Food Is Power and the Powerful Are Poisoning Us

[karrie]

There is a grain of truth to the article, but only, as it says, 'if we allow' it to happen. Where the article loses me is that most people reading it, most people engaged on this forum or seeking out articles like this one, are highly aware of the need for local food sources, of the need for fresh, clean, healthy food. If you look through this forum in depth you will see many conversations about buying local, supporting the local farmers, 'foodscaping', eating a fresh unprocessed diet, and cooking for yourself at home.

In short, we're not allowing it to happen, making the article a fairly moot point.

 

[Unforgiven]

There is if you work at it. I have two young kids, and my wife and I both work, and our kids are involved in extracurricular activities. Don't tell me how much work it is to cook supper, help with homework, make lunches, etc.

Everyone's different. I am adept at cooking and I've done my kid time too. I also do the shopping and know the cost of food. I am not arguing with your point as I agree that if you work hard at it, you can make healthy meals.

My point is that it's expensive. More expensive than bad over processed food that is ready in a few minutes. And it takes more time.

It's hard work, sure, but that's what being a parent is all about.

In part sure. But being a parent is about a lot of things. I think it's one of the things we should make it easier to do.

If you want to be poor, lazy, and have everyone in the family weigh 300lbs, well, that's the easy route. And it gives you the right to complain and blame everyone else for your troubles.

That's a bit of a poor example. Are you a stupid fat slob or do you cross train 28 hours a week? Are you a lazy, go no where loser or are you making 6 figures a year net? Advertising works. That's why they use it. Everything doesn't work on everyone but something out of all of it will work on enough people to make it pay. I think there is some share of the responsibility that isn't our own.

Someone conned some old aged pensioner out of her pension cheques? Well she shouldn't be so stupid. Or should conning people out of their money be against the law?

You probably get the point by now.

We're doing the same with water now.

 

[Unforgiven]

There is a grain of truth to the article, but only, as it says, 'if we allow' it to happen. Where the article loses me is that most people reading it, most people engaged on this forum or seeking out articles like this one, are highly aware of the need for local food sources, of the need for fresh, clean, healthy food. If you look through this forum in depth you will see many conversations about buying local, supporting the local farmers, 'foodscaping', eating a fresh unprocessed diet, and cooking for yourself at home.

In short, we're not allowing it to happen, making the article a fairly moot point.

Something I noticed actually while we were out today. We came across a Farmer's Market and stopped in to check it out. Most of the stuff was priced higher than at the grocery store. The quality looked to be about the same but the prices reflected a pretty high mark up for such little overhead.

That got me wondering just where these "farmers" came from. I asked on vender and he told me that he isn't the farmer, he buys it at the food terminal and sells it here and in a store he has here in Toronto.

Not sure what to make of that yet.

 

[karrie]

Something I noticed actually while we were out today. We came across a Farmer's Market and stopped in to check it out. Most of the stuff was priced higher than at the grocery store. The quality looked to be about the same but the prices reflected a pretty high mark up for such little overhead.

That got me wondering just where these "farmers" came from. I asked on vender and he told me that he isn't the farmer, he buys it at the food terminal and sells it here and in a store he has here in Toronto.

Not sure what to make of that yet.

Yeah, I've noticed the same thing about Farmer's Markets in the city. But, it gives the yuppies from the city the warm and fuzzies to feel like they mingled with the common man a bit.

 

[Cliffy]

Yeah, I've noticed the same thing about Farmer's Markets in the city. But, it gives the yuppies from the city the warm and fuzzies to feel like they mingled with the common man a bit.

Nyuck! Nyuck!

That is what I like about small town. Our farmers market features real farmers and everybody mixes with everybody else. Much less class distinction and snobs don't get much of a life if they discriminate. I've noticed that some of the more well off who used to hang out with a few select friends are now mingling with the unwashed masses on the street. Interesting development. I wonder if the recession has anything to do with it?

 

[TenPenny]

My point is that it's expensive. More expensive than bad over processed food that is ready in a few minutes. And it takes more time.

When a drive through meal for 2 adults and 2 kids at McAwful costs over $20, you can't say home cooked food is more expensive.

$4 for hamburger, $0.50 worth of potatoes, $3 for milk, $1 worth of bread, and a little time accomplishes the same thing. Less than half the cost.

 

[Unforgiven]

Yeah, I've noticed the same thing about Farmer's Markets in the city. But, it gives the yuppies from the city the warm and fuzzies to feel like they mingled with the common man a bit.

Warm and fuzzies? Hell we check for ticks with some of the sketchy looking buggers round here. :lol:

 

[karrie]

Warm and fuzzies? Hell we check for ticks with some of the sketchy looking buggers round here. :lol:

lol.

 

[Unforgiven]

When a drive through meal for 2 adults and 2 kids at McAwful costs over $20, you can't say home cooked food is more expensive.

$4 for hamburger, $0.50 worth of potatoes, $3 for milk, $1 worth of bread, and a little time accomplishes the same thing. Less than half the cost.

Maybe where you are. Of course my kids would ask where the lettuse, tomato and cheeze are in the hamburger, and why it has not flavour. Maybe you cook potatoes some other way but in order to make fries like McDonalds you have to cook them in oil. I guess you could reuse the oil left by the hamburger but then you have a cold hamburger. Though the fries would not cook correctly and taste funny too.

We could get into haggling over the price of a potatoe but that would just be so much bullsh!t that it's not even an argument.

How about you forget the terrible fast food and show me how you make Kraft dinner for four under two bucks. Or even some good food.

Saying that people are just stupid and lazy rather than address the problem with food is avoiding the issue.

 

[karrie]

How about you forget the terrible fast food and show me how you make Kraft dinner for four under two bucks. Or even some good food.

I tend to think of KD, Campells, etc. as well when I think 'cheap and easy' food, not foods like McD's or other fast foods. I can't make vegetable soup as cheap as I can buy Campbell's crap, unless I grow it all myself, or buy caselots of vegetables about to go off. I also can't buy macaroni, cheese, milk, and flour to make a rue and proper macaroni and cheese for my family, for as cheap as I can toss together some processed powder sauce.

 

[Unforgiven]

I tend to think of KD, Campells, etc. as well when I think 'cheap and easy' food, not foods like McD's or other fast foods. I can't make vegetable soup as cheap as I can buy Campbell's crap, unless I grow it all myself, or buy caselots of vegetables about to go off. I also can't buy macaroni, cheese, milk, and flour to make a rue and proper macaroni and cheese for my family, for as cheap as I can toss together some processed powder sauce.

And there you have it. ;-)

 

[talloola]

Good food is more expensive than bad food.

wrong, only if you buy certified organic, or 'just' organic, but if consumers
would gradually work their way back to 'how' everyone bought food and cooked
in the 30's and 40's, organic food would start to come down in price, and one
doesn't have to buy organic anyway, just research your food when you buy it,
read labels, over and over, and ask questions to your super market, they are
very helpful, if you know who to talk to.
It is expensive for growers to register to be 'certified organic', but their food
can actually be the same, so research where the food is coming from.
Most people want other people to do everything for them, and that is sad.
And, working is not an excuse for that, being organized is important.

 

[karrie]

wrong, only if you buy certified organic, or 'just' organic, but if consumers
would gradually work their way back to 'how' everyone bought food and cooked
in the 30's and 40's, organic food would start to come down in price, and one
doesn't have to buy organic anyway, just research your food when you buy it,
read labels, over and over, and ask questions to your super market, they are
very helpful, if you know who to talk to.
It is expensive for growers to register to be 'certified organic', but their food
can actually be the same, so research where the food is coming from.
Most people want other people to do everything for them, and that is sad.
And, working is not an excuse for that, being organized is important.

what's organic got to do with it? Good or bad food has nothing to do with being organic. Fresh fruits are more expensive than fruit cups for example... plain and simple. You can't say they're not, because I KNOW I pay more to get fresh fruit for my kids' lunches than if I was to grab canned fruit for them. Canned, processed vegetables are cheaper than fresh vegetables, and sticking to carbs instead of veggies and other healthy fiber is even cheaper. Whole wheat bread is more expensive than white wonder bread.... the list of times that cheap, crappy food is easier on the family budget is astounding.

 

[Lou Garu]

Engineers axiom: " You can have cheap ,easy,quality , pick any two of the three"
I think it applies to food as well........

 

[Unforgiven]

wrong, only if you buy certified organic, or 'just' organic, but if consumers
would gradually work their way back to 'how' everyone bought food and cooked
in the 30's and 40's, organic food would start to come down in price, and one
doesn't have to buy organic anyway, just research your food when you buy it,
read labels, over and over, and ask questions to your super market, they are
very helpful, if you know who to talk to.
It is expensive for growers to register to be 'certified organic', but their food
can actually be the same, so research where the food is coming from.
Most people want other people to do everything for them, and that is sad.
And, working is not an excuse for that, being organized is important.

Sure who doesn't have three hours a week to spend reading the fine print in grocery stores?

There are ten different brands of whole wheat bread waiting in the bakery. That's just the whole wheat, There are perhaps 70 different brands or more. But first you better spend some time getting an education on what the hell it is they are talking about before you start reading all the labels. Then find out which a simply lying and which are telling the truth. There is always the tried and trusted ask a store clerk, if you can find one that isn't a part timer looking to get any job that is better than the crappy one he's got there. A wealth of information there. :roll:

In the 30s and 40s you bought the flour and the sugar and the yeast. No worries about which yeast or the type of flour was best, you bought the one they had. There is no going back only forward.

Not that it's impossible, but it's certainly not cheap.

 

[AnnaG]

In their farm trucks. You and I are obviously talking about two different sized farms. My father in law doesn't take his fancy truck to farm meetings. I don't think my mother in law's minivan has ever seen the farm despite having farm plates and being purchased through the farm.

They work six months a year and make obscene amounts of money.

I guess we must be. I have a cousin who is also well off, but he not only does cattle ranching, he does excavating, log-hauling, etc. When he doesn't use machinery (he hauls his own cats, graders, etc.), moving cattle, or is at home, he's in his pickup on the way to somewhere.

 

[TenPenny]

Maybe where you are. Of course my kids would ask where the lettuse, tomato and cheeze are in the hamburger, and why it has not flavour. Maybe you cook potatoes some other way but in order to make fries like McDonalds you have to cook them in oil. I guess you could reuse the oil left by the hamburger but then you have a cold hamburger. Though the fries would not cook correctly and taste funny too.

We could get into haggling over the price of a potatoe but that would just be so much bullsh!t that it's not even an argument.

How about you forget the terrible fast food and show me how you make Kraft dinner for four under two bucks. Or even some good food.

Saying that people are just stupid and lazy rather than address the problem with food is avoiding the issue.

Take a potato, cut it into french fry sized slices, toss it in a bowl with some oil, salt, pepper, and few other seasonings. Bake at about 450for 10 min, toss, cook for 10 more minutes. uses about $0.10 worth of oil.

are you suggesting that lettuce and tomato will add $15 to the cost of the food?

kraft dinner? go to bulk barn, pickup some macaroni.
buy some cheddar cheese and milk. (milk doesn't count as a cost adder, cause you'll need it for kd anyway)

it's cheaper to cook your own food.

 

[AnnaG]

Good food is more expensive than bad food.

lmao I can make a damned good, healthy meal for three of us for $3 at home. We can't find a place we can get more than 2 or 3 cups of coffee for $3 in town.

 

[AnnaG]

Something I noticed actually while we were out today. We came across a Farmer's Market and stopped in to check it out. Most of the stuff was priced higher than at the grocery store. The quality looked to be about the same but the prices reflected a pretty high mark up for such little overhead.

That got me wondering just where these "farmers" came from. I asked on vender and he told me that he isn't the farmer, he buys it at the food terminal and sells it here and in a store he has here in Toronto.

Not sure what to make of that yet.

Yeah. There's lots of middlemen around. They realize it's better work for them, easier, and better profit than farming. Basically all they are is a transport system between the farmer and you, and they give the farmer the bare minimum and soak the customer.
Our fruit is gone almost the same day we put it up for sale because we refuse to soak customers. Meantime the middlemen are still flogging their fruit a week after they put it up for sale.

 

[AnnaG]

I can make 5 loaves of bread for a couple bucks and a couple hours mix, rise, and bake-time.