Food Inc.

This past weekend I went to see Food, Inc. at the Loft Cinema. Since I had read The Omnivore's Dilemma and a number of other books on the current state of food production in the U.S. I wasn't too surprised by the movie. But, if you haven't read about it, you might be surprised by some of what goes on. For example:

• The FDA can not recall contaminated food
• It is Illegal for a processor to test all cows for BSE (mad cow disease) which would make for safer beef
• Food manufacturer's say the more food recalls are good thing.

And in case you are wondering about the current food recalls, you can check the FDA itself. As of today, they list 19 food recalls in the last 12 days. More than one a day!

Now it might seem as though you can't do anything to change the way our food is processed and sold, but it turns out that you, the consumer, wield all the power. You are the one choosing how food is manufactured and sold in the U.S. And you have the power to change it if you don't like it; the easiest way is by being selective when you shop.

For example, Walmart no longer uses rBST milk in their private brand. They don't make a change like this because they believe it is in the best interest of your health, nor do they do it out of concern for the cows. They do it because people would buy the non-rBST milk instead of the Walmart milk and they saw that by changing they could increase profits. So you see, simple changes can have large effects.

What other changes can you do?

Shop at Farmers markets. You can search Local Harvest to find one nearby. Just about everyone will find a market close by where they can get fresh, local, and organic food, meet and talk with the grower, and try foods you might not have found elsewhere.

Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). I'm a member of the one in Tucson, and think it is the best thing I've ever done in terms of eating. Every week I get a share of fresh vegetables (generally eight items) that are grown in a sustainable organic way. And I know it's so, because I've been to the farm. I've spoken with the people that grow what I eat. I've seen how my food is grown and harvested. In fact, on farm visits, I've even picked some of my food. You can search for CSAs at Local Harvest, too.

Buy local. Not just local food, but local anything. Your money will stay in your community, helping it to grow and prosper. And isn't that what we all want -- a prosperous, vibrant community? After all, it's where we live.