The local food trend is growing like crazy, and that’s great to see; but I think it should go one step further: I think we all should get to know our food producers and feel comfortable with their practices. Recently, I’ve been writing stories for for co-op newsletters, and the interviews I’ve had with local farmers coupled with a major news story are leading me to rethink the way I purchase all my food.
The salmonella egg scare has me freaked out, just like everyone else. But I’m not just worried about getting sick – I was also heartbroken to read about the accounts of the working conditions at some of the “farms” that produced the infected eggs. (This New York Times article describes an incident the farm had with workers living in rat-infested trailers and being forced to handle dead chickens and feces with their bare hands.)
It made me think about who I get my eggs from. I’ve been buying Larry Schultz’s eggs for a little over a year, when I switched exclusively to organic eggs and dairy products, and I recently got the chance to interview him about raising his chickens and eggs. Schultz, who farms in Owatonna, Minn., talked about why he chose to be organic: It was a farming practice he had grown up with (even though it was out-of-fashion until recently) and he couldn’t stand the thought of touching pesticides or feeding any food that had been touched by pesticides to his family or customers. He also talked about the enjoyment he got from raising chickens and watching them grow.
I was first introduced to Schultz’s eggs at the Seward Co-op, and was happy to note that the co-op only sells organic, humanely raised eggs. (And during a recent trip to Lunds, I was relieved to see Schultz’s name on a package of Lunds brand organic eggs that I was thinking of purchasing). I knew his eggs were good because the co-op helped with the research, and they continue to do my homework for me. As I wrote this two Tweets from the Seward Co-op appeared on my screen:
@sewardcoop: We’ve discontinued carrying Radtke eggs; we’re no longer confident they can provide us w/eggs from cage-free, free-range birds. Returns @ CS
@sewardcoop: Please, if you purchased Radtke eggs from us, return them to Customer Service for a refund. Meanwhile we have safe & humane eggs from others
That’s not to say that I’ll never get sick from the food I purchase (or the co-op won’t make mistakes from time to time), but I do like knowing that the plants and animals providing my food and the humans taking care of them are treated with respect and dignity – it’s worth a little research.