Columbia is a really small town...like 600 people small. That means that there is little to do for the average person. I am far from the average person, though. I, like the rest of the program staff, make my "own fun." A trip to the Food Lion is a bi-weekly occurrence that we all look forward to - like a child looks ahead to summer camp...excited, yet nervous. The ride into town can also be a real treat...Columbia is large enough to provide multiple routes to the grocery store, all falling under the "scenic route" moniker. Additionally, you can add to the excitement of going to the grocery store by changing your diet weekly. Lately, I have contemplated my diet...I want less products made with corn and corn by-products (trying to do my part and keep food costs down for others) and more organically grown stuff (I am not turning into a hippe, mind you). The demand for this type of food is not exactly burgeoning in northeast North Carolina - so a trip to the grocer makes for a scavenger hunt.
Here's what I bought (like you care) with my reasoning (like you care)
Rice Drink (milk subtitute) Rice is good for waterfowl. Milking cows are fed large amounts of corn and soybeans. And while soybeans can't be milked (for obvious reasons) they still procure a milk product product from them. These things must be planted and harvested with massive tractors. The propogation of these crops often means displacing native wildlife in our country's heartland.
Dates - This is my candy...and dates grow on palm trees in California. While some dates are grown on the Arabian peninsula, I always reach for USA products. There's no tariff or massive cargo ship that impedes their progress to my stomach.
Raisins - I put these in my cereal...good for fiber which keeps me full.
Cereal - I like Fiber One Caramel Squares...again, they keep me full. Yeah, they have some corn in them, but I love farmers and appreciate the cultural and economic impact they have on on our country. My grandfather was and is a farmer.
Steamed vegetables - These are good with my supper. I especially like the baby corn, which is usually hand harvested (allegedly). Also, while growing up, my folks maintained a garden...this was harvested by us and the deer. So maybe a deer is eating out of the Birdseye Corporate Garden. I like deer.
Coffee - The brand I buy is supposed to be free-trade and organic. So nobody is producing this coffee against their own free-will. Caffeine is also a requirement in my life.
Plums - These grow on trees...and as an amateur forester, I have a strong preference for trees and what they produce...as long as their not produced for paper, because we can all recycle.
Apples - See Plums above.
Protein Bars - From looking at the above list, you've probably noticed a lack of animal flesh. I use the protein bars to add protein to my diet. They also have chocolate in or on them.
Clothing detergent - I buy the cheapest I can find. I prefer concentrated forms, as they can cram more power into a smaller bottle which uses less plastic to make the smaller containers.
Tomato/Spaghetti sauce - I buy this cause it tastes good on everything...like a gourmet ketchup. That sounds sort of gross, but try it. In Italy, they pour the stuff on everything. I do not put it on fruit.
Mushrooms - These are my fillers to every meal. It's like meat, but it tastes like wood. I'm not sure why I like them after reading the prior sentence, but they are good.
Before moving here, I had the options of many specialty grocery stores that carried an array of specialty products. The grocery list has been evolving since I moved. The Food Lion in town doesn't carry the standard products I eat, but I enjoy modifying things, especially my diet.
Before anyone comes to the conclusion that I am a vegetarian or that I do not appreciate our agrarian society, then wait a durn minute! I eat what I want. I like tractors and love the sound and smell of 'em. Soon enough, though, only American's will be able to afford food...as biofuel production increases, the corn used for that requires more corn to be planted for tablefare. I like to keep my gas prices low and my grocery bill even lower. Moreover, the more corn that has to be planted to meet demand destroys ancient wetland and forests, some never to be replaced. Additionally, whether we like it or not, cars that run of water, air, or apple juice are just around the corner...so why destroy more wetlands and forest (where many plants may hold a cure for cancer, alzheimers, and the common cold) for only a decades worth of E-85 gasoline.
P.S I like bacon and steak, together. I enjoy them responsibly.
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