I have lived in a rural community all my life. Growing up on a dairy farm and now raising my children on a dairy farm I am well aware of where my food comes from. I watched and helped my mother plant and pull weeds from her garden and watched her can numerous quarts of fruits and vegetables. Now as I am an adult and mother of four children I know how important it is to eat healthy foods. I've listened to the older ladies in my church talk about when they were kids and what they ate, and everything they ate was grown from their farm. They knew where their food came from. I plant a vegetable garden each summer and my children help me plant the seeds, pull the weeds and pick the fruits and vegetables that grow abundantly and I see the look on their faces when they find the biggest strawberry or the hottest pepper.

I can as many fruits and vegetables as I can for us to eat for the next year and I know where our food comes from. I also shop at the local grocery store for the items that I need and I too wonder where that can has been and how far it has traveled to reach my dinner table. How many chemicals were used and how many preservatives were added to make it look more appealing?

My husband is up early each morning to feed the dairy cows and also the beef cattle. He works 15 hour days, seven days a week, caring for his animals and making sure that they get fed the right feed rations to keep them healthy and producing good milk and farming the land to grow food for the animals and the people of the world. When the article talks about eating less beef I take that to heart, because I see everyday how hard my husband and I work to care for our animals, our land and our children to make a living. Eating one less meal of beef for you may mean less money for us to feed and clothe our children.
Kim L.

I have been telling others about this issue and how to support our area farmers for years. I am glad that Women of the ELCA is highlighting where our food comes from and how we can support our farmers.
No name provided

All of the suggestions on how to be more connected with one's food are wonderful. However, I would encourage people to become even more involved with the people helping to produce their food. It is good to take small action steps in one's personal life, it is even more influential to take action steps large enough that they positively influence another person's life. Make sure that the same corporations that one refuses to buy from become better companies. Write letters, support and be part of union actions, and help to create a more economically as well as environmentally just society.
Julia

Thank you very much for your interesting, informative articles. Café is such a great magazine – I always look forward to receiving a new issue!
No name provided

Thank you for this article, although I have some reservations about its general direction. I have lived in a small, rural community (pop. 4,500) for all but my college years. After growing up on a small, hobby farm, moving to "the Cities" and seeing first hand the lack of understanding in the farm-to-food network was disturbing. My chosen career field is agricultural economics, and everyday I work with the men and women who tend the land raising the crops which are used not only for food, but for clothing and a multitude of other products.

Yes, there are large corporations that control much of agriculture today. But for the average farmer in my county, their concern for the land they till and the animals they raise is genuine, and of utmost importance. I purchase beef directly from the family that raises it (without hormones) on the rolling pasture surrounding their home, supplementing it's feed with corn grown on their 500 acre farm. (a 500-acre farm operation is not considered large in our part of Minnesota) The cattle are butchered at a farmer-owned locker to the purchaser's specifications.

Part of the problem is that there are many more steps between the farm and the table. Increasing demand for highly processed, "ready to eat" foods adds steps in this process. The consumer wants lower prices, and the easiest way for food companies to provide this is to hold down the price for the raw product. In recent years, the price per bushel for corn, soybeans and wheat has been at the same level as in the 1960's and 70's, whereas the cost for producing that product has increased dramatically.
Cutting down on purchases of beef is only one very small way to help. Go to the farmer's market; do find small locally owned grocers and butchers who also purchase locally; make meals from "scratch", not from a box, bag or can. All of these things will help preserve the rural way of life.
Teresa H., Saint James, MN

Dear Teresa,
Thanks for your thoughtful response. I have to say, your sentiment really ring true with what we believe the author was trying to convey. You really hit a key point — the extra steps between farm and home.

Have you read the book Fast Food Nation? I found it fascinating. Like you, I grew up in a rural farming area. I witnessed the struggles of the grain farmers to stay afloat and keep their family farms in the changing times. Learning about the meat industry (from the book I mention) was really eye-opening.
— the editor

I agree with avoiding feed-lot beef and other confinement raised animals but let's not forget the many farmers who are ecologically and responsibly grazing their animals. This type of meat brings with it many health benefits, including increased CLA. A great website for learning more about the benefits of grass-fed animals is www.eatwild.com. It also includes a directory of grass-based farmers. This is another way to know the face of your farmer.
Diane K., Chippewa Falls, WI

Thank you for this article. I was wondering whether there is any information connecting the employment of illegal immigrants with agribusiness. I think these large companies that are hiring people to work below minimum wage should be held responsible for helping these immigrants participate in American society as full citizens.
No name provided

Dear Readers,
There are many, many issue surrounding the topic broached in the letter above. What are the responsibilities of such companies? Are there other ethical considerations that should be looked at? Are we turning a blind eye to the practices that are employed in this and other businesses? I think there is a huge conversation that can take place around these topics. Let us know what you think. Let’s get involved!
— the editor

Over the past several months, those of us in Southern California had to look for alternatives because of the grocery workers strike. I was able to find a delivery service that brings food directly from organic farmers in California to my home. The produce is in-season and, as a result, much fresher and better-tasting. I also feel that perhaps I'm making a small impact on supporting organic farmers and not dumping huge profits into the mega-corporation's pockets. The entire experience for me has been worthwhile and, in the process, has also saved me shopping time.

I'm looking for more ways to change my habits and so appreciate the information in Café this month!
Karleen A. G., So. California


Thank you for the article entitled "We Are What We Eat." It made me think about where my food comes from and the impact our current farming
methods have on the environment. I remembered the joy I received from making raspberry jam from our own backyard when we lived in Alaska for 10 years. The article brought back memories of my neighbor there who was a very good gardener and who taught me about gardening by example. She would patiently prepare her flower beds and raised boxes each spring where she planted vegetables. She had vegetables planted in there I’d never heard of before; kohlrabi? She would plan ahead of time what to plant in each row. Sunflowers were purposely grown in her raised boxes, too, and how I loved seeing them from my kitchen windows.

I will now buy less beef to help in a small, personal way, to save grain, topsoil and water. I will be more grateful for and bless the many hands that go into bringing food from farms and crops to my family's table. Thank you for the education you provide to your readers. In Christ,
Marilyn B., Bartlesville, Ok.