We don’t hear much about food security. We should. I tried several Google searches to see if I could come up with an idea of how much of our food is imported. I must not have used the right search words, because I know the information is out there. The most recent study I found, which is quite old by now, says that we import 11% of our food. Of course that is the amount imported into the country from other countries. It doesn’t begin to talk about how food is produced and moved around inside of the US.
This search was triggered by a story I read about mercury in fish. I know that a lot of local people supplement their purchased food with what they bring home from hunting and fishing local streams and lakes. My dad was one of them. Previous studies about mercury in fish tested only lakes, but a new study is out that tested only streams. 100% of the fish taken out of these streams had dangerous levels of mercury.
Between tainted fish and food supplies that can be interrupted by a rock falling on to an interstate highway, our food security is not good. The more you look, the worse it looks. Food production has increased when measured by things like production per acre, but the chemicals used in producing the product is creating unintended consequences. Everything from Type II diabetes to heart disease can be traced to the foods we consume, and the production methods used in producing them.
This food insecurity is shameful locally. We live in an environment where almost anything we put into the ground, if we sustain it with water, will grow. Yesterday’s Sentinel had a story about community gardens, and a want-ad looking for temporary farm workers. Agricultural workers coming from other nations are another risk to our own food security, but that is a topic for another day. During WWII, Victory Gardens were a national phenomenon that grew out of the need for food security.
My housemate planted onions, spinach, carrots, and radish yesterday. We already grow apricots, raspberries, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, chamomile, mint, and rosehips. As the weather warms up, we will plant even more food. Last year I took out some flower gardens in favor of food products. Every one of us can do a little to improve our own food security. Except my dad--He’s still at the VA hospital unable to swallow any food or water.
Homework:
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1917458,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden
http://www.celebrityhealthfitness.com/?p=1848
http://www.epa.gov/fishadvisories/advice/
http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/u-s-streams-fail-the-test-all-fish-found-contaminated-with-mercury/
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1917458,00.html
This search was triggered by a story I read about mercury in fish. I know that a lot of local people supplement their purchased food with what they bring home from hunting and fishing local streams and lakes. My dad was one of them. Previous studies about mercury in fish tested only lakes, but a new study is out that tested only streams. 100% of the fish taken out of these streams had dangerous levels of mercury.
Between tainted fish and food supplies that can be interrupted by a rock falling on to an interstate highway, our food security is not good. The more you look, the worse it looks. Food production has increased when measured by things like production per acre, but the chemicals used in producing the product is creating unintended consequences. Everything from Type II diabetes to heart disease can be traced to the foods we consume, and the production methods used in producing them.
This food insecurity is shameful locally. We live in an environment where almost anything we put into the ground, if we sustain it with water, will grow. Yesterday’s Sentinel had a story about community gardens, and a want-ad looking for temporary farm workers. Agricultural workers coming from other nations are another risk to our own food security, but that is a topic for another day. During WWII, Victory Gardens were a national phenomenon that grew out of the need for food security.
My housemate planted onions, spinach, carrots, and radish yesterday. We already grow apricots, raspberries, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, chamomile, mint, and rosehips. As the weather warms up, we will plant even more food. Last year I took out some flower gardens in favor of food products. Every one of us can do a little to improve our own food security. Except my dad--He’s still at the VA hospital unable to swallow any food or water.
Homework:
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1917458,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden
http://www.celebrityhealthfitness.com/?p=1848
http://www.epa.gov/fishadvisories/advice/
http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/u-s-streams-fail-the-test-all-fish-found-contaminated-with-mercury/
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1917458,00.html
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