when you buy it at the Plainfield Co-op. The recent crisis of lettuce from agribusiness causing thousands of chain grocery store customers (also folks consuming that lettuce in restaurants) to experience “explosive diarrhea” is only the latest of such wide-spread food-borne disease outbreaks. In these cases, “bigger is better” only for the food pathogens.
According to Cornucopia, an organization that researches food health and safety:
Getting to the bottom of any crisis in our industrial food system can be an exercise in futility. In discussions with our advisors, we were told that “large aggregator supply chains are a black hole of consumer knowledge.”
What You can Do
Know your farmer, know your food!
Knowing who grew your produce and where it was grown allows you to make more informed decisions about food safety. No farm is immune to food safety issues, but buying directly from a farmer means you can get answers to your questions and respond faster if there’s a problem.
Find an organic farm in your community. Shop your local co-op or independent retailer. Seek out certified organic, soil-grown berries. Go to the farmers market. You will not only keep your money circulating in your own community, you will get fresh and delicious food that you can feel safe eating.
By putting our energy and care into buying local food and supporting community-scale farmers whenever possible, we can build our food future together!
From cornucopia.org website
Seeking volunteers for the Building Committee
If you are interested in learning more or joining the Building Committee, please contact Mike Brosky at michael_a_brosky@yahoo.com.
