Heart Full of Green

I am not a liberal environmentalist.

I am concerned that we are not taking care of the resources (our environment) that God gave us, and our neglect is now coming back to bite us in the butt.

Everyone is on this whole "green" kick. I know some people think that the Treehuggers are somehow making a revival, and the liberal Democrats are gaining ground, and really who can afford to eat organic food anyway?? And does this mean that all need to start recycling and what exactly is sustainable living??

Let's look at how the average person can make a difference....
Buy Local. Support your local independently owned businesses. Check out the 3 / 50 Project. Did you know that "for every $100 spent in independently owned store, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it on line and NOTHING comes home." the350project.net.

Now that makes you re-think things... hmmmm

Most of the time when I tell people that I buy local organic foods, I get this response "I'm poor, I can't afford to buy organic." I often ask, "Can you afford the long term affects of eating food that is bad for you?" Or "The cost to ship food here from half way around the world?"

Buying grass fed and free range. I know that's expensive too, how about buying from the local co-op? No one can afford that either.

My question is How can we afford NOT to??

So those grapes you bought at Walmart for $1.89/ lb. are way cheaper than the $2.50/lb. you pay at the local healthfood store or co-op. But the Walmart grapes came from Chile or New Zealand. How much did it cost to get them to you? Gas, freight, man power? You're only kidding yourself if you think that the cost is not somehow deferred back to you. Buy your grapes from a local co-op or farmer and that money will directly affect our local economy.

Most of us can't afford to buy everything organic. There are certain things that I always buy organic and certain things that I rotate from organic to non-organic in order to cut down on the expense. If you can only afford a few things organic, Milk would be number one on my list. The hormones given to cows and the pesticides that the cows ingest go directly into their milk supply. There is also a list of fruits and vegetables that are lowest and highest in pesticides at foodnews.org. I also shop though a local co-op called Fall Line Farms. Yes, they are more expensive than Foodlion or Walmart, but all of the food is from local farmers and growers.

I think if we all do our part in supporting local businesses & farmers, and we try our best to take care of the earth that God gave us, it will eventually turn our economy around and we will also live healthier lives.


Here are a few links:


Fall Line Farms


When-organic-food-is-worth-it


Trader Joes


Bill Nye (remember him? The Science Guy)


Food News


The 3 / 50 Project