Food for Thought – Whole Earth Farms

By RL Phipps

Food for thought….

In the last 100 years we have witnessed the slow disintegration of the backbone of our nation.

Skills brought from the “Old Country”, the crafts and trades passed from generation to generation, from father to son and mother to daughter; are becoming obsolete, non-existent, the stuff of mythology and fairy tales. The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker… the cobbler, the seamstress, the blacksmith, the craftsman, the grocer… These family owned (mom and pop) businesses – are all being replaced by (dirt cheap labor in third world countries, et al) – contracted and distributed by the largest corporate conglomerates the planet has ever seen. And the ultimate irony – many of those mom and pops have no choice but to don the “Blue Vest” and submit to their new masters….. For eight bucks an hour and no insurance. Exchanging their dignity for a meager existence…  Keeping the inevitable dogs at bay…. Poverty, sickness and despair… (Uncertainty, fear)

There was a time not so very long ago when these jobs were (an integral part of society) respectable and a family could live a good life – providing for themselves – and pass on their trade to their children, thus continuing their craft and its high standard and relevance.  This was the model used by humanity from Old World countries for centuries, if not millennia, and to an extent is still in practice in some places today.

Since the advent of the Industrial Revolution, we have seen a mass exodus of people moving from rural communities, drawn by the allure of opportunities into the big cities.

The middle class is disappearing at an alarming rate. The gap between the ultra-rich and the poor is expanding exponentially before our eyes.

Most of the food we consume today doesn’t even resemble what our ancestors ate. Most food is produced on mega farms, controlled by a handful of mega corporations, using technologies that are untested, unproven and downright scary. GMO’s, high fructose corn syrup, chemicals, factory farming… (See Food, Inc. read Michael Pollan’s books). The bottom line is it’s all about maximizing profits for corporate shareholders, with little or no concern for long term effects on us guniea pigs.

There is a lot to be said for the value of not having all our eggs in one basket. There is tremendous strength and security in having our food supply being produced locally vs globally. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the vulnerabilities in our current system. An act of terrorism, a spike in gas & oil prices, natural disaster, etc. could cripple our food supplies which rely on transporting products long distances, using lots of energy (fossil fuels) – Daily across the planet.

 

The Big Question… Does it have to be this way?

What can we do?

• What if there was a way to restore our collective backbone?
• What if there were ways to re-kindle the respect (within society) we once had for buying products produced locally, from people who love what they are doing – who are passionate about what they do – People who, as a result of their labor and dedication, can sleep well at night knowing they have a secure future for themselves and their family?
  • Because they have a strong customer base that supports and respects them for the work they do.
  • The most powerful way we have to effect change is through our spending habits.
    • The more we reject unhealthy food items and cheaply made goods, and instead purchase locally grown and produced items, the more things will begin to change.

 

 

 

 

 

Whole Earth Farms

“Dedicated to the revitalization of rural communities by drawing attention to the intrinsic value of earth friendly farmers, ranchers, artists and craftsmen to the health and security of the nation and the planet”

 

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