Hello, organic food!

The main focus for me most Saturdays is getting to the Berkeley Farmers' Market. Since it is a block away from my gym, I try to combine the two into one trip. The Farmers' Market closes at 3, so I'm always challenged by the logistical fact that I have to work out before I go to the Market...

Today, Z walked to the market and I biked up and met him. We got a lot of stuff, including out first ears of bi-color corn of the season. Woo hoo! It feels pretty radical to be buying organic corn from the farmer who grew it-- especially considering the book that I recently read: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I highly recommend that everyone read it.

While we ate our mostly-organic tacos and organic salad this evening (unfortunately, I didn't have time to make salsa, so we used Pace salsa, and he had bought 50 tortillas a few days ago so we'd have them on hand, and they're not organic... nor are most of the oils and vinegars that dressed our salads), we watched The Future of Food (PS- I found one of those annoying corn worms in the sink after Z shucked the corn). It starts out really boring, but it gets better. The end is the best part- she shows someone spraying down a row of strawberry plants, and then cuts to a little boy eating a fresh strawberry-- and she points out that the future of food will be determined by us consumers. (I hope that this is true. The film paints a very dire picture.)

I really want to go visit my friends' farm tomorrow (it's in woodland, and some of the genetically engineered seed packets in the movie said that the seeds had been grown in Woodland! It is very close to UC Davis, which is a "mean ag" school. But do I want to spend $40 to get there and back? Can I afford to? Can I afford not to? I'd also like to go and meet a woman who might be able to utilize my part-time volunteer services on her farm.