Supermarket produce has evolved to prioritize fruits and vegetables that grow fast, look the part, travel well and produce profits. That might seem all well and good until you realize that that no longer results in produce that is grown for flavor, nutrient density, seasonality or variety.
Big Food Companies Constrain Our Choices
A handful of powerful companies control the majority market share of almost 80% of dozens of grocery items purchased every day by ordinary people. It might seem like there are a lot of choices at the store, but many or most of your favorite brands are owned by just five companies: Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Conagra, Unilever or Del Monte. And another four companies - Walmart, Costco, Kroger and Ahold Delhaize – control 65% of the retail market.
The size, power and profits of these companies have expanded thanks to political lobbying and weak regulation that enabled a string of industry mergers and acquisitions. This matters because the size and influence of these companies enables them to largely dictate what America’s two million farmers grow, how much they're paid, which foods consumers like us get to eat and how much our groceries cost.
Let's use apples as an example of how these companies constrain our choices. At supermarkets, the choices are restricted to half a dozen varieties, give or take: Fuji, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and maybe a couple of others. Why these? Because they’re pretty and most people like their taste.
But, the reasons that aren't discussed as loudly are these: They are the choices because they can survive being transported over long distances. They respond well to pesticides and industrial production. Their skins won’t tear or blemish if they’re knocked around in the trucks en route from orchard to aisle. They tolerate the wax compounds with which they are coated and which make long distance transportation possible.
These are the reasons you won’t find Arkansas Black, Ashmead's Kernel, Gravenstein, Belle de Boskoop, Jonathan or Winesaps on the shelves. Our choices are not entirely our own because, even in a supermarket, the menu is crafted not to include the kinds of apples we prefer, not by the seasons, not by our location, not by the full range of apples available, and not by the full spectrum of available nutrition, but by the power of food corporations.
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Expand Your Choices - Shop at a Local Family Farm
Visiting a local family farm is like being transported to a different time and space. As you approach, you will notice a quiet calm. The frenetic energy of the freeway will fade away. The maddening cacaphony of the digital realm doesn't apply. You'll enter a vibrant space that emanates the enduring spirit of local agriculture.
Visiting a family farm is a refreshing escape. Time slows down and you get to spend time in your community, talking to your neighbors, the farmers, other people like you who appreciate fresh and local foods and want to see small neighborhood farms flourish. Here are a few reasons to chart out your next visit:
- Real flavors: The fruits and vegetables you buy at a local family farm are the freshest available. Fruits are allowed to ripen fully in the field and are sold just feet or a few yards from where they were grown —no long-distance shipping, no gassing to simulate the ripening process, no sitting for weeks in storage. If you want to know how a sun-ripened strawberry should taste, this is the place to taste it. You'll be surprised how much more vivid the flavors are when you taste fruits and vegetables have not been travelling or in storage for months.
- What's in season: Local family farms sell what they grow, but only in the season during which each plant ripens. Visiting a family farm will help you reconnect with the cycles of nature in your area. You can look forward to eating asparagus, cherries, and strawberries in the spring, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, and corn on the cob in the summer, and leafy greens, pomegranates, passion fruit, cabbages and squashes in the fall. It really does remind you to connect with the uniqueness of each season and the passing of time each year - with an appreciation for the bounty from the seasons gone by and excitement for those in the seasons to come.
- Farmers and the real people who do the hard work of growing good-for-you food: Family farmers are truly grateful for your support. Buying directly from farmers gives them a better return for their produce, ensures a living wage for their employees, and ensures that they will survive to grow the next season's crops. It's a virtuous cycle really: we support them and they grow healthful food for us. The mega-food brands and companies support their shareholders, not consumers like you and me.
- Variety you won't find in a supermarket: Have you ever tried passion fruit? Dragon fruit? How about Armenian cucumbers or a Bonnie melon? If you're curious and adventurous like I am, give some new fruits and vegetables a try. Eating a variety of foods is essential for optimal health. Each food group offers a unique set of nutrients that contribute to your overall health, that foster a healthy gut microbiome, and reduce the risk of chronic disease among others. Exploring new foods helps you appreciate different cultures and traditions. Get out there and try something new!
- The spirit of community: Local family farms generally attract people who live nearby, those who seek out small family farms and food that's been grown by farmers who care about the quality, nutritional quality and flavor of the food. They also attract people who just love to spend time with neighbors and friends in a friendly environment for an opportunity to chat and see what's going on. At the end of the day, you'll find people just like you.
- Time in nature: Spending time in nature can reduce stress, improve mood, boost creativity and promote overall wellbeing. Family farms are often off the beaten track so as a part of the adventure, you enter a quietly calming environment, essentially serving as a natural stress reliever with positive impacts on both mental and physical health, such as lowering your blood pressure and decreasing anxiety. It wouldn't hurt to check one out!
Find a Family Farm in Your Area
It's easy to find a local family farm, a farmer's market, or a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in your area. Here are a few of the ways I found resources in my area:
- Search online platforms like Local Harvest or Eat Wild. These two are resources that connect people looking for good food with the farmers who produce it. They keep an inventory of family farms, farmer's markets, CSA programs and other programs.
- Visit the Farmer's Markets in your area: While you're there, ask the farmers, operators and shoppers there about farms in the area. I've learned so much from the people I meet at the market. Introduce yourself and engage with people. It will make your experience at the market so much better.
- Research the farmer and vendors that sell produce at the Farmers Markets in your area: When you look online for the Farmers Markets in your area, they will most likely have a page that lists all of the different farmers and vendors who sell at that market. Some of them will also have onsite farm stands. I've found a few really good ones that way.
- Check your local agricultural extension service: These local area offices usually maintain databases of local farms and can provide information on family-owned operations.
Think About it This Way
You can lose your health one small compromise at a time. And, you can transform your health one small action at a time. Take action. Visit a family farm this weekend and try a new fruit or vegetable. For the win.
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