Eating From the Earth: Why Fresh Food Matters
I grew up on a four acre homestead in Iowa where the woods were my backyard and playground. My parents were dedicated to living sustainably, and most of the energy for our house came from a wind turbine and solar panels. We had fruit trees, flower gardens, and many, many vegetable beds. If I felt like having a snack I would go to my backyard and pick raspberries, an apple, or snap peas directly from their source. Nearly all the produce we ate came from our own home. We cooked with eggs our chickens produced, and ate meat from the animals my dad raised or hunted. In the summer I wandered barefoot through our woods, fed the fish in our pond, or played with the kittens birthed by a stray cat next to our garage.
This kind of life was often not as carefree as it sounds, and definitely not as glamorous as homesteading is often portrayed to be on social media. It is very hard work, often boring, and sometimes isolating. But there were many golden lessons I learned from growing up this way. I spent a lot of time simply existing in nature. I observed the way nature tends to heal itself. The way it develops in slow, gradual shifts, barely visible to the eye. The way the smallest form contains something of the whole. The way it all replicates itself again, and again, and again. And, most of all, the way every piece is deeply, intimately, vitally interrelated.
As an adult I live in a city- the world of machines, businesses, culture, information, noise, and people. On a daily basis I often feel disconnected from nature. But spending so much time in the quiet of the natural world during critical times of my development impacted me deeply. The lessons I learned live in my DNA, and affect my actions and outlook- likely more than I am consciously aware of.
One lesson embedded within me is how important it is to eat food that is directly connected to earth. To me, this is a simple and intuitive reality. Have you ever tasted a tomato directly from the vine, that is still warm with the heat of the sun? It almost seems to be a different species than the eerily round, unblemished, mildly pale tomatoes in perfect piles at the grocery store. An abundance of research now supports that a plant-centered diet of whole foods is the most compatible with health. Doesn’t this just sort of make sense?
We unfortunately live in a world where most of us have become deeply disconnected from the food we eat. Devastatingly- many Americans simply do not have the financial privilege or opportunity to eat fresh, organic, local, ethically-sourced food (something that I consider a basic human right). The way the food industry operates is another major factor in our inability to eat the kind of fresh foods our bodies need and deserve. Here are a few of the reasons why it is imperative that we address these barriers and that fresh whole foods are readily available to all:
Industrial Farming Methods Deplete the Soil of Valuable Nutrients:
Monocropping is a modern farming practice in which the same crops are planted on the same piece of land year after year. It was adopted to provide food sources to a growing population of people in a systematized way, and to increase farming profits. Over time soil that has been subject to monocropping becomes depleted of vital vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, copper, and zinc. Monocropping also disrupts the ecology of the soil, making it hostile to good bacteria, and supportive to parasitic species. Due to this shift, more pesticides are required to yield a good harvest. Produce grown in nutrient-poor soil contain less nutritional value. Plants rely on beneficial bacteria to pull nutrients within the soil into their roots. Decade after decade the quality of produce grown within exhausted soil contains less and less nutrients.
Produce Loses Nutritional Value During Transport and Storage:
In order to minimize mechanical damage and spoiling during transportation many fruits and vegetables are picked before they are fully ripe. Then these foods often spend days being stored and transported before landing on grocery store shelves. Many nutrients within food, such as Vitamin C, begin to deplete rapidly after harvest. The ingredients that ultimately end up on our plate may be significantly depleted in nutritional value due to this process.
Many Modern Food Products Lack Nutritional Quality:
A study completed by the U.S National Health and Nutrition Examination between 2007-2012 found 60% of calories consumed by Americans came from Ultra-processed foods (1). These food products contain chemical additives, dyes, and preservatives to allow it to be stored for longer periods of time. Consumption of ultra-processed foods are associated with higher rates of cardiometabolic disease and obesity. They also tend to have poor nutrient quality. A diet largely composed of ultra-processed foods is very likely to be deficient in vital nutrients.
Poor Diet can Create Nutritional Deficiencies That Lead to Disease:
Our bodies require fundamental dietary building blocks to function. When our bodies are deficient in vital nutrients they do whatever they can to adapt. Ultimately, if depleted for a long enough period of time, dysfunction and disease can occur. Fresh, nutrient-rich food can truly be medicine. Just as our bodies struggle when we don’t provide them with necessary nutrients, they often have the capacity to heal and thrive when true nourishment is restored.
The current reality of the food industry in the United States is bleak, however, there are many creative responses and solutions. All over America there are people who are cultivating sustainable garden systems. A new generation of social-justice-oriented local farmers are growing food to provide fresh produce to underserved communities. Farmers markets and Community gardens are cropping up in nearly every city and town. Many people are taking matters into their own hands, and are growing food in backyard garden beds. The solutions to large-scale national food system issues are being solved on a grassroots level.
As I think back to my younger self, so directly connected to the source of my food, I feel a sense of hope. It is never to early or too late to get back in touch with our roots. In fact, living in connection with the earth and being nourished by it, is the birthright of every living being.
References:
Baraldi LG, Martinez Steele E, Canella DS, Monteiro CA. Consumption of ultra-processed foods and associated sociodemographic factors in the USA between 2007 and 2012: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2018 Mar 9;8(3):e020574. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020574. PMID: 29525772; PMCID: PMC5855172.
