"The End of Overeating, Taking Control of the Insatiable North American Appetite"

GaleHawkins

baconslave wrote: »

Cadori wrote: »

tcunbeliever wrote: »

My locals farmer's markets are cheaper than my local grocery stores...so I don't get the money angle as a valid argument for not eating pink slime unless there are really areas where buying food from farmers is more expensive than buying it from a chain store. I suspect that is not really the case anywhere. It's just more convenient to eat pink slime than to get up early on a Saturday and shop directly with farms and plan a menu based on what is in season and available and cook all week.

I agree with you on cost...WHEN a farmer's market is available. Sadly, food deserts are a real phenomenon.

I live on the outskirts of a rural town. We are 45 minutes from the nearest chain grocery store with fresh produce. Our single local market is small and, by necessity, expensive. Parts of our town are LCOL for California, so a lot of those residents are low income. For those that are not able to make the drive into one of the larger cities, their choices are Dollar General (limited, low quality canned, boxed and frozen foods) or whatever local fast food place will take their SNAP card.

It is ridiculous how little is available in rural areas in some places. I live in the TN Appy's. Our farmer's market is tiny and in town, usually with only produce. It's not any cheaper than the store in some cases. The time and location are both very inconvenient for us personally. "In town" is as long a drive for some as the grocery store. We do have 3 little produce markets in the area, but I know at least 2 of them aren't set up to take SNAP cards either. And we have no public transportation. Some people have a hard time affording transportation when their car dies on them. Nearest grocery is 20 min from us, but we are closer than many many folks who have to drive 35-45 min for anything better than a gas station or a Dollar General. We get organic meat and eggs only thanks to the in-laws who have chickens. Just eggs as they don't butcher birds. And they have a cow butchered every couple years. The cost to feed one and then butcher is no cheaper than store-bought and sometimes it is more. Between all of us, there are many mouths to feed and even the garden only goes so far for so long.

We get lots of people from NC who drive into here to get to a Walmart. I'm pretty sure that's an hour drive for them. They have a bit of a drive to groceries as well. IIRC. I haven't been to the NC side in awhile.

In winter, there is no produce market. We rarely can get enough to grow to have enough left over to can at our place. We grow rocks really well here. Other things don't do near as well, as they say here. My FIL usually can get enough green beans to grow to can some. And he cans some salsa and kraut. But he's retired now, so he has the time to do all that. And he isn't on the mtn in a valley, so he gets more sunlight and more warmth. I plan to have a bigger garden. It didn't do well last year. The feral cat hoard (fed by an elderly guy across the street) comes over and wrecks our garden. Ruined our zucchini/squash bed.

If I worked, maybe we'd have enough to frequent little produce markets and buy organic. But I doubt it because this is Appalachia, and we get paid half here for the same job you'd find elsewhere. DH gets paid about $20k to $30k less here than he would elsewhere. Except he's devoted to the house he built and his family here so he puts up with it. And I'm a Librarian. Not a profession that pays the big bucks. And not a lot of positions here either. Also I have 4 ravenous kids, and I also feed my elderly father for part of the day. I do my best to cook as least processed as I can for supper for everyone. We pay a LOT for groceries as is. Even organic canned goods can be as much as $.50 to a full dollar (or more) than regular. I eat a whole regular can of greens by myself. For one meal.

Don't get me started on how little we have left after we pay premiums for health insurance with a $7000 deductible.

In Appalachia, there is a lot of poverty. It is a regular thing here in the summer now for churches and organizations to provide breakfasts and lunches for school age children, because they aren't getting fed when they aren't in school. We have food banks that get a workout constantly. There's a Meals on Wheels that takes food to communities in other Appy areas. None of that is organic. That's just subsistence. Right before school lets back in, churches hold Fairs where they give out school supplies, backpacks, hair cuts, and school clothes. In winter people donate coats. My best RL friend had her school give one of her daughters a new pair of shoes when they noticed that hers were worn out. They are lucky. Her husband has work. And she gets paid part-time to be a full time teachers' assistant in a middle school special ed class (even though she's had a teaching degree for 3 years, there's no full time jobs. Or should I say, not enough jobs for those who need work.)


TL;DR:
So all those words to say, that I believe that if you are able (as in it is cost effective or even available) to buy organic and/or from small farms you absolutely should. If not, do the best you can as you can.

I live on the KY/TN border on the western end of the states. It is bad in the river counties as well. Both food and medical care options are on the decline for more and more people. High Carb/High Fat mixed with drugs, alcohol and tobacco and declining educational levels is wrecking the future of many. Most would starve if they counted on farmer markets for more than 5% of food goods. Forget farmer markets for the most part in the river end of the states. Grandfathers and grandmothers do help with big gardens/truck patches but most with kids at home are working 40-60 hours a week and just do not have the time to grow much produce. Some seniors really count on the Meals On Wheels programs. Senior centers feed several that have a way to travel to them but that is more high carb high fat grub that is often hard to tell what is in the food. Most are losing the fight with type 2 diabetes on the WOE.

Good food and health care options require good cash flow yet many only have a small social security check for income.

I see no way to reverse the negative trend toward worse health outcomes for the masses. The view that God presets our death dates so our lifestyles do not matter does not help matters in my area. The all sounds negative I know.

We have a funeral in the family tomorrow that is 10-20 years premature just due to lifestyle choices of the past 40 years. It is bad and getting worse. I was doing the same thing myself until Oct 2014 at the age of 62 and I can not blame the lack of years of healthcare training. I see 300+ pounds MD's at McDonald's morning after morning eat 70%+ carb meals containing a tone of HFCS.