Jon and I embarked on our New Mexico farm experiment based on our concern about the food industry contributing to our nation’s and the world’s most volatile issues. Like it or not, the way our food is grown, processed, and delivered to us has been at the crux of many of our issues, leading us to the economic, social, and public health woes that face us in the 21^st century, and continuing to affect us in ways that may seem beyond our control.

The origins of many of these problems can be traced back about 60 years. Since then, U.S. agriculture has changed dramatically, and not for the better. In his book The Ominvore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan writes that 1947 was a pivotal date in our food history, as munitions plants began to transform explosive ammonium nitrate (used for bombs) into chemical fertilizer. This was how the U.S. government stimulated the economy after World War II. Since that time, the U.S. government has subsidized farm programs to increase production and drive down prices, the most productive crops being corn and soybeans (which are even more productive with genetic engineering).

While the intent of the arms-to-fertilizer program probably started with good intentions—to feed many with the crops of a few—it defied time-tested farming practices such as crop diversity and quality. As Pollan writes, “synthetic fertilizer opens the way to monoculture, allowing the farmer to bring the factory’s economies of scale and mechanical efficiency to nature.”

The annual U.S. Farm Bill, which governs the nation’s agricultural policy unfortunately only reinforces some of these misguided practices (the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 is the most recent iteration).

Not everyone around the globe is a fan of our food industry, either. The U.N. and World Trade Organization have criticized U.S. farm trade subsidies as preventing fair competition from developing countries. Other programs have declined U.S. food aid, fearing that our business model diminishes traditional farming practices rather than supplying communities with the resources to sustainably feed themselves. 

As a result of letting the arms-to-farms program go amok, America has a serious hunger and malnutrition problem with a lack in supply of whole, fresh, unprocessed foods, and increased homogeneity with reliance on processed corn and soy products increasingly pervasive in ingredients lists. Ironically, we are also among the most obese nations in the world, while eating disorders are a prevailing part of our culture. Diet-borne diseases such as diabetes and cancer are often linked to the high sugar, fat, and chemical content of our highly processed food.

Finally, the American people spend less than half the money on food than we did in the past century, replacing the former importance of considering what we put in our bodies and communal meals with a national addiction to “stuff”—and, subsequently, an abysmal debt crisis.

We're not alone in contemplating our unhealthy relationship with food production and consumption. In October The New York Times Magazine dedicated an entire issue to food, featuring Michael Pollan’s provocative letter to the president-elect titled “Farmer in Chief”.  The Commonwealth Club of California likewise dedicated its December/January issue of its monthly magazine to food issues. On the literary front, Barbara Kingsolver documented her family’s move from urban to rural—and their vow to eat local for one year—in her best-selling book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. And fellow New Mexican Doug Fine, author of Farewell, My Subaru, has been writing about living off the grid and growing his own food for years. While we haven’t gone as extreme as Doug—and few people should have to in order to effect change in the food industry--it’s visionaries like him who lead movements of change for the rest of us.

Agents of Change

Despite our best efforts at patio gardens in San Francisco, once we arrived on our two acres of untouched farmland with the intention to start growing our own, we realized we have much to learn about water sources, soil enrichment, choosing what to grow, certifications, and animal husbandry. But while we’re still learning to be small-scale farmers, we can make some incremental changes to the way we think of, purchase, and interact with our food.  

Social change often requires baby steps before becoming mainstream. Changing the way we eat is very much a social movement, as it affects something each and every human being must do several times a day to survive. A recent positive trend is that consumers are now demanding change in their food supply.

The first small steps toward sweeping change in the food industry start with each and every one of us committing to a small change. Here are some ways to start:

o       Look for local foods at your supermarket: more stores are listening to growing consumer demand for whole, organic, and local foods. Major national chains such as Whole Foods and Safeway are publishing locally grown or sustainability statements where they express commitment to the environmental impact of their stores and products. The less food travels, the fresher and more environmentally sound it is. This is a great start, but consumers must continue to demand local foods: tell the management team at your favorite supermarket that you would like to see more local offerings on their shelves.

 o       Visit your local farmers’ markets: Stock up on their seasonal goods and try freezing or canning the produce for use later. Not only do you reduce environmental impact by shopping local, but you also support your local farmers and community.

 o       Educate yourself – arm yourself with knowledge about topics such as food labeling, food security, and sustainable agriculture. Being an empowered consumer can help you better understand where your food comes from, how it affects your health, and how your food choices affect the local, national, and global economies, starting right in your grocery cart. The Cornucopia Institute regularly publishes thorough consumer reports on topics such as baby formulas, rank of organic dairies by how they treat their cows, and other practical information to help us make informed choices.

 o       Grow your own: Urban gardening is on the uptick with food issues becoming headline news. Guides such as urbangardeninghelp.com provide a wealth of information on container and patio gardening, growing food plants indoors, and community gardening. From tomatoes, flowers, and plants to growing mushrooms and composting, city-dwellers in the smallest of spaces are doing it for themselves. 

 o       Spend more time and money on food. The more importance we attach to food, the healthier we can be, and the more the food industry will have to change to accommodate our needs. Take time to learn to cook the fresh, local ingredients you buy. Choose restaurants wisely and patronize those that are committed to whole, local foods. For guidance, recipes, and restaurant recommendations, try these sites:

       Eat Well Guide: www.eatwell.org

      Eat Wild: www.eatwild.com

      Farm Foody: http://www.farmfoody.org/

      Organic Consumers: http://www.organicconsumers.org/

o       If you really want to know where your food comes from, keep a couple of chickens for eggs, meat, and excellent fertilizer. While this may seem extreme, urbanites around the country are joining the flock. See a U.S. map of fellow city chicken keepers and find resources for raising chickens within city limits at www.Urbanchickens.org. Check your local and state ordinances to ensure you’re within guidelines.

As we were making changes in our food choices, we realized that anyone can make similar changes-- whether you're in the heart of downtown San Francisco or on the rural outskirts of a mid-sized Southwestern town. If a critical mass of people could incorporate just a few changes in everyday life, we could influence the food industry to feed us wholesome, healthful, healing foods rather than artificial, dangerously fattening, and hormone- and chemical-laden foods. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons