” next time at the store, spend a little extra on the spinach and apples—it might be worth it at the end of the day.

Combining Flavors

Why is it that we always seem to separate our foods? Do we like the organization? Or is it the familiarity of that division? Think about a meal. The traditional meal is a “square” meal, as they say, separated into categories: a meat, a starch, a vegetable, etc. “The American Way of Life” teaches us that for Sunday dinner, we sit around a table, pass our plates, and eat that square meal for obligation’s sake.

But why don’t we have more emotion—some excitement—in our meals? Rid our plates of separation and bring in something mixed, scrambled, and stirred—those one-of-kind, no recipe needed, exotic foods that when asked about the recipe, you can honestly say: “No, I can’t give it to you, it’s only in my head.”

I made banana bread a few days ago. I had a couple very brown bananas and because I can never throw anything out to waste, I decided to make use of them. Banana bread is one of my favorite things to bake; there is something so delightful about turning fruit into bread. (And then when I eat it, I can pass it off as a fruit and not just bread—because I know there are in fact real bananas in it!)

One of the wonderful things about banana bread is that each recipe I find is different and there are so many different ingredients to mix into it: chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, poppy seeds…I have even put coffee in it (thank you Molly Katzan!). And this time, I added peanut butter. It made such perfect sense: I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches—so why not just combine all three in one!

Lesson of the day: Combine the flavors! Choose something you love and add it to something else you love. The chance that you will love the result is high. Use what you have and be creative! Don’t be afraid to take the chance to discover something new and unexpectedly beautiful.

Marketable Farming: Advocating the locally grown

This weekend, my roommate and I ventured out to the local farmers’ market and spent the morning soaking in the warm sun, the colors and smells of fresh produce and the friendly smiling faces of the local crowd. It does not take long in a great market to forget any reason to go into the overwhelming and falsely shiny grocery store ever again. Enjoying a morning out, and experiencing the friendly demeanor of both the vendors and customers is enough to put a smile on your face for the rest of the day.

While the large box grocery stores are selling more and more organic food, it does not beat the freshness of recently harvested produce. Despite the lack of the official certification seal, verifying that the food has been monitored and is safe, which is necessary to overcome the anonymity today’s grocery stores maintain; the farmers are right there to tell you anything you want to know about their product. The atmosphere of the market opens the dialogue between the producer and consumer that is impossible to match in a store.

Farmers’ markets allow a former farm girl turned city dweller, like myself, to access the local food of the region (albeit, nothing can beat walking out to the back field to grab a fresh tomato.) Normally, however, I am accustomed to standing on the other side of the table—for a vendor it is almost as important to spread awareness and information about the product, as it is to make a sale.

The local food movement has become more popular with the passing days as more people want to find out more and have the assurance by word of mouth that their food is healthy. Buying locally supports the small business over the corporate companies and contributes to the community development, both economically and socially.

While I think the markets still seem to be a niche for the select group of the locals, as the area expand and the crowds grow, something seems to be catching on. I don’t want to say that we are regressing back to the weekend market days and seasonal foods; but rather we should think of it as progressing towards a healthier relationship with understanding and appreciation for our Sunday dinners.

Buzz Words: Walking the Talk

Green, Sustainable, Locally Grown, Organic.... These words are popping up everywhere, and don't get me wrong—I am a totally on board with this. But, I can't help to feel that I these words are overused and becoming too commonly placed in everyday conversation to the point that sometimes we don't even know what they stand for anymore. Everyone seems to have their own description or idea concerning the recent growth of these terms. Using the buzz words can sometimes come off as pretentious or even worse lose the weight of their meaning. It is important in conversation to not forget the significance of them, but to continue to use them in order to promote a common language.

I tend to look at environmentally consciousness as something that is unique to each individual. It again, comes down to questioning the impact of our actions and understanding how those decisions affect others. The first rule of ecology teaches us that everything is interconnected; therefore, whatever aspect or sector we find ourselves drifting towards is connected to the others. The beautiful thing about this movement in time is that we can all choose something that is close to us and invest our efforts into that aspect of our lives—whether it is energy, agriculture, transportation, conservation or whatever else you can dream up. By combining our efforts and passions, we can all make a difference collectively.

The most important part of this movement is that we need to make sure that we are all walking the walk, as they say, and not just talking about it. Talking is important—it leads to the sharing of ideas and the changing of minds. This is where the buzz words enter the conversation, agreeing upon a common language promotes consensus in the movement. Once we can do that, however, we need to start living up to our big ideas and to make the changes we talk about.