Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

---| The Politics of Eating Local |-------------------------

     Most of us city folk consider "the food industry" to be 
     a thing rather than a person, writes Barbara Kingsolver
     in the May/June issue of Mother Jones, but it is real
     people that grow the fruit and vegetables in our 
     supermarket carts, families who have often put a year 
     of labor into producing our food. The prices of organic
     and locally grown meats and vegetables may seem high, 
     but those prices, she argues, "might actually send back
     more than two dimes per buck to the humans putting 
     seeds in the ground, harvesting, attending livestock
     births, standing in the fields at dawn." In the end,
     eating local food isn't just about the environment; 
     it's about bridging the city-country divide.
     Read: Seeing Red
     http://ga3.org/ct/X1aQfmS1xXHO/

---| READ MORE in Mother Jones |-----------------------------

     "The typical fruit or vegetable on an American's plate
     travels some 1,500 miles to get there and is frequently
     better traveled and more worldly than its eater," 
     writes Michael Pollan, but there are signs of a 
     "gathering worldwide rebellion" against the industrial 
     food economy. Pollan recounts his visit to "one of the 
     most productive and sustainable farms in America."
     Read: No Bar Code 
     http://ga3.org/ct/BpaQfmS1xXH6/ 

     One astonishing phenomenon in the global food economy
     is known as "redundant trade" - the simultaneous 
     import and export of the same food items. For example,
     California imports and exports practically the
     identical amounts of lettuce to and from Mexico, 
     defying the basic rules of supply and demand.
     Read: Goin' Back to Cali
     http://ga3.org/ct/XdaQfmS1xXHW/

---| LEARN MORE |-------------------------------------------

     Do you want to know more about where your food comes 
     from, how it was grown, or where your money goes? 
     The FoodRoutes Network 
     http://ga3.org/ct/dpaQfmS1xXH4/
     is a non-profit organization that offers a wealth of 
     resources and information on food, farming, and 
     sustainability. You can also check out
     Sustainable Table
     http://ga3.org/ct/47aQfmS1xXHm/
     for a great knowledge database on subjects ranging 
     from animal welfare to workers' issues.

     Farm Aid is a non-profit organization whose mission is 
     to raise awareness about farming issues and help family
     farmers. 
     http://ga3.org/ct/ddaQfmS1xXHB/
     According to their website, 330 family farmers are 
     forced out of farming every week by larger factory 
     farms. Find out more about the crisis in farm country
     here.
     http://ga3.org/ct/d7aQfmS1xXHX/

     Eartheasy's Eat Menu explains all the ways that eating
     local makes not just a healthier earth, but a healthier
     you.
     http://ga3.org/ct/edaQfmS1xXH3/
     But it it possible to eart local without going broke?
     Find out at the Eat Local Challange blog.
     http://ga3.org/ct/e7aQfmS1xXHe/

---| TAKE ACTION |------------------------------------------

     The Organic Consumers Association's Breaking the Chains
     Campaign seeks to raise awareness about how our 
     purchasing decisions can lead to a safer, greener, and
     more equitable society.
     http://ga3.org/ct/4daQfmS1xXHj/
     Check out the Organic Consumers Association's action
     center for the latest action alerts.
     http://ga3.org/ct/41aQfmS1xXHu/

     Founded in 1998, Local Harvest is the top informational
     resource for those interested in buying food from local
     farms.
     http://ga3.org/ct/cdaQfmS1xXHf/
     It offers a comprehensive nationwide directory of small
     farms, farmers' markets and other sources of local,
     sustainably grown food.
     http://ga3.org/ct/c7aQfmS1xXHv/
     The Eat Well Guide offers another user-friendly search
     engine to help you find healthy, local food in stores,
     restaurants, and bed & breakfasts all over the US and 
     Canada.
     http://ga3.org/ct/epaQfmS1xXHd/

     Change starts at home. Farm Aid's "7 Ways to Become a 
     Farmer" explains that, be it in the form of a window
     box, a community garden, or a family farm, growing your
     own food is a local as you can go. Their website has 
     everything you need to get started.
     http://ga3.org/ct/d1aQfmS1xXHc/