The Everlasting Apple ~ Vida Bonita

How old would you say this apple is? It looks pretty normal. It feels pretty normal when you pick it up. No discoloration. Looks pretty good. No reason not to eat it, right?

Well this apple has been sitting in my office refrigerator since before Christmas break. So 3+ months. Gross.

Matt and I signed up for Netflix and intended to cancel it after the free 3-month trial. Of course that hasn't happened yet because there's just so much interesting stuff on there. I am a total documentary junkie. I especially like documentaries on food and farming. I've also been reading some books on farming. If you have any interest, I really liked the book "Farm City." It's about a woman who lives in the ghetto of Oakland, California and she created her own little farm using an open plot of land next to her apartment. The book is really entertaining and funny, and it also makes you realize how much effort goes into producing food. It makes it painfully clear that what we pay at the grocery store is grossly under priced if we actually think about the inputs of producing quality food.

So the reason why I think it's gross that this apple is perfectly fine after 3+ months is what the heck type of stuff is put into or on this during its growth to make it last this long?? Our food is supposed to decay. What is all of the processed food doing to our digestive system if it doesn't naturally break down? What are we so willingly putting into our bodies? This is produce for crying out loud! This should be the ideal food to put in our bodies. If this isn't breaking down, what can be said for all of the boxed meals that we put into bodies? What about cheaply made convenience foods?

Yesterday morning I watched the documentary "Killer at Large." It specifically discusses the obesity rates of children and how much sugar and processed food goes into the meals provided by the school systems. What makes matters worse is that the system of payments to the school by the USDA is essentially built around providing nutrient deficient foods to meet calorie requirements. A tator-tot is considered a vegetable. Yes, you read that right. Now, I'm not a parent and so I try to be careful about the things I say I am going to do in terms of parenting until I've walked in those shoes, because something tells me that choices made based on convenience and time are a whole new ball game when you have someone who demands so much of your time. I am especially convinced that this is true because when I am super busy with work, I just eat what ever I can find because there's no time to prepare. Fortunately, I typically stock my work fridge with healthy options so I am forced to eat those items instead of something that may taste better. Essentially, when you're short on time you eat what is available to you. I can imagine that this is why many of moms spend a lot of time in drive-thrus.

The more that I read and watch, the more I am convinced that I just need a little farm of my own and should just produce my own food. There are two limitations that come to mind with this. First, I'm a little short on the funds to just go out and buy a farm. Second, I am extremely short on time to facilitate such an endeavor. The concept is awesome, but even with extreme interest, I don't even have time to be writing this blog. Maybe when I am done with this school business, I may have some more time but some how I doubt it. So what is a girl to do? Just put the fate of my health in someone else's hands? Those that are driven by profit rather than health and quality?? In the mean time Matt and I have joined the Oklahoma Food Co-op. Through the co-op we are able to buy foods such as meats and breads (there's 1000s of options) that are all grown or produced in Oklahoma. This reduces the transportation (and thus emissions) of our food which helps our carbon footprint. Matt argues that the per unit emissions may be higher because we are shipping much fewer items than those shipped to grocery stores, so that's up for debate. I guess I could do a study comparing local vs. mass purchased food one day. That day is not today. We also get the benefit of supporting local producers and promoting the local economy. I am also convinced that the items that we purchase are fewer in additives and preservatives and they list the ingredients which tend to be things that I can pronounce which is a plus. I was watching a documentary called "Farmageddon" and someone said that if you can't pronounce the ingredient, you shouldn't eat it. The downside to the co-op is that some items are more expensive, such as a pound of ground beef. It is really difficult to sell a concept when the cost is higher. This is really about prioritizing. I also try to think about it from the standpoint of the cost of a meal. Eating out typically costs Matt and I around $30. I am convinced that the quality of food served at most sit down restaurants in only a slight step above fast food. I don't really trust anything that tastes exactly the same no matter where in the country you eat it. For example, if I gave you a recipe for my mom's chicken and dumplings, undoubtedly what you make and what I make will taste a little different, even if we follow the same instructions. You may use more water or add more broth. You may use a different brand of flour and your chicken would probably come from a different producer. If I go to Chili's and order the buffalo chicken salad, it's going to taste the same every.single.time. I think this is concerning because for it to taste exactly the same, their food must be pretty prepackaged and all coming from the same place and shipped out and distributed accordingly. Okay, so say that meal at Chili's for the both of us costs around $30. Well I could buy items from the co-op and undoubtedly make a similar meal for less than $30 and probably have left overs so that covers lunch the next day. I also get to stay home and eat and visit with my husband. I could also have a glass of wine with my dinner with a per glass cost of about $3 instead of $7-9. And I get the added health benefits. SO, I'm saving money and my body. I do have to take the time to prepare the meal and have to actually do the dishes myself, but is that really too high of a cost?? Like I said, this is more about priorities.

Now don't get me wrong. I don't always eat right. Not even close. I love love to go out to eat with Matt or with friends, or to spend time with family we usually go eat some meal that isn't good for us. It's part of our culture, and a part that I enjoy. I just worry about the long term consequences of the concepts our society is built around. Who says that we are entitled to have everything that we eat taste good? Who says that everything we eat should be minimally time consuming? Isn't nourishing ourselves one of the most fundamental things we do as living creatures? Should our input time really be soooo low? Meanwhile I work 12+ hour days in front of a screen to produce papers that may or may not mean something one day. And at what cost? What if I come up with some really great novel concept that changes the way the world views the environment? But then I die at 50 because I was a slave to my work instead of taking care of myself and my family. These are the difficult decisions that we make every day and I'm not sure we are getting it right, myself included.