Travis Johnson
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- 2,369
I have never paid much attention to food prices really. A minor squabble here and there and maybe a whine about the prices of food, but as I got into trying to figure out a market for my Lamb, I really started to look at food costs. Our food bill per week hoovers in the 80-100 buck range. Now keep in mind Alyson eats 90% organic food, while we eat healthy fruits and veggies, but 90% conventional (or non-organic food). Not bad really.
So then I started snooping and seeing what the prices of other peoples grocery bills were. An interesting thing emerged from my crude food price scan. The people that ate a lot of junk food, pre-processed foods and pre-made "ready to eat frozen dinners and stuff", had grocery bills in the 150-180 dollar range. Now maybe that should not be surprising, but I noticed something else. Alyson NEVER sees her DR, at least not because of being sick. She just does not get sick. Its not hard to fathom that those people with high grocery bills more then likely have high health care costs as well.
With all the problems I have had with my heart and my seizures I got a pretty good appreciation for the cost of modern health care. Adding to that is a grocery bill that is quite a bit higher then mine,and you really have to wonder...
What is the TRUE cost of good food?
I know in a recent study the USDA tested a modern city (Hartford CT) and mapped out one square mile. In that one square mile there was 14 places that served food, and only 1 that served fresh fruits and veggies. When they interviewed the store owner he said that even being the only one, he had a hard time competing with the fast food restaurants and stuff, and thus served fried food to his customers too. The elderly were the ones buying the fresh produce.
So where am I going with all this? Well I am wondering what the true cost of good nutritious food really is? At the same time what is the availability of this good food, and will people buy it even if they can get it? More importantly, what do the people of Family Woodworking think of the foods they eat? Can many of you get access to organic food, naturally grown foods, or have plenty of local farm stand foods, or is it hard to find anything other then fast food? The reason I ask is, a recent study said Maine had the highest availability to organic food, and it is probably true. For every conventional food, in the rack next to it is a locally grown organic variety, and this is at the big supermarket. I might have it good, but does anyone else?
So then I started snooping and seeing what the prices of other peoples grocery bills were. An interesting thing emerged from my crude food price scan. The people that ate a lot of junk food, pre-processed foods and pre-made "ready to eat frozen dinners and stuff", had grocery bills in the 150-180 dollar range. Now maybe that should not be surprising, but I noticed something else. Alyson NEVER sees her DR, at least not because of being sick. She just does not get sick. Its not hard to fathom that those people with high grocery bills more then likely have high health care costs as well.
With all the problems I have had with my heart and my seizures I got a pretty good appreciation for the cost of modern health care. Adding to that is a grocery bill that is quite a bit higher then mine,and you really have to wonder...
What is the TRUE cost of good food?
I know in a recent study the USDA tested a modern city (Hartford CT) and mapped out one square mile. In that one square mile there was 14 places that served food, and only 1 that served fresh fruits and veggies. When they interviewed the store owner he said that even being the only one, he had a hard time competing with the fast food restaurants and stuff, and thus served fried food to his customers too. The elderly were the ones buying the fresh produce.
So where am I going with all this? Well I am wondering what the true cost of good nutritious food really is? At the same time what is the availability of this good food, and will people buy it even if they can get it? More importantly, what do the people of Family Woodworking think of the foods they eat? Can many of you get access to organic food, naturally grown foods, or have plenty of local farm stand foods, or is it hard to find anything other then fast food? The reason I ask is, a recent study said Maine had the highest availability to organic food, and it is probably true. For every conventional food, in the rack next to it is a locally grown organic variety, and this is at the big supermarket. I might have it good, but does anyone else?
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