By Just Food Initiative of the Fox Valley,
Batavia, Ill.
Life in the United States is at a crisis point. For 70 years we have used up and abused U.S. precious soil and water to produce commodities such as corn and soybeans for junk food such as hamburgers and french fries and soda. These destructive practices have made the prices of what passes for food to remain relatively low.
Meanwhile, many persons born after 1945 have grown up in relative, obscene, abundance. Middle and upper class families never had to make sacrifice or have the experience rationing of food. Suddenly they find themselves in sacrificial times: War in Ukraine, COVID-19, job losses which cause rising prices, especially for junk food from supermarkets.
Some strategies?
- Produce some of your own groceries: Just Food Initiative seminars, free at the upcoming Fresh Start Community Market August 7 in Aurora and at many Fox Valley public libraries are available for school, clubs, houses of worship, organizations. Please contact us. We teach growing food from seed. Growing veggies, herbs, fruits, in an Earth Box. It creates savings in time and money pus helping to build immune systems against COVID-19.
- Buy local and decentralized: None of the local family, small farms, in the Fox Valley area is raising prices. They are not wasting farm resources on gas money for tractors or chemical fertilizers, on television advertising. They do not waste money on many levels. They sell directly to us. Unlike centralized monopolies of agribusiness, decentralized farmers practice frugality and sustainability. Farmers’ markets run all Summer. If we are patrons, we keep our dollars supporting our neighbors instead of wealthy predators.
- Don’t waste. Daniel Grant of Farm Week writes that up to 33% of food produced in the U.S. is thrown away. No wonder prices rise. Few families understand that day-old bread makes wonderful croutons or bread puddings. Soured milk makes weekend pancakes. Left over veggies can become the featured items of delicious frittatas or barley pilafs. Home-made food does not need to be thrown away. We need to learn how to use food wisely which saves money.
- Share. Americans for the past 400 years have been taught to be Marlboro men: Every man for himself because I matter. Many families coming from other countries do not live in such self-centered individualism. They take care of each other. They prosper in community.
There are families down the block where old folks cannot get out to buy their food, where moms and dads each work two and three jobs to make enough money for food on the table, yet, never see their children; where ill individuals can not afford both medications and food.
Who are they? We need to find out. Not through donations to an impersonal food pantry, but by opening our eyes, ears, hearts. We must pay attention to more than ourselves and our families.
In our land of plenty, even with rising food prices, no one should starve. No one will starve unless the majority practices every man for himself. We all need know how to live frugally.
So many young people today want to be spiritual, but not religious. To live frugally and gratefully with what we are given, our daily bread, instead of wishing to have our wants fulfilled instantaneously, that is spiritual.
Our Creator gives us this day our daily bread. We have no business throwing food away, then claim food is too expensive. We must learn self-denial and gratefulness.