After reading quite a bit of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, I've both learned a lot about the food industry and multiple ways to locate produce grown in nearby farms. Before I started this book I did have some knowledge on the basic process of our food system, but I had no idea the extent of the damage that has been done to the variety of seeds available to us. It really hit me hard when I read the section explaining that the produce in our grocery stores don't taste nearly as good or have all of the nutritional benefits that many of the now scarce types of native produce have naturally.
I really liked the section that explained how heirloom varieties naturally contain all of the essential vitamins humans need and that including as many different colored foods as possible in our diets is a good rule to go by. The author definitely argues a strong case for buying food locally, as it benefits nearly every aspect of our lives. Taking the time for a slower meal helps bring people closer, assures the quality of food, and provides actual nourishment. Once the pros and cons are laid out, it's hard to find a reason not to start eating locally.
I was pretty shocked to learn how the majority of the money we spend at the grocery store doesn't go to the farmers, but to the fuel costs and packaging of the food. It's really disturbing to realize how far food travels before we digest it, and how insanely pointless that really is. Not only does our current food system benefit oil companies rather than the farmers and society, it means we have to settle for mediocre tastes. It becomes clear how skewed the system's priorities currently are when we realize nutrition is replaced with unbreakable, (easily transported) food.
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