The Michael Pollan Prescription: How to Eat Better and Avoid the Industrial Diet

I have a small family(3 people) farm and grow and sell at several farmers markets. In Ohio we have a senior nutrition program which gives $50. in vouchers specifically for use at farmers markets. You would think it is great, but these seniors can't get to the markets to redeem them. In 2 years I have redeemed $25 worth. I grow heirloom, using only natural fertilizers(lots of manure from our free-range chickens), NO pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. My beds are raised, intensively planted and I use straw and leaves for mulch(no plastic here). We take a bulliten board to the markets. My catch phrase for last year was: "Our trusted FDA has approved for our use countless drugs which are known to cause heart attacks, strokes, kidney or liver failure, suicidal tendencies or death...Do we trust the USDA to be held to these same high standards regarding pesticides, herbicides or genetic engineering?" Need I say any more.

We have less than a half acre, and in our backyard I built raised beds that are irrigated with a well(we get almost all the veggies we need for a family of 4 in a 40'x25' space), boarder it with fruit trees and a chicken yard(we have 9 hens) and a goat pasture(we will soon be adding nigerian dwarf milk goats to our menagerie). All this, and we also set up an intex pool next to the garden(it's partially buried to make it sturdier) with a 25'x6' deck. What an oasis! The kids swim, I garden and then go for a dip, and we have so much extra that I sold a small portian and made more money than what I spent on creating the whole thing! There is no excuse not to at least plant one tomato plant, even if you live in an apartment. It's fun!!

I had originally bought In Defense of Food, before realizing Pollan had authored other books. Before starting it I went out and bought Omnivore's Dilema and am currently reading it. What a great book!! As someone in my 30's I have grown up on processed food and recently have begun looking at more natural alternatives. I have joined a CSA and have done some small gardening. I'm also trying to find grass-fed beef in my area. My husband and I have also started doing more of our own cooking and I don't mean opening up a can or box. Homemade is so much better tastng and better for you. We really need to start getting back to basics when it comes to the food we eat, not only for our environment, as so many people look at it now days, but for our health!!

Sometimes CSAs pass the cost of the EBT machine on to their shareholders, with a sliding scale based on income. Two examples of farms whose CSAs have overcome the EBT problem are Uprising Organics farm in Washington state ( http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M16830 )and Rogowski Farm ( http://www.rogowskifarm.com/ ) in New York. Perhaps they would be helpful folks to contact.

-Tabitha Alterman, Mother Earth News

Tabitha,

Yes, I am very familiar with the FMNP. Unfortunately, funding for the EBT is our issue. I’m working on it! Maybe MEN could sponsor:)

Hi Katherine,

You can learn more about the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (the one that helps make it possible to use food stamps for fresh local food) in this article: Government Program Makes Healthy Food a Viable Option ( http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Farmers-Market-Nutrition-Program.aspx ). Check out some of the links and resources in that article for contacts who could be helpful.

Usually, the main hindrance is getting an EBT card-reading machine, but there are plenty of ways to raise money for them.

Good luck!

-Tabitha Alterman, Mother Earth News

Way to go with Pollan! I'm in the middle of Omnivore's Dilemma. In this interview, I found his comments on food policy particularly interesting. Food stamps are not accepted at my local farmers' market or for CSA subscriptions. I’m working to change this hindrance in our community food system. Any ideas?

Bravo!! So many Americans have come to believe that the food we purchase in boxes and cans is healthy for us. Unfortunatley, its not. Going back to types of food our grandparents ate and rural America is actually the healthiest. I have several cookbooks I have picked up at flea markets from way back and the recipes are so easy, just basic ingredients and good natural foods. When you prepare simple natural foods it really is fast and easy. You don't need a dictionary to decipher the ingredient list - a roast chicken, mashed potatoes, beets with a little salt and pepper, greens wilted in a pot - yum yum!!