Sometimes the obvious needs to be stated in order to acknowledge its obviousness. I was reading a book once, and for the most part I have little recollection of what it was about. But one thing that has stuck with me from that book is that even if you say that you believe in something, only your actions can prove if that is really true. Real beliefs, beliefs that are rooted in values and how you understand the world, cannot just be ideas that you are fond of. Actions DO speak louder than words, and it is much more difficult to say something and follow through, than it is to simply say something.
This is something of which I have to regularly remind myself. In fact, I had to do this just yesterday.
There are things that I know about food production, and things that I don't. But one thing I do know is that if people don't grow food, I don't eat. I also know that it is hard for small farms to make a living, especially if they are using sustainable methods. These people need to charge more for their food if they want to make a profit. Big industrial farms are able to charge less, and create stiff competition for the little guys. I feel better knowing that my food was grown in ethical and sustainable ways, and that if I buy from these small farms I am NOT buying from big industrial farms. But sometimes it is just so hard.
Yesterday I went to the farmer's market in my neighbourhood that just opened. I had my shopping list, and I knew what I needed. Really, there is very little I enjoy doing on a cool Saturday morning more than going to the market, drinking coffee, and talking to vendors about their food. I love the smells, I love the people, but I do not love the price of the food. It's always hard for me to NOT buy something, so I usually do. But when I go to buy carrots and realize that they are twice as much as I would pay in the grocery store, my eyes bug out, and I grip my wallet just a little bit tighter. Breathing deeply, I reminded myself about half a dozen times why I was there in the first place: I want to know where my food comes from, cutting out the middle man is better for me, and it's better for this farmer, and I believe (there is the "B" word again) in what this place means for my community. The words "live what you believe" kept running through my head, and when I paid $6 for carrots that would normally cost me $3, I reassured myself that I was doing the right thing.
North Americans, over the past couple of generations, have turned to thinking that food is simply a commodity like any other instead of a way of life. People expect to pay somewhere around 9% of their income on food, when my grandparents spent roughly 18% to feed themselves. Our obsession with cheap, fast, convenient food has meant a serious reliance on food that is just cheap, often at the expense of small, sustainable farming, and environmental conservation. Depending on industrial large-scale farm production will do nothing of value for the world that we'll be passing on to the next generation, and I need to do something to try and change it.
Maybe the price I sometimes pay for food is a bit too much. Maybe I get ripped off sometimes, but the fact is that the money I do pay goes back to these farmers who deserve to live a life where they are comfortable financially; when it comes down to it, after all, they are helping me stay alive. The price I pay for their food is sort of a thank-you, and it's really much more personal than a "thank-you" paid in a big-box grocery store where I will never, ever meet the person that grew my food.
I spend relatively little on clothing, or on entertainment, or 'stuff', but I do choose to spend money on good quality food. Living what I believe is tough, but it is a commitment I've made, and I intend to keep it.
