Is it good for the eater?

The Illusion of Safe
“Safe food” has come to have a rather minimal definition: if the food does not harm immediately or within a 24-hour period, it then must be safe. Marion Nestle observes that we have placed our trust in the larger food system to provide safe foods. However, our food systems may not necessarily be motivated by concerns with our health. Instead, the foods that sell best and bring in the most profit are those most likely to be found on supermarket shelves. Additionally, we are led to believe that the pesticide residues found on our food are harmless. However, a recent study in Washington found detectable levels of pesticides commonly used in growing fruits and vegetables in participants’ blood, urine, and hair samples. According to Anna Lappé, the Centers for Disease Control has found that most of us are walking around with a significant detectable level of chemical residues, including pesticides with known toxicity to humans. Although most of us should be concerned, we know that infants and children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable. Lappé provides us with this shocking news: food has been turned into something that is literally killing us. Every year we suffer the loss of an estimated 365,000 to diet-related deaths, and many more suffer from diet-related diseases.

The Illusion of Taste
One day early in the spring, we find this large, brightly-colored, luscious looking strawberry at the supermarket. At home, we discover to our dismay the lack of flavor, sweetness, texture, and juice. Marion Nestle notes that in supermarket terms, “fresh” refers to foods that spoil faster than others; it does not mean that foods were picked earlier that day, or even that week. On the other side of the aisle, we find that the deficiencies in taste have been cleverly masked with salt, high fructose corn syrup, and fats. You will also find on nearly every label “natural” or “artificial” flavor. Nearly all processed food is subject to a very technical analysis regarding food design and flavor additives. Joan Gussow finds the composition of foods found on the shelves baffling, when for example, Fruit Loops have no fruit and chocolate crème pies have neither cream nor chocolate. Eric Schlosser notes that nearly ninety percent of the money Americans spend on food is used to buy processed food—food that either has no taste or tastes constructed from non-nutritive and even harmful additives.

The Illusion of Cheap Food
We are under the impression that food should be cheap, at least at the supermarket. This cheap food is based on the vast commodity production system highly subsidized by the federal government that keeps commodities at below production costs and keeps the large food processing conglomerates happy because they can buy their raw products at low prices. This system in no way benefits local communities, farmers (even those with huge tracts of land) or the eater. There are no subsidies that support the local small farmer who provides us with fresh products and appropriately raised animal, dairy and poultry products. Consequently, the price of the products in the food system that best serve us the eaters, our farmers and our communities at large, will cost more. We must recognize that it will cost more to be part of a healthy system in the short term, but will save us money in the long term. The centerpiece of the Quillisascut experience is the creation and enjoyment of foods made almost entirely from products grown on the farm or from those grown on nearby farms. Because a majority of these products were harvested the same day, they are infused with flavor and visually delightful, with a kaleidoscope of color, textures, and shapes. When we think about farming, production of crops, harvesting, marketing and distribution, this is the image we must keep in mind: the authentic eating experience. The authentic eating experience should provide a delightful taste sensation without the assistance of excessive salt, fat and high fructose corn syrup or special additives produced in labs in New Jersey to enhance flavor. The authentic eating experience should be able to connect foods on the table with our natural world. This experience may seem like an improbable dream, but this improbability is based on the choices we make each day. If we choose authentic eating experiences, then a food supply chain will emerge that supports that choice. In fact, we see bits and pieces of it today. Alice Waters quotes Paul Cezanne: “The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed will set off a revolution.” She goes on to note: “So let us all make our food decisions in that spirit: Let us observe that carrot afresh, and make our choice.” The authentic eating experience is also a sound nutritional choice. You will gain all those wonderful single nutrients touted as being essential for good health by habitually eating a variety of fruits and vegetables freshly harvested on local farms. Locally-grown food is typically fresh and tends to retain more nutrients if prepared and eaten within 48 hours. You will more likely eat fewer calories and fats, helping to keep your body in your appropriate weight range. The authentic dining experience also includes poultry, dairy, and meat products that have been farm raised in harmony with natural biological systems.