Capital Empathy
Just a few pictures from our immersion trip. And yes, that’s Mark petting a brand new calf! He was born less than an hour before!
Just a few pictures from our immersion trip. And yes, that’s Mark petting a brand new calf! He was born less than an hour before!
This weekend, Mark and I took our immersion trip with Whole Foods to Snowville Creamery in Pomeroy, Ohio. Believe it or not, that was my first time in Appalachia! We met the director of the creamery and talked about the way the cows are only grass-fed and are kept outside at all times, except when being milked. We also discussed how incredibly important it is to know where your food is coming from. Our main goal through this experiment is to realize that eating locally is something that can and should be done. At Snowville, I realized how important local food is.
After we tasted some delicious, fresh chocolate milk, we headed to a certified organic farm in Amesville, OH. It was here we saw what the day-to-day life of a farmer is like, and it’s not easy. We were told that these workers barely make a living wage, and can have trouble selling their crops. One of the things Whole Foods tries to do is buy locally and support these small farms as much as they can. By getting the “eat local” message out, I hope that others will realize that they need to support these farmers and will begin to take seriously where their food comes from, and if it is organic, conventional, or what have you.
All in all, it was an absolutely enlightening, amazing, and exhausting day! I learned so much about what Ohio farmers have to offer, the different types of farming, and the vast amount of knowledge that goes in to keeping a farm working all the time. I know I am encouraged to eat locally and will encourage my family and friends to do the same. The people I met in Appalachia work too hard to barely make a living wage and they need consumers’ support.
Carolyn
This is a video I stumbled upon from TED. Speaker Mark Bittman talks about what’s wrong with what we eat.
I love it because this video is the best way I could could have ever thought of to recap everything I have learned since starting the Empathy Experiment. In it, Mark talks about the role that food industry keeps in our society. Our eating habits have become directed by a very small group of people looking to make a profit. Corporation are feeding us the food that they know will keep us complacent and make them lots of money. The problem is the large corporation that take local money away from the local economy.
Our want for unnecessary consumption is breaking local farmers and making us into an unhealthy society. We consume larger amounts of over processed foods and not nearly enough one ingredient items that support local farmers (and therefore local economy) and are more beneficial to our health.
I believe that the first step to giving everyone an equal opportunity in life, we need to have more access to healthy food and be more willing to eat healthier foods. A better plant-strong and local diet would help us lead happier and more productive lives.
The thought that we spend millions of dollars every year to import food that is produced by companies producing millions of pounds of crudely raised, therapeutically fed meat and produce that gives us no satisfaction outside of an belly full of empty and processed calories is ridiculous. We bulk up on fast foods and microwaved meals that are high in sodium and fat and low in any form of nutrition. Our main sources of food are no longer made with any though for the consumer. They’re made in factories with a process not so different from making plastics.
So what do we do? Why don’t we value local producers? Why don’t we put more emphasis on buy local and eating local? Why do we champion corporate made meals? Why are we still being so complacent about this problem?
If you have 20 minutes to watch this, I strongly encourage to click the title up above and check it out.
Cooking With Kids
Today, I visited a food pantry at Church for all people. It was a very eye opening experience. The food pantry was only produce. They had pears, oranges, apples, lettuce, collard greens, and potatoes. When the customers first arrived, they were given numbers and got to wait inside the church. When their number group was called, they went outside and waited to be let into the produce room. Once in there, they were only allowed to take a certain number of things, such as two bags of potatoes. I mainly just moved boxes of produce to the front lines.
The thing that hit me the hardest was the fact that people were there that didn’t know any English. The workers had to point them around to make sure they had everything and left so that other people could move through the line. Most of them didn’t understand that, so some of their boxes of food had to be moved outside. There was also almost a fight that broke out. I’ve never been in the position to stop a fight, but I certainly wasn’t ready to do it then.
The work they do at Church for All People is great. I think it’s fantastic that so many people have access to fresh produce that wouldn’t usually be able to afford it. Kudos to you, Church for All People!
TAGS: nathan b.,
