I just returned The Omnivore's Dilemma to the library last week. While I didn't get all the way through, due to a, quite frankly, disGUSTing chapter about feedlots, it most definitely had an impact on me. The fascinating side of these books/documentaries/articles/etc. is learning how utterly out of the loop I am when it comes to knowing where our food comes from. The unfortunate side of these books/documentaries/articles/etc. is their serious ability to overwhelm me. Anytime I read stuff like this, I just think "how can we do what's right/healthy/sustainable/etc. without totally retreating from the "world"? I tell Andy often that I want to move to a farm, grow all of our own food, and teach yoga. He usually laughs, which proves how nearly impossible that dream is. But, it seems like a pretty reasonable way to eat/live in a responsible/healthful way. So, as I continue to figure stuff out for my small family, I'll try to share tips and ideas. I'm about to be jobless soon, so I imagine I'll have a good amount of time on my hands.

Our first line of business is making the switch to organic/close-to-organic as possible. I blogged a few months ago about this and we have continued to make important moves toward this kind of living. When I first wrote about this, Andy was totally uninterested. Then, as we made our first trip to the grocery store in CR (that's a whole other story...talk about a weird experience; we don't know how to live off campus :-) ) and suddenly he was talking about organic meat and veggies, eating healthy as preventative medicine, etc. I was jumping for joy, to say the least. So, now if I can just keep him on that kick... It's fun to have him as my partner in crime with this kind of stuff!

Of course, my biggest concern with "organic" is the price. Not only the dollar amount, but also the time and energy it takes to either coordinate trips to the farmer's market, research recipes that use in-season items (the grocery store has duped us into thinking that EVERYTHING is ALWAYS in season), to finding places that even sell "organic" or no hormones, no antibiotics meat, etc. The initial footwork is impressive. And, since we've just moved to a new town, it's even more daunting. I realize it will just take a bit of up front work and then everything will fall into place, but the initial task is overwhelming, to say the least. And, once all of that is taken care of, we have to remember that we're operating in a very strict budget. Kinda takes the fun out of it, huh?

I find The Dirty Dozen information to be pretty helpful when navigating the produce isle. Now clearly, it doesn't take a genius to figure any of this stuff out. But, if you hate being overwhelmed and want to avoid the frustration that comes with trying to pick the best without spending an entire afternoon in the store, this guide is for you. Hopefully the linked page takes you to a document with a wallet-sized sheet that you can cut out, laminate, and throw in your bag, so you don't have to cart the full sheet with you to the store every time.

While our preference would be to buy all things organic, at this time in our lives, we have to prioritize. As of right now, we really want to be committed to buying hormone free/for the most part antibiotic free meat and dairy products. We'll buy organic produce when the price is comparable/cheaper (because, at least in Iowa, it sometimes IS cheaper to buy organically) and will support local farmer's markets as much as possible (because we can actually get to KNOW the people supplying the food). Now the question is, can we do it on a budget just over $100 a month? I'll keep you posted!