Whole Story

We started buying Jeremiah Cunningham's World's Best Eggs as soon as I saw them on Whole Food's shelves. I've been deeply bothered by the treatment of chickens and think the food quality of caged chickens has got to be lower. Cage free designation just means the chickens aren't in a cage, not that they are roaming around freely. I was thrilled that someone started an egg company where the chickens are treated exactly as I would treat them. I just love these eggs and hope to see a lot more farmers doing the same thing with their meats, poultry, and dairy! Thank you Whole Foods for allowing me to buy in a store what I never thought would be possible!

I agree. We need to stop thinking of animals as simple food machines and start treating them like the intelligent, sentient beings they are.

We should care about eating organic. Organic fruits and vegetables are the best. But do we really need organic sodas and sparkling green teas... they are loaded with un-healthy sugars and costs so much more. In these times, it's important to eat healty and spend wisely.

We do need to look into this and educate the population to the hazards of Factory Farming. It would be better to support local and sustainable farming and provide means for more people to connect with farmers that are choosing these methods. If we do not stand up and seek change in the farming methods our children and subsequnet gernerations will not have healthy food sources.

For many people, eating meat is a sign of prosperity. The desire for cheap food drives factory farming - where the whole process is as cheap and dirty as possible. As long as our society continues to allow our desire for cheap food to dictate what we eat, we won't see any changes unless laws are passed to prohibit these types of practices. When I make my food choices, I also keep in mind that meat production is resource intensive, regardless of whether it is factory farmed or not. Meat should only be eaten in moderation, if at all.

For years, I've seen many of the info posted on this issue on the internet, and it I cannot understand why people continue to support such unsustainable ways of farming. I believe more and more people are wakening to the fact that we cannot continue this path. At our home, we are starting to grow our own vegetables, and raising chickens for eggs. We feed our chickens organic feed, and don't spray our property at all. We believe sustainability should start in the home...

The most meaningful way to stop contributing to global warming is to stop eating meat. You don't eat it, factory farms go out of business. It really is that simple. Instead of finding excuses for continuing to eat dead animals, just say no!

I'm telling everyone I know to read the Omnivores Dilemma, by Michael Pollen. The entire storyline revolves around where the ingredients for his meals are coming from. Clearly there is a large, thoughtful community of people just like Pollen and us, who for a variety of reasons are turning away from the old 20th century "Fordist" technology of factory farms and returning to find our "roots" in our local communities. There are many ways in which we can get back to basics. We can: Make mindful decisions about where we shop and what we buy. Stores such as Whole Foods are a great choice, but still not always "everyday" accessible to lower income families. Local growers-markets are becoming more economical and they are fun. We need to have a variety of healthy, sustainable choices. Cut back on meat. Pollens' book impressed upon me the stunning amount of energy that goes into the production of meat, so - my husband and I have cut way back and enjoyed surprising results, one of which is that we are really incorporating a lot more vegetables into our diets. That has to be better for us, right? We still get plenty of protein from beans and nuts and we eat 'meat' once or twice a week. The upshot is that 'meat' has become a treat to us, something that we appreciate rather than take for granted. And because we eat so much less of it now, we really take our time picking it out at the store and can buy the best cuts and choose organic which would have been cost prohibitive before. Another surprise our new lifestyle has offered us is a rediscovery of my love of cooking. Since our way of eating is changing, I have to find new and varied recipes for the weeks' menu, often vegetarian! I don't know much about vegetarian cooking -so I have had to delve into all sorts of new and interesting cookbooks. It's been a trip. Finally, I believe that buying local is the best thing we can do for the larger environment and for our own communities at the same time. If we support our local growers, they'll stick around rather than sell off to developers, and in turn we'll have more open space and less hopscotch development creating domino effects on the environment. Additionally, locally grown and raised means our food is more closely under our own watchful gaze where we can see if pesticides are being applied, too much water is being wasted, animals are being inhumanely raised, etc... Green markets such as Whole Foods help sustain these growers and ranchers. They help sustain our communities and so should we. Buy local!

I have wondered for a very long time why the government subsidizes corn and soybeans production on huge farms that monocrop year after year when neither high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated soybean oil apear on the food pyramid, thank god! So why don't they subsidize fruits and vegetables, grown sustainably and organically? A single farmer can receive hundreds of thousand of taxpayer dollars in subsidies to produce products that have been implicated in disease processes, go figure! Wish it was called the FOOD BILL rather than the farm bill, more people might pay attention to it!

I am so glad I found this blog. I am so new to this organic thing and just thought it was for rich people trying to eat healthy. Not know ing that this effects everyone. The benefits and how our food is produced so much information. How do we process all of this? I am sharing this with my kids tonight is family night! Thanks for the article.

I was posting on a breast cancer support site and one of the ladies was telling me how they are fighting in a community in SE Texas over the spraying of a chemical called Command. It is an herbicide and the active ingredient is clomazone. There is a list of 73 endocrine disruptors on the EPA's list... Clomazone is not on the list, but it has not been on the scene for very long, considering it was not the herbicide of choice for most farmers and not as much is published about it. In my opinion, the EPA is not being totally forthright in their information about ALL pesticide (which include herbicides). Command is used as a pre-emergence for crops like cotton, peas, pumpkins, soybeans, sweet potatoes, tobacco, winter squash, wheat and rice. The comment on the post was that there was at least a 7 mile drift from the herbicide, killing all in its path. The ecological damage was very apparent. I found an interesting argument involving its use and winter squash... The EPA is saying it is "a reliable supply in the food commodity". A "commenter" was making claims against the EPA. The "EPA has failed to conclude that the tolerance would be protective of the public health." Then went on to say, " the tolerance is unnecessary since there is 'no actual demonstrated need' for the proposed use of clomazone in order to produce an adequate or safe food supply and no emergency condition which is uncontrollable with herbicides for which tolerances already exist." The EPA concluded that the commenter incorrectly interpreted the standard for approval of tolerance under Federal Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act section 408. They claimed the commenter was trying to deny a "tolerance solely on the basis of a calculation of the risks posed by pesticide residues on agricultural products. Instead, the Agency must balance these risks against the benefits of the pesticide for food production." SOURCE: http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/herb-growthreg/cacodylic-cymoxanil/clomazone/clomazone/clomazone-tol-squash.html This is the agency that is saying what is and isn't okay to go into our food source. You know, the stuff we as moms (and dads) lovingly and trustingly give to our kids thinking it is 100% safe -- to nourish their bodies so they can grow to be strong and healthy? But at who's expense? Or who's gain? How much have chemical companies contributed to political campaigns? Indonesia is ahead of us: In 1986, Indonesia banned 57 types of pesticides. Farmers were taught Integrated Pest Management (IPM) -- where they are taught to distinguish between good and bad bugs, the good bugs being predators of the bad bugs. According to Sjamsoe Soegito of the Indonesian National Development Information Office, in 3 rice crop yields (18 months), farmers reduced the number of pesticide sprays from 4.5 to .5. The yield rose from 6.1 tons to 7.4 tons per hectare (2.471 acres). The government saved 50 million in pesticide subsidies. And the ecological impact has been nothing but good. How much oil can be saved (lowering demand) if farmers didn't have to treat their fields and crops several times a year? Again, back to supply and demand rules with oil... Less fuel needed, possibly lowering the cost of production? Lower prices in the store? Less government assistance needed? More supplies of oil available, thus lowering the price there as well? Would that be a realistic model? And how much does our federal government give to farmers to subsidize use of pesticides? How much of the money saved can be put back to THE PEOPLE for health care? Hmmm...