Fakin' It

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." – W.C. Fields

Unfortunately most people in the world do not. It's all about the bottom line for the producers and the money saved for consumers. The result? Our current landscape in the world of global food supply.

Have you been to a big-box grocery store lately? I have, and it's a scary thing. The shelves are filled with brands and advertisements, not food.

The grocery stores in California are an interesting dichotomy: on the one hand there are Trader Joe's and Whole Foods everywhere you look; but if you don't go to one of those stores, you're pretty much stuck with an abundance of fake food. Safeway, Ralph's, even Gelson's (a wanna-be upscale "market") are filled with food that is simply not real: no nutritional value, loaded with hydrogenated oils, growth hormones, and pesticides, and much of it genetically modified.

What has happened to us as a society that has created this situation? We as consumers have allowed the food industry to shove this shit down our throats. We value cost over nutrition, convenience over sustenance, low-carbs/low-fat over being nourished. Our apathy has gotten the best of us, and when it comes to what we're putting in our bodies, that is a scary thought.

American family farmers are a dying breed. We have contributed to their detriment by patronizing the low-cost, massive big-box grocery stores that are in cahoots with factory farms.

We need to invigorate the people who have spent generations working in fields, growing quality food that you can eat with a clear conscious. I'm blown away by the amazing quality and diversity of food that the farmers' markets in L.A. provide. Baby bok choy, pistachios, pomegranates, cocktail grapefruit, strawberries, broccoli, artichoke, aragula, key limes, grass-fed bison, eggs, smoked cheeses, dried apricots, etc. All of it fresh and 100% organic. It's incredibly satisfying buying food from the person who grew it.

I realize that not everyone has the ability to go to their local farmers' markets all the time. But what you can do is patronize your local food co-op, natural food stores, and buy consciously. Buy locally. Buy organic. Run with the little guy.