For those that have been following the previous posts discussing sustainble eating practices, I recently read this Times article that may be of interest. Granted, if there is any way that you can supplement your diet with foods grown in your yard or from nearby neighbors, farms, then of course that would be the most desireable choice. However, many of us will need to depend on some larger food giants to deliver foods and other goods to us in a more sustainable manner. And why not attempt to provide Americans with the iconic farm fresh item: the egg.

I recently completed a degree at Clark University, and as a grad student depended on the dining hall for nearly all my meals during the semesters. The company managing the kitchens and dining options tried to cater to the green demands of the student body by offering many vegan options, produce from local farms, and eggs laid by cage free chickens. On one dining visit, I had my roommate that was from Jamaica joining me for breakfast. After looking over the many options, we decided upon omlets. While we were waiting, she noticed a sign by the grill sneeze guard that declared that the eggs used in the kitchen were all from cage free chickens. She asked me what this meant, and I proceeded to explain how this was a rare thing to get for most college students, possibly most Americans as well. I noted how it was part of a growing trend of making healthier eating decisions that were also linked with the environmental movement. She laughed and proclaimed that cage free eggs are the only kind to be found on Jamaican tables for the most part. She thought it was hysterical that such a thing would be treated as an expensive “treat” and not commonplace.

Indeed, many of us are now farther than we ever have been from the sources of our food. We are lucky if “local food” means that it is from an independently owned supermarket opposed to a chain store. However, the most important change that we can make is to play the role of the consumer and actually ask our grocers where the food is coming from, how is it raised/gathered/etc, and make the small choices when purchasing our groceries between traditionally farming practices (i.e. pesticides) versus organic. Here can be found another blog site that has some wonderful entries on the eating discussions we have been having here at the Sietch. Also, I would love to hear some comments, if any, about
The Omnivore’s Dilemma or Barbara Kingsolver’s most recent book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.