State Your Food Sovereignty

How can "ordinary citizens" take back control of basic rights in today's world? One way to send a message is to do what several states and towns have done recently: Demand Food Soverignty!

What does this mean exactly? Well, if you start with the concept of "you are what you eat," then a great first step is to find out what is IN what you eat. On a global level, we no longer have the sort of direct control over our decisions that our ancestors had. Increasingly, the foods we eat are genetically modified and sprayed heavily with chemicals. Many of us believe that this is not a good thing! However, our government, in its dangerous dalliances with companies like Monsanto and Dupont, have essentially stripped its citizens of the choice to not eat genetically modified foods that are chemically enhanced. Our world is an interconnected web of life and any interference or manipulation in the laws that govern it will produce cascading effects that we do not understand, nor can we predict.

So, food sovereignty declarations, though essentially "toothless" in the eyes of our legal system, can send strong messages to our lawmakers that we are watching them and that we are very concerned that our rights are being taken advantage of. For a brief overview of ways in which you can begin to build a movement in your town or state, click here.

For a link to a more globally focused statement, click here.

To be successful we must first be knowledgeable and educated. We also must work together. Let us know what you and your communities are doing to protect your food supplies.

Here is a direct link to the State of Maine's Resolution.

Do You Know Who Grows What You Eat?

It looks like buying local is a growing trend in the US. An article today on CNN reports that consumers are increasingly looking for that neighborhood connection in their food. Local farmers' markets are being seen as viable and sensible options for obtaining the freshest produce and dairy. Establishing relationships with the people growing and farming their food gives consumers more comfort than the more distant relationship in a supermarket.

Some terms used to describe the reasoning behind the choice to buy local:

1. Accountability
2. Safety
3. Freshness
4. Healthier
5. Supportive of sustainable farming vs. industrial farming
6. Sensible

Visionary Values supports fully the concept of buying local and supporting your area farms. Doing so helps build community and strengthens the bonds people have with one another and with the earth. Folks who share these ideals tend to be better stewards of our precious resources. So, if you have a local farmers' market, stop by and take a look, ask questions and take something home.

Take a look at the article here: 

Farm fresh movement a growing food trend