Friends, here is an excerpt from the book In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan (which you should read after you read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by the same author).

“There’s no escaping the fact that better food–whether measured by taste or nutritional quality (which often correspond)–cost more, usually because it has been grown with more care and less intensively.  Not everyone can afford to eat high-quality food in America, and that is shameful; however, those of us who can, should.  Doing so not only benefits your health (by, among other things, reducing your exposure to pesticides and pharmaceuticals), but also the health of the people who grow the food as well as the people who live downstream or downwind of the farms where it is grown.”

A family just visited our farm stand, I want to say that they were the first customers thus far.  We said our greetings to one another and the matriarch starts to check out the table of goods.  Just to let you know too, this woman was about in her mid 50’s and the other people that were with her were grown as well, no little kids.  She points at the basket of potatoes, which weigh just over a pound and says, “TWO Dollars for THAT? (Looks at her husband, whispers) That’s high.”  I said nothing, even though we were one foot away from each other.  Then she says, “Isn’t there an organic stand around here anywhere?”   I say, “Yeah, that’s us, you’re here.”   She somewhat hides a sigh and says, “Well, do you have any tomatoes?”  I go on to tell her why we don’t.

1.)  It’s been an absolutely terrible year for tomatoes.  It’s not just us having the problem, it’s everybody.

2.)  It rained a few days ago, two inches, which caused all of our ripe tomatoes to split open, so I canned them.

I’m sure there was a third reason, but…

They left with buying nothing, which is fine because they are not the type of people who deserve to have fresh carrots or sweet corn grown twenty-five feet from where they were standing.  They were the type of people who enjoy cheap, 1/2 rotted produce of the big box store variety.  Laced with chemicals, grown in unhealthy soil.  Sure it might only be $1.25 for fifty pounds of south of the border potatoes, but that’s not what it’s about is it.

People who do the types of endeavors going on here don’t make any money.  I can’t just give it away either.  What is nice about what we have going on, is that whatever doesn’t sell, I’ll preserve and put up for later.

Please understand that produce grown in healthy, organic rich soil are more nutrient dense and therefor better for you.  It’s more bang for your buck.  Produce grown on large farms, in sub-standard soil are exactly that, sub-standard.  Even on large-scale organic farms. So do what you can to support your local farmer.