Growing Hope

I cannot ever remember a time in this country when a couple without children's average monthly grocery bill has been higher than the average monthly rent for a one, or two bedroom flat. A poor grain harvest, and high fuel prices are said to be the two biggest price drivers as grain is used to feed to raise the meat livestock as well as for bread. Every food product travels by road, sea, air, or combinations of all three, and all these methods of transport require fuel.

It takes eight tonnes of grain to produce one tonne of consumable farmed meat, and fish so it also follows that for every ounce of meat/fish protein you eat you are also ingesting eight ounces of grain carbohydrate, and unless you are undertaking high intensity activity this will be stored by your body as fat as the protein you have ingested will be used for normal low output.activity. This medical fact may be a highly significant factor in the obesity epidemic we are witnessing, and is one of the reasons those who can justify the extra expense are buying pasture raised meat, and line caught fish which are two of the main components of the increasingly popular paleolithic (pre-agrarian) diet, and lifestyle.

Vegetables, and fruit bought from the mass market retailers are force watered to increase their weights because as consumers we tend to buy based on appearance rather than flavour, and nutritional value per pound, and tend to have accrued more food miles in their journey from grower to point of sale, which means they are less fresh and create more of an environmental impact.

I would like to close on a positive so hear are some steps you can take for you and your family that will greatly increase the quality of produce you consume, and will save you some of your hard earned income.
1. If you have garden space go online and find out for free which fruits, and vegetable you can plant, how to bring your crops to maximum yield, and when to harvest. I speak from personal experience when I say this a tremendously satisfying thing to do, and there is an added satiety, and satisfaction the comes from eating food you have grown. There is plenty of free, helpful information online specific to your local area.

2. Do an online search to find your local Food Co-operative that sources good value, high quality local produce. You can even if you have the spare time do some good in your community through your local Food Co-operative by delivering produce to someone in your area who has difficulty with getting their groceries.

3. Go and meet local growers, and see if you can make some kind of arrangement, it does not have to be a cash arrangement you may have some skill, time, or product that you can exchange for fresh produce.