[MD] politics and food

[Ian Glendinning]

I guess the key thing Arlo,

... is how seasonal variation either limits the choices or simply
changes the choices. Clearly the further north one goes, the more
there is limitation, the further south the more there is variety.

We're not obsessive on local / organic mono-issues, but it sure is
easy to make good choices when the choices are there.

I can elaborate on our sitation a bit .... back in UK / Northern
Europe we were always seekers of natural variety when it came to food,
and with modern supermarkets and distribution systems, variety is
available all year round in your "local" store - the catch is the even
the "locally growable" produce was being air-freighted in from around
the world ... so basically your shopping always involved reading the
labels / the smal print (or sticking your head in the sand and
whistling).

(There are a whole set of economic issues about the net value of
global trading and relative competitiveness ... but let's leave that
aside for now ... just stick to the food-miles sustainable energy /
ecology balance aspect for now.)

The reason we noticed the southern US situation was precisely because
the supply situation was/is seasonal. What is specifically available
does change, but the variety is relatively constant - that's what made
us notice that the variety was indeed relatively local, all year round
- even in Walmarts, as I say.

(Like really seasonal too .... even during the summer peach "season"
... the varieties and sources of peach available locally / cheaply,
changes every week or two ... )

The paradox is the source of the good.
Ian

On 8/8/08, ARLO J BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu> wrote:
> [Ian]
> Paradoxically, I've never eaten more healthily, nor with a clearer conscience,
> than I have the last couple of years in the US. Gonna be harder to keep that up
> in Northern Europe.
>
> [Arlo]
> One of the harder "transitions" for us was the winter months, where our CSA
> provides an abundant amount of root veggies and bitter greens (kale, chard)
> (this is central PA growing). I had to learn a bunch of new recipes, but it was
> worth it. We do supplement more over the winter from the grocery store, but
> most weeks I can still keep it at about 70% local (eggs, milk, cheese and meat
> I too get local organic and/or Amish farmers).
>
>
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