How This All Started..The Way We Eat Now

A farmer (Chaffin Orchard Farms) I twitter with sent me a link to a blog about how to support a sustainable urban food system. The blog is Civil Eats. But for those out there who read my sermons about this I'll keep it simple and just start with what the blog says is number one. It's really the core of what I do.

"Start small and simple

1. Make a few things from scratch.
   
2. Pick three actions to start now: for example, stop eating packaged foods (that's a biggie), prepare your own food and cut out meat eating once a week.
   
3. Compost.
   
4. Plant and grow your own herbs (golden oregano, sage, Greek basil, thyme, Rosemary in my garden) and your favorite vegetables (tomatoes).
5. Get clear on the origins of your favorite food – where do the ingredients come from?
   
6. How was it made?
   
7. Harvested?
   
8. Who harvests the ingredients and how is it processed?
9. What’s the impact of your choice?"
   

My first step was composting. We can't use our garbage disposal very much because we have a septic system. To cut down on our garbage output I went to Peaceful Valley Farm Supply and bought a compost bin. Then I bought worms so the stuff would get digested easier. The worms came in the mail. Weird. I had no idea where this would lead.

It's taken me nearly three years to get to where I am today. I've met some pretty amazing people during my journey. Our next food adventure is dinner in a 100-year-old olive orchard sponsored by Slow Food USA and Chaffin Orchards. Everything served will be locally produced. I can hardly wait.

An additional benefit, doing this just might get rid of your sugar craving. Even though you may not eat it directly, I'll bet it's in so many of the packaged foods you eat. It's in the form of corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, etc. That's all sugar and it does horrible things to your appetite. And it lurks in low fat salad dressings.

So that's my Sunday sermon.