Independence Day, 2009

I'm taking Independence Day seriously this year. I thought about what the holiday means, and I think I've found a way to celebrate it more in my life. I'm not about to declare myself a sovereign state (maybe July 4th, 2010?), but I'm finally going to change my consuming habits in order to make a statement. Daniela and I talked about it this morning, and after a trial run, we're going to buy shares in a CSA (Community-Supported Agricultural) farm.

After a few articles online, films, books, and NPR interviews, I'm convinced that food in America is a serious problem. We eat (I'm included in this) foods that lack almost any nutritional value. Like a recent Daily Show interviewee (Robert Kenner) said, 1/3 of Americans born after the year 2000 will have adult-onset diabetes. It's all thanks to the food we eat. It's not just convenient foods either, even tomatoes from the supermarket lack nutritional value (and taste). Everything has been genetically modified to look pretty, keep longer, and be cheaper. So, enter the CSA idea.

Farms that sell CSA shares are usually small and local (the one that D and I are looking at is certified organic and based in Whatley, MA). You pay anywhere between $325 and $800 a season for a portion of what the farm produces. If we were already members, last week we would have received some combination of the following: Lettuce, Napa Cabbage, Kale, Garlic Scapes, Parsley, Salad Turnips, Radishes, Zucchini, Squash, Green Beans, French Fillet Beans, Peppers, Purple Top Turnips, Beets, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Strawberries, and Melon. We're only looking at a half share (10 lbs. a week) which will run us less than $500 (we won't have to pay for the weeks we've missed so far this year) for fresh produce through November. My problem isn't so much the fertilizers or the pesticides (although I am concerned about them) it's about the varieties grown and their nutritional content. The diabetes comment that Robert Kenner made scared the crap out of me (especially if one of us is more susceptible to diabetes), and when is there a better time to stand up and say "I'm not eating this shit anymore" than Independence Day? The organic farm that we're interested in has a stand in Davis Square on Wednesdays, so I'm going to buy 10 lbs. of whatever they happen to have, and see if D and I can eat it before it goes bad. This will require us to find some new recipes and change our eating habits a bit (what exactly is Kale?), but I think it's going to be hella worth it.

Happy Independence Day!