Organic Manifesto

No, not mine. Someone else's. Because my pile of books became bigger than my reading time would allow, I had to return several of the books to the library. I've put them all back on hold, though, so when I have more time on my hands (e.g. summer) I can read them. One of the only survivors of that purge was Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe by Maria Rodale.

I had heard the Rodale name because they're magazine publishers, but I had no idea just how important they have been to organic farming in the United States. Maria's grandfather started Organic Farming and Gardening Magazine and her father started much of the early research into organic farming. She and her late mother, Ardath, have continued that legacy and she has now written this "manifesto."

I can't go into too much depth as I haven't gotten that far into it. Not because it's a dense read or because I keep falling asleep reading it (okay, maybe a little), but because it's so depressing! I mean, the first two chapters are "We Have Poisoned Our Soil, Our Water, and Our Air" and "We Have Poisoned Ourselves and Our Children." See what I mean?!? And it's not just about the chemical pesticides and fertilizers we use on our food that then get into our bodies and the soil and water, it's about so many of the chemicals that we surround ourselves with. It's really making me think more about the antibacterial soaps, sanitizers, and other similar products in our house. We think the EPA and other regulatory agencies are protecting us, but that's not the case. They've changed their safety standards on certain products and have yanked funding on projects when it's clear the results aren't favorable. If they're not looking out for us, who will be?

I'm feeling that way about all I've learned, really. Agribusiness, marketing companies, and even our own government don't seem to have our best interests at heart when it comes to the food we're eating as a society and the products in our homes. It's really disturbing. I'm glad that I've started this journey and that I've learned so much, but I feel like I have a long way to go.

I found this list of "age-erasing" foods online today. I found it interesting and yet unsurprising that most of the foods on the list are ones I've introduced into my diet or eaten more because of what I've learned. The only one I can't do is yogurt. Ick.