Over the last few weeks we’ve seen big media outlets share
stories that run straight to the heart of what the EcoFriendly Foods mission is
all about – providing humanely-raised, pasture-fed, local meats to consumers. A
formula that’s great for the farmer, for the animal, for diner, and for the
planet. But don’t count out the power of “Big Industry” to keep the deck
stacked against us and the many other small scale producers across the country who are giving you choices in what you eat.
Take for example something I saw about a week ago. In the
Washington Post food section there was a great article about Cathal Armstrong,
the wonderful chef at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, VA and his wife, Meshelle.
The article described Cathal’s conversion to providing local and
sustainably-raised meats and produce in his restaurants and even went so far as
starting up a small farming and composting operation on his own!
(Unsurprisingly, the conversion happened after reading Michael Pollan’s The
Omnivore’s Dilemma (How powerful is that book??!!))
A few hours after reading that article and feeling all good
about all the attention being paid to the subject of changing how we grow food
in this country, I see an advertisement on one of the DC Metro system trains
that was bought by “Big Chemical” explaining important fertilizers are to our
food supply. The particular ad I saw seemed to show off the purity of
fertilizers by claiming they were nothing more than N,P, and K – nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium.
The head of the group sponsoring the ad campaign says, “We hear so much from other groups who are framing
fertilizer in a negative light. It is time we speak directly to consumers and
share the positive role of fertilizer. We have a great story to tell.” She also
says, “We hope to spread the campaign outside the Washington, D.C.,
area…[f]ertilizer is responsible for between 40 and 60 percent of our food and
because of that, fertilizer is an absolute necessity.” (I love how she says spread
the campaign! So clever!)
Now, they’re right when they say
that fertilizers are important to our food supply. But let’s remember that
real, organic fertilizer has to have manure in it. The strictly chemical
fertilizers are not part of the natural ecosystem. They will eventually deplete
the land of its useful ability to grow food, demanding more and more chemical
application. Given time, “Big Chemical’s” fertilizers will rip apart that
natural ecosystem. And you know what? There’s a reason why we’re hearing so
much from these “other groups…framing fertilizer in a negative light.” It’s
because we’re learning that that time is now.
Does reading this make you angry,
too?
Like “Big Chemical” thinks, we
have a great story to tell, too. Yes, fertilizer is an absolute necessity. But
let’s be clear about what kind of fertilizer we need. Natural and organic.
Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong seem to know that. The dozens of restaurants
buying products from EcoFriendly Foods seem to know that. The thousands of
restaurants that buy products like ours elsewhere across the country know that.
The hundreds of thousands of people shopping farmers markets each and every
week know that. The millions of people shopping in the supermarkets that
feature organic produce and products know that. There’s a reason why the
mainstream supermarkets have been increasing the size, scope and variety of
their organic options over the last few years!
"Big Chemical" wants you to think
fertilizer as an absolute necessity. They’re right. But their “positive”
message about chemical fertilizers is a ruse. Thankfully you have a choice
in what kind of fertilizer your food is grown with. Thank you for choosing
natural fertilizer made with real B.S. rather than the B.S. of their message.
Thank you for joining with EcoFriendly in fighting the good fight and for
choosing us to help feed your family. We’re all in this together.
