by Catherine Haug, November 11, 2011
From the Organic Consumers Association or OCA (1):
“Surviving the Approaching Storm
We are fast approaching a tipping point in terms of climate disruption, food production, financial meltdown, and Peak Oil.
To survive and thrive in turbulent times we will need to organize ourselves at the grassroots level to carry out a series of Organic Transitions – not only in terms of food and farming, but also in transportation, housing, health, and education.
While remaining engaged in pressing governments and businesses to green and revitalize the economy and stabilize the climate, OCA believes that we must “dig in” and prepare ourselves locally and regionally to become as “organic” and self-reliant as possible.”
We at ESP are at the forefront of this transition, by working locally to prepare for the approaching storm, and living more healthfully and happily in the process. See Surviving the Approaching Storm for the rest of the OCA article which focuses on the premise that “Organic can feed the world”.
Sustainable eating
For me, this does not mean buying Organic labeled products imported from other countries; it means growing our own and supporting local growers by:
- joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
- shopping at Farmers Markets
- eating produce in season
- learning how to preserve foods beyond the growing season
- learning how to garden without the use of Miracle Grow and other synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides
- discovering native edible plants and incorporating them into our seasonal diet
- avoiding processed and ‘convenience’ foods
Emulating subsistence farmers
American agricultural companies are at the forefront of training developing countries to produce food ‘the American way’, which means using GMO seeds and farm chemicals, growing monocultures, destruction of forests and fragile environments, and forcing people from their small family plots into the cities in search of work.
Subsistence farming should be our goal, not our enemy, worldwide and at home. The media paints subsistence farmers as the lowest of the low, yet these are the people who are living sustainably – these are the ones we should emulate, not forcing them to emulate us. For the most part, they are also happier and more content with their lives than the average American. From Wikipedia (2):
“Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye toward what the family will need during the coming year, rather than market prices.”