by Carie Moore
Even amidst this pandemic, what we have for food choices and availability in the United States is amazing. I recently visited Sioux Falls, and within walking distance was Chinese, Mexican, coffee shops, traditional fast food, ice cream, Italian, and more that I probably missed along the way. There may be times we have food shortages, but there is no shortage of food selection. The choices don’t stop either once you walk in the door. Beef, pork, chicken, almond milk, oat milk, 2%, skim, wheat, white, sugar free, waffle fries, tots, honey mustard, BBQ, ranch, strawberry, chocolate. And we wonder why kids can NEVER make a decision these days! It’s not a hamburger, fries, and a pop anymore when you go out for supper.
People love to have choices. We all want more choices when we eat, yet it has gotten so out of hand that we “food shame” for the choices people make. What happened to "Food as fuel?" What happened to being thankful for the few times we did get to go out to eat? What happened to, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit”? What happened to, “Well, if you don’t eat this you have cereal or go without?” What happened to simplicity? It was replaced with complexity.
It’s my hope that throughout the past year, people who tend to believe those celebrity endorsed documentaries, bought “regular” food and were okay with it. Because that’s all there was. Choices were limited, but everyone will still be okay.
I support all farms and farmers who produce the food we eat. Those who do it safely, while caring for the environment, looks different to everyone. Am I confident we do that on our farm? Absolutely. We may use pesticides, but we watch for thresholds and attend certification trainings. We may use tillage, but it’s greatly reduced from even 10 years ago and we don’t till hilltops or areas with soil issues. We use GMO seed to produce plants that require less chemicals and grow better in our climate. We use cover crops, we recycle straw and manure, we soil sample, we do a lot of things to take care of the land while producing a crop.
People have different dietary needs. It’s just how it is. But people also have choices. I encourage you to make sure your choices are fact-based, not because someone made you think twice about buying a product based on misinformation. If you’re going to ask a doctor about your health, ask a farmer or rancher about your food. Right now, you can’t scroll through social media without seeing someone advocating for ag or sales of their product. Connect with one of them. Make your choices be as simple as, “Should I grill it or bake it?”
Carie Moore is the District 4 representative on the NDFB Promotion and Education Committee. She is a mom and farms near Rocklake, N.D.
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