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Gidget

Beach Fanatic
May 27, 2009
2,450
638
Blue Mtn Beach!!
Well, I don't qualify. Picked up today: beef (tenderloin) kabobs, pork kabobs, chicken kabobs and some ginormous shrimps that I thought were lobster tails! Tons o' veggies! Half n half and eggs! Am having people over this weekend; and, I do mix up my diet with raw, nuts n berries, etc. Highly dubious I'll ever be a vegan.

But, I applaud Y'all!! :clap_1:

Like I said this shouldn't really be about vegan/carnivore but about ethical treatment of animals. We'll never all be vegans and I understand where you are coming from. I hope to focus on the slaughterhouse practices and on the way the animals are raised. We can do better as a society! :wave:

I hope you had a nice weekend with your guests! :D

G
 

Gidget

Beach Fanatic
May 27, 2009
2,450
638
Blue Mtn Beach!!
I have to say it again, I am SO GLAD we are exploring these issues here. None of this is news, it's been going on for many years; the difference is that for whatever reason a lot of folks seem motivated onw to learn more and start being more conscious of where their food is from and how it's produced.

Thinking about that sort of thing used to be the domain of the granola crowd (I include myself in that camp -- my sons call me a "Crunchy Granola Mom"), but it seems to be getting closer and closer to mainstream. A tipping point has been reached ;-)

Fair trade is an important and related issue -- and I have recently learned that just like "organic" labels, "fair trade" labels don't always mean you're getting what you think you're getting. The folks at Amavida know the ins and outs of this a lot better than I do -- they are members of a fair trade coffee buying cooperative, and they actually personally know the growers they buy from, and have visited some of the villages where the coffee they serve and sell is produced. Two of their grower representatives have visited here in the last year and given fascinating presentations on where and how the coffee is grown, processed, tested, sorted, etc.

I'm more of a tea drinker myself, and haven't heard much about fair trade tea. But I understand the tea camellia can be grown here, and have been trying to buy a couple to see if it's any good. No luck so far getting my hands on the plants -- anyone got tea camellias they're willing to share cuttings from?

I would LOVE to have some of your homegrown tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your posts are so great!

G
 

Susan Horn

Beach Fanatic
I would LOVE to have some of your homegrown tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your posts are so great!

G

Well first I gottta get me hands on some plants! Speaking of that, I want to grow mirlitons too. Do you know of a source for a good variety that does well in NOLA and might do well here too? For now I'm trying to sprout grocery store ones (probably from Mexico), but would rather have more local heirloom variety if possible. Do you know a good South LA nursery that would have these and might ship?

I made my first dish with mirlitons over the weekend -- a salsa that also had tomatoes, grilled corn, onion, and kidney beans (only because I didn't have any blackbeans on hand), lime juice and rind, Ume vinegar and sea salt. Got better after a day or two in the fridge. YUM.

Next I think I want to try them on the grill with some rosemary and garlic infused olive oil.
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,706
3,339
Sowal
I tried!

I almost did saturday completely vegetarian (inc. eggs) for you guys ....................... but that failed at dinnertime when I decided my pasta sauce needed some sausage in it!

To balance it out I put in some homegrown zucchini, basil, oregano, and rosemary though! :D
 

Chandra

Beach Fanatic
Wow, I'm just getting back into town after 2 weeks of blissful computerless living and it's great to see this thread has been revived with so many informative comments.

There are so many comments I want to comment on, I don't know where to begin commenting.

While I was away, I picked up a copy of Vandana Shiva's book, Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply to read on the road. She's a social and environmental justice activist, scientist, and advocate of creating sustainable communities. She has an incredible knack for taking the information from sources like Michael Pollan's Omnivores Dillemma and giving clear explanations of the effects of our simple daily food choices (or lack of choices.)

Susan, you're absolutely right about externalities. These are the hidden costs that are not accounted for in any money making venture. In her book, Vandana mentions these externalities in food production, but poses them in terms of myths we are led to believe. One myth is that industrially raising cattle (CAFO's) is more economical and efficient than free range, grass fed cattle that require more land and time to reach maturation. Some of the externalities not accounted for are the natural resources needed to process the waste from these concentrated feed lots and the water, land, and nutrients needed to grow the grain that is fed to the CAFO cows.

The book is a great, quick eye-opening read at only 127 pages. She takes you through a variety of foods from soy, wheat, beef, fish, etc. and how large corporations, the WTO, and the World Bank deprive us of food choices and the right to safe healthy food. She explains how the choices of the global North affect the global South. She also offers hope and inspiration as she describes the accomplishments that have been made by ordinary citizens in protecting their livelihoods and food supply. She has also started a seed saving movement called Navdanya, to save biodiversity.

Speaking of cost, I often hear, it's too expensive to eat local, organic, non-gmo food, especially now. The truth is that we pay one way or another. We are one of the cheapest nations in terms of how much we spend on food - something that is suppose to nourish and keep us healthy. We spend 9-10% of our income on food where developing countries spend upwards of 50%. Unfortunately, access to good quality food is mistaken as a luxury of the rich (dev. countries) instead of a basic right for all.

The book further reinforced my thoughts about eating consciously, supporting local farmers, being mindful of food origin, and the effects my food choices have on other beings, both human and non-human.

Addressing the issue of extreme thinking and doing: even if we don't make the best choices all the time, we have the option to make a better choice the next time. We can only start where we are and move forward with the information we have at hand.
 

Miss Critter

Beach Fanatic
Mar 8, 2008
3,397
2,125
My perfect beach
Um, Chandra, can I borrow that book when you're finished with it? Ever considered a career writing book reviews? Welcome back, we missed you!


No kidding, Chandra, you should post that review on Amazon. :clap:
 
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