Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle week 2

In Friday's mail, I received my annual Seed Savers Exchange (catalog of heirloom seeds, books & gifts). It was so appropriate because in reading chapter 3, Kingsolver refers to this catalog and how she drools over it like some women drool over jewelry catalogs! Matt & I began drooling. We've begun to sticky note the seeds we want to order for our garden this spring. It's the anticipation of the spring that makes the time seem to move even that much slower in the winter!
Most of your average seeds purchased in the supermarkets are Genetically Modified (GM). A "terminator gene" is introduced into the seed causing the crop to commit genetic suicide after just one growing season. You therefore cannot save the seeds and replant next season. They're for all intents and purposes dead seeds! Heirloom seeds are preserved and passed down from generation to generation. The way God intended! Our society has introduced GM simply to make a profit and a large one at that! Check out the Plant Variety Protection Act of 1970.
"GM plants are everywhere in the US food chain, but don't have to be labeled, and aren't. Industry lobbyists intend to keep it that way." (52)
Our veggies are transported in from almost everywhere around the globe. The further they have to travel, the worse shape they are in and the taste is awful. It's no wonder kids don't like to eat their vegetables.
What I have taken from these chapters (3-4), is that American culture is extremely greedy both monetarily and with their choice of any kind of food anytime of year. Can I go so far as to say that our lack of letting food grow in season and eating that food in season is effecting our kids and grandkids as well as our environment as a whole. Maybe some food for thought? :o)
Check out the posted websites...

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

http://www.localharvest.org My former roommate, Jenn (with two n's) is reading Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I am reading it with her a couple of chapters at a time. Today I include my insights from chapters 1-2. The premise is one family eating only local, in-season foods for one year. One true fact is from p. 4: "The average food item on a U.S. grocery shelf has traveled farther than most families go on their annual vacations." One thing I learned that was eye opening was that the reason our American school year goes from Labor Day to mid-June was to free up children to help on the farm in the all important harvest months of summer! Wow! That says a lot! We Americans have grown quite accustomed to eating processed foods and/or foods that have traveled pretty darn far to reach our grocery shelves. We have succumb to eating frozen vegetables when they are out of season even if they don't taste very good! We are a culture that doesn't know how to wait for what's good!
This family started their food experiment in early spring, right after the asparagus was ready. This book also includes recipes consisting of foods that are in season for each month of the year! Jenn & I both will be attempting some of these recipes and leaving our comments here!