~ Michael Ableman
Today I received my tomato seeds from TomatoFest, and it made me feel very happy knowing that my seeds came from good folks, like Gary Ibsen and Dagma Lacey who share common values. It makes me feel good knowing I will plant, care for, and harvest tomatoes to feed myself, my family, neighbors, friends and PAR. It's empowering and gratifying.
Sometimes people ask, What difference does it make where my food comes from? Let's take a tomato. A common produce item. A staple of the American diet. Should be simple enough.
If a person goes to a store and purchases a tomato, the sign says, "Tomatoes $3.59 per pound". He knows the name of the produce and the price per pound. He may have a choice of grape, cherry, plum, or beefsteak so he can decide if it's for a salad or to slice. He may even look at the tomato and judge it's color and size, and pick one that is a nice red color and has some heft and firmness.
But there are some questions left unanswered.
What variety of tomato is it? What flavor and texture does the tomato have? Is it the most suited variety for the usage or recipe?
Where did the seeds come from that grew the tomato? Have they been handed down generation after generation, from grower to grower? Were they cultivated by the Amish or Native Americans? Were they imported from Italy, Russian, or China? Were they genetically modified in a lab?
Where was the tomato grown? Was it grown by a local farmer? Was is grown in the US? Was it grown in Florida by slaves? Was it grown in Chile and imported?
How far did the tomato travel? How much fossil fuel was used in getting the tomato to the dinner plate? Did the transportation devices (cargo ships, airplanes, trains, trucks) meet pollution-reduction standards?
What type of environment was the tomato grow in? A field? A greenhouse? A hydroponics facility?
What type of soil did the tomato plant grow in? Was it grown it a sustainable fashion? Were manures properly aged to kill harmful bacteria before being added to the soil? What fertilizers and soil amendments were used? Were pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides used? If imported, were the chemicals used to grow the tomatoes legal for farming in the US? How did the fertilizers and other chemical agents used affect the the surrounding ecosystem (birds, bats, bees, butterflies, frogs, mammals including human workers and neighbors, streams, rivers,...)?
What were the working conditions of the farmers who grew the tomato? Did they receive adequate pay and benefits? Did they have a lunch break? Did they have reasonable working hours? Did they have good and safe working conditions? Were they treated humanely, with dignity and respect? If they became injured on the job, did they receive the necessary health care and paid-leave? If they worked with pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, what is the health risk for them or that of their children? Were proper bathrooms available, or were workers forced to relieve themselves in the fields?
At what stage was the tomato picked? Was it allowed to ripen on the vine to have full nutritional value? Or was it picked before it ripened so that it could "travel" better, and then forced to ripen in ethylene gas chambers?
What packaging and waste was generated in shipping and displaying the tomato? Can any of it be recycled or re-purposed?
It's because I don't feel comfortable not knowing the answers to these questions, that I decided to try to:
- grow as much of my own food as possible;
- support local farmers and producers as much as I can by visiting their farms and farmers' markets; and
- buy local, seasonal, organic or biodynamic whenever possible.
Sometimes it does take more effort, but if you think about the benefits, the rewards are far greater than the effort expended. And sometimes it does cost more in the short-term, but in the long term, I know that the food is healthier for me and the environment, and more respectful to those who labor in the fields, and I consider that a good deal.
If it seems overwhelming, start with tomatoes.
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