Local Farms — Healthy Kids a Hearty Investment

Along with the localization of our energy supply that I've talked about before, I think that an equal if not greater pressing need is the localization of our food supply. We all enjoy out of season fruit or vegetables or meat from around the world (Argentina, South Africa, Spain, China, etc.) but perhaps we have been lulled into thinking that these abundant, out-of-season choices are a good thing or a convenience of the modern world. Sure we have a cornucopia of choices at the grocery store, but how much energy did it take to transport those fruits and vegetables halfway across the world? In addition, how do those countries treat (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers) their food while it is growing? Add another layer or frozen food on top of that and we have a disturbing trend - we really don't know what happens to the food that we put into our bodies from seed to supermarket.

Now we're all adults and we can make conscious decisions about what types of food we put in our bodies. But what of the kids who eat food at the schools around the nation? What are our schools putting into the growing bodies of our children? What types of health issues do we have today because of the food that we have put into our bodies and what health issues will our children have in the future?

Alright, enough of the soapbox and check out what the Washington state legislature is doing for their kids' food in public schools and for their local farmers via The Seattle Times.

Oh, I should probably change this blog to be about not only renewable energy but also acquiring food from local sources. Because in a way they are connected.