Where does your food come from?

Obviously food is something I care about and recently I’ve been caring a lot more about what I eat and where it comes from. So, I’ve been researching sustainable and organic foods.

Sustainable agriculture is beneficial in many ways. 

1. First it is better for the animal, they do not have to live in cramped cages – they are allowed to roam and consume nutrition, instead of being forced to eat corn and chicken byproducts, which is not their natural diet. 
2.  It is good for the environment. Industrial farms are responsible for more pollution than sustainable farms.  Their soil quality is poor, their air pollution is great and they have a ship across the country, which generates a lot of carbon emission. Sustainable farms rotate their plots and the waste from animals is used as natural fertilizer. They tend to serve local areas – so their transportation emissions are less. 
3. Finally, sustainable food is better for the consumer. Animals that are on a grass diet are less fatty and provide more nutrients than industrial farms’ meat. The grass-fed or free roam animals tend to be more filling and more tender because they are less processed than food from factory farms. Here’s my reasoning, when farmers care about what goes into their animals, then they care about what goes into me.

Now, let’s turn to organic foods. Organic foods contain less-pesticides than foods that come from large industrialized farms. The more chemicals you consume the more it affects your health. Many of the nation’s health problems are the result of over-processed and added preservative foods.

So, what can we do about it? We can get our groceries from local farmer’s markets or Whole Foods. When we go to restaurants you can ask them if they use local or free-range products and meats. If people show an interest in the lack of local products, restaurant owners will realize the problem and cater to their customers. If you have yard space, grow some vegetables. If you live in the city like me and have no outdoor space, try growing fresh spices like basil or parsley on your windowsill.

We need to start doing something about the over abundance of over-processed and unhealthy foods. Not only are we harming ourselves by consuming these foods, we are harming the environment and animals’ wellbeing. Support local businesses and farmers by going to farmer’s markets. And most importantly, start caring about how your food is prepared before it gets to your table.

Now it’s often difficult to eat organic especially on a college budget. But if we become more aware of what we are eating we will care more about how our food is prepared. I admit I don’t always eat organic, but I try to when I have a choice. And I’ve come up with some tips that can help you eat organic on a budget.

Tips:

Buy from Farmers’ Markets – it’s now the spring and many foods are in season. When buying from farmers markets, not only do you know where your food is coming from, you are reducing your carbon footprint because you are not eating foods that have traveled thousands of miles.

Freeze your food – during the summer stock up on fresh food. Then freeze them and save them for during the fall and winter when fruits tend to be more expensive.

Write down what you eat – by writing your meals not only can you preplan to buy from the store that is cheapest, you’re less likely to daily overeat. 




And if you want more resources on organic stores and restaurants in Philadelphia check out Farm to Philly.