“You Are What You Eat”

You’ve probably often heard the saying “You are what you eat” If this is true it follows then that the food that we eat matters. Therefore the way our food is grown also matters a lot and even more so in the near future.

For this reason we believe that it is urgent that all growers come to know the importance of a healthy, functioning soil, a soil that is full of active microbial life. For it is the soil life that ongoingly makes available the soil nutrients to the plants. It has become increasingly more evident that it is only a healthy living soil that has the ability to produce nutrient dense food.

The next step is to realise that this fresh food is best made available straight to the consumer before „big business‟ processes it and sends it anywhere there is market demand. This demand is supported by our ever increasing need for quick, convenient meals in our busy worlds. It is also a result of huge advertising campaigns often falsely claiming of added nutritional benefits such as extra vitamins, calcium etc. that we are lulled into believing that manufactured food is just as good for us. It is especially appealing when the processed or imported food seems so cheap in comparison to organic local produce.

But this is where we need to stop and think. Is it really cheap to buy e.g. garlic from China grown who knows where and how and then is sprayed with methyl bromide, a dangerous residual chemical, for export? In the short term it may not matter but in the long term these second rate choices start harming your bodies as these chemicals accumulate over time. Children are particularly susceptible to these toxins and thus we are increasingly seeing allergies, behavior disorders and other illnesses occur which rarely existed in your grandmothers time.

A good rule of thumb to live by is: “Anything that your grandmother could eat is probably best for you” That is, prepare your meals from scratch with chemical free produce which has been grown preferably in balanced living soils.

As more consumers are becoming aware of the food that they eat, the demand for healthy, local produce has outstripped the ability to supply. This demand has arisen either through the growing awareness in the media such as by Jamie Oliver, Slow Food movements, Farmers Markets and even due to their declining health. Another reason for in particular certified organic food has arisen in reaction to the prevalence of GM crops and the lack of clear labeling of „ordinary‟ food.

Thus we urge all growers to be aware of this growing demand which is not only your secure future market but also the future for your soils. There is every indication that not only are soils worldwide being depleted but that the fertilisers that have being keeping them going will either not be available or will be extremely costly.