As spring arrives in Seattle, visions of seed packets dance through my head. I await all of the bounty to come. I must admit I have never been very good at growing plants from seeds. I am not sure if the missing ingredient is patience, a greenhouse, or time. My dear friend and gentleman farmer David is a master of this art. In the past, David and I have gone to nurseries, looked at catalogs, and made purchases together, all the while talking about heirloom seeds and the rich gift of taste they add to our lives. And still I can’t quite seem to plant and harvest my own crop.
Thankfully, David pays our household a visit during the summer season and often brings with him a sampling of what he has grown. These treats are almost always grown from heirloom seeds, without the interference of biogenetics or chemical-focused farming. The flavors from his food, as well as our CSA’s share, are always notably bolder, richer, and more distinctive.
In conversation with Carly at the dinner table recently, I was talking about a smoothie that I made for some friends. One of the ingredients was not organic, a compromise I thought would go unnoticed, but I noticed. This ingredient was nearly flavorless, even though I had added two entire cups. I have heard it said that there is no difference in flavor between conventional and organic food products, but I can’t agree—nor can my taste buds. I have also heard it said that we cannot feed our world population without the help of biogenetic and factory farming. I’ve also read evidence to the contrary.
In our conversation about flavor, nutrition, and healthful food, Carly noted her sadness that healthful, organic, and sustainable food is so expensive in our country. Having traveled to many of the world’s developing countries, where the standard of living is regarded as lower than ours, she recalled more affordable healthful food.
Why do we continue to price healthful food and healthy bodies out of the general population’s budgets?
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