So the scenario is one that plays on an all too frustrating broken record. You’ve heard it and likely even asked it yourself before. Yes, it’s the ever boding question, “What’s for dinner?” What seems like a very uncomplicated question becomes one that most people regrettably resolve by microwaving an instant meal or grabbing fast food. In a convenience-driven society, we collectively make the decision not to think more consciously about our food choices. We want it hot and we want it now. We too infrequently ponder where the ingredients came from. But what if I told you there’s a little more to it than that?
As strange as it might sound, on a very basic level, deciding what to eat is much like voting. For every ingredient you buy, that is essentially a “vote” for that company which equates to additional demand for their product. This choice in turn then affects consumers around you. It becomes a sort of food footprint, if you will, that creates a rippling effect in the community discerning what and where certain types of food are readily available. Every time we make a quick, guilt-ridden food choice, it perpetuates that not so healthy meal’s existence. It’s a strange and vicious cycle that can easily be broken by simply slowing down and asking slightly different questions.
Hippocrates said, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." If we think this way about everything we eat, this may lead to healthier lifestyles and more time engaging with each other around the dinner table. This ancient philosopher was onto something!
In an effort to pay homage to our healthy New Year’s resolutions we made not long ago, we’ve decided to ask where our meals originate. We will be sharing a series of monthly stories focused on local farms and farmers. A closer look at how food makes it from farm to table may help us make better, more educated food choices and support our neighbor farmers in the process.
To learn more, read the stories below:
- March: Cartwright Family Farms
- April: Pungo-Tuck Beef Company
- May: Pleasure House Oysters