Those of you familiar with Michael Pollen’s work may recognize this quote. “Eat real food, not too much, and mostly fruit and vegetables.” I might add another fragment to this sentence “Eat real food produced as close as possible to home.”
The benefits of this mantra are real and can lead one to a healthier diet and help to reduce our dependence on oil. It has been said the average mileage of food purchased in the local grocery store travels over 1,500 miles from where it is grown to get to your table. For those of us who live in Southern Arizona this number is likely much higher. The more food we can procure from our area will not only help us sustain our bodies but will make us less dependent on a food chain that is not under our control.
There are many resources I have cited in previous issues for those who are searching for food grown in and near Southern Arizona. Another was recently brought to my attention called Somos la Semilla (We are the Seed) a network of organizations and people committed to building healthy food systems. They are promoting a wonderful tour of seven organic gardens and farms in the Santa Cruz Valley on Sunday, September 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This self-guided tour is an opportunity for the individual to be inspired to grow their own food and learn about how these successful gardens produce food in our desert. You can learn more about the tour at SantaCruzHeritage.org/farmtour.
