Yesterday, complimenting the fruit and vegetable man at Stop & Shop for having such a wonderful selection of organic fruits and vegetables, Marash Girl launched into a discussion about the cost of healthy eating. How could folks afford to pay more than twice as much for a fruit or vegetable that was "organically" grown? Did that mean that only the middle class or more precisely the well-to-do could afford to eat healthy in the latest way? What did that mean for the poor? Were the wealthy going to live longer and healthier than the poor because they had the money to purchase foods that were organically grown? And if that was the case, what were we saying about our "democracy"? Is it a real democracy when some folks cannot afford to live in a district where their children can attend good schools, learn about foods that have not been chemically treated, and then get jobs that can pay for those foods?
The fruit and vegetable man swallowed hard and said, I buy organic milk for my children. . . For my children . . .
How much money does the fellow working in the Stop and Shop vegetable section earn? And how much does buying organic milk stem the tide against disease borne of eating non-organically grown foods? And what, in reality, are organically grown foods?
When Marash Girl and Marash Boy summered on top of Wilbraham Mountain, they planted vegetables, never sprayed, fertilized only by a crop of winter rye every winter to replenish the soil, compost, and crop rotation for good measure . . . They harvested peaches from peach trees that had been planted in the 1940's and had never been sprayed. . . . however, they did not live in isolation. The fallen neighbor sprayed his peach orchard regularly, even when the wind was blowing . . . He was acres away, but then, how far does the wind blow?
Don't kid yourself. Grocers are unionized and make a very good living (more than many professionals . . . do you know how much teachers earn?).
ReplyDeleteI live on a farm and happen to know that many of the local farmers have a difficult time keeping up with their expenses. Farmers grow the food and raise the animals.
Eating healthy has nothing to do with money. I have seen people on food stamps blow their food stam money on very expensive frozen foods, packaged foods, fast foods and/or junk meals. Rice, beans, fresh vegetables, etc. are a lot less expensive, and are healthier.
COMMON SENSE vs IGNORANCE in choice is the issue . . . NOT MONEY.
I agree with comment 1
ReplyDeleteEducation with regard to intelligent choices really do stretch the dollar.
It certainly is a conundrum. I spend most of my hard earned yoga money on organic produce. But, I seem to need less since I started spending more on good food.
ReplyDelete