As if yucky winter tomatoes weren't enough of a bummer already, how about this for a real buzzkill: if you have eaten a tomato this winter, chances are very good that it was picked by a person who lives in virtual slavery. This is the subtitle of the article Politics of the Plate: The Price of Tomatoes in the March issue of Gourmet. As if I wasn't already somewhat of a fanatic about where my food comes from, this definitely upped the ante more than a bit.
The moral of the story here? Buy local, seasonal and small-scale. I know, I know, it's tough to find a good winter tomato. But did you really want those mealy suckers anyhow? Thankfully, spring is here, and tomatoes will not only taste a lot better soon, your options for local purchase will increase.
Things you can do:
- Don't buy tomatoes from Florida or Mexico
- Support your local farmers' markets
- Find out about your local CSA program (Bozemanites, here's ours, better sign up soon)
- Pick up a copy of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for some inspiration on eating local and healthy. Nice fresh springtime reading (btw, here's my book review).
Promise, more uplifting posts coming soon.
Labels: being green, Food
