Economy of Food

I have just started reading Marion Nestle's "What to Eat" which is her book basically breaking down the grocery store and answering the question in the title. I had just read her other book - "Food Politics" a little while ago which addressed the development of the USDA and how various food policies are developed in the U.S. That, too, is fascinating. One fact of particular interest that I just read has to do with the cost of eating fruits and vegetables. It is commonly asserted that in many urban and/or impoverished areas, the low consumption of fruits and vegetables (and the high consumption of junk foods and fast food) is due to the high cost of fruits and veggies. Nestle provided details on a study done by economists working for the USDA to assess the average cost of eating the RDA of fruits (3 0.5 cup servings) and vegetables (4 0.5 cup servings). They went to the store, bought produce, accounted for waste and trimming, then measured the # of servings and the final cost. What they found is that it would cost 64 cents (in 1999 dollars) to consume the "full daily complement of servings recommended at that time," (p. 63). She replicated the results herself with green beans. We were discussing this at work and decided that it would be important to also detail how much time and resources would be needed for families in low income situations to obtain fresh produce - I do know it's been documented that there are many areas in the southside of Chicago that have been described as "food deserts." Nestle also provides the argument that it is not the "absolute cost" of foods, but the "cost per calorie" that makes a difference. And to also consider the artificially low costs of meat and corn and soybeans due to government subsidies. I do remember how cheap boxes of very unhealthy mac n' cheese and ramen noodle bowls were in college. It is an interesting issue for sure.
Additionally, she wrote something else that really resonated with me: "When you choose organics, you are voting with your fork for a planet with fewer pesticides, richer soil, and cleaner water supply - all better in the long run. When you choose locally grown produce, you are voting for conservation of fuel resources and the economic viability of local communities along with freshness and better taste." I have definitely been trying (in the last year or so) to not buy produce imported from far away to minimize the waste of fuel sources on food transport. Hard as it is in the winter, I try to ask myself if it's really that important to me to have strawberries flown in from Chile when I can wait for the farmers' markets in June to provide lots of great heirloom varieties that are fresher and usually better tasting. And tomatoes outside of July and August are always hit or miss and never compare to those beautifully ugly heirlooms. I can't wait for grilled corn and bread salad! And for the drinkers out there, Rain vodka is an all organic vodka produced in the midwest using corn grown specifically for vodka production. The guy at Sam's told us that a lot of the "boutique" vodkas from Europe actually produce using grains put up for government auction to producers ranging from fuel to feed production.
Of course, the thing with voting with your fork is also that you are voting with your wallet sometimes.
On a cooking note, I made that poached rhubarb in jasmine tea recipe I linked earlier and used some of it to make some rhubarb muffins. They were a little flat, but lots of flavor. Chris thought they were made of banana!