Food Travel
The average meal in the United States travels fifteen hundred miles from farm to dining table.
By the time lettuce grown on a farm in California is made into a salad in your kitchen or in your favorite restaraunt, it could have been traveling for a week and then sitting in the produce section for another few days. It may still look green and crisp but it is not fresh.
Why is the freshness of food important to your family's health? The freshest produce is the most nutritious. Fruits and vegetables transported thousands of miles loose a significant amount of nutrients. To maintain an appearance of freshness many foods are treated with preservatives and irradiation that may be harmful to your health. Also farmers that grow produce to be shipped long distances are limited to varieties that resist squashing and rotting. The health of the planet is also jeopardized from all the food travel. Large diesel fuel trucks crowd the freeways daily carrying food across the country. Diesel burned as fuel emits particles small enough to get into your lungs and bloodstream as well as other pollutants that unhealthy for the air and your body.
The solution: try buying your food from local farmers or grow your own garden. Most cities have farmers markets that offer organic food grown by local farmers and gardeners. And many communities offer classes and community gardens to help you learn the basics of gardening, when to plant and what grows well in your area.