I am once again watching movies to select what we will be showing for the Santa Fe Farmers Market Film Series, which starts back up again in January. I just saw a great one on where our food comes from called Deconstructing Supper.
The film follows chef John Bishop, who owns the five star restaurant Bishop’s in Vancouver, Canada, as he explores how food is grown and what is really in it. HIs journey begins when more and more customers begin to ask questions about the food being served and he realizes that he does not know the answers. When a customer asks if the food is genetically modified he even confesses that he does not even know what that means. You can watch the beginning of the film on YouTube.
The film is from 2002 and perhaps it is even more relevant today as more and more attempts are made to bring additional GMO crops into the food chain, both in the US and abroad. We are also seeing the real cost for oil beyond what we pay at the pump. Most food is trucked an average of 1500 miles, large scale commercial agriculture uses huge amounts of oil and those chemicals used on crops are usually petroleum based. The chef’s travels take him from Canada to England and on to India to discover the new and the old ways when it comes to growing food.
One thing that stands out to me is that when people get involved and say no, change happens. So this can be an inspiration for all of us to ask questions and make real choices about what we put in our bodies, and our loved ones too.
If we all “deconstructed” our meals what would we find, and would we still want to eat them? Shopping local is an easy way to do this in order to know what you are eating. When you eat out ask questions so restaurant owners know that this is important to their customers, after all they need us. It was because of customers asking questions that led John Bishop to investigate the state of food and make a change in his restaurant to serving primarily organic or locally produced products.
So keep in mind that we have the power to change how businesses operate by our demands…all those big companies and small ones too, need our business. It is time to stop following the dictates of these companies and tell them what we want and what we will buy.
