Just in time for Earth Day tomorrow, the movie Food, Inc. will be featured on MPB tonight at 8:00. While it’s a bit sensational, it’s worth a watch. The movie definitely makes you think. I was talking about it non-stop for a few days after watching it. It elucidates the environmental and health consequences of our food systems, but one thing about the movie that I found frustrating was that it didn’t go far enough into what we, as consumers, can do to improve things. So, I’ll get on my soap box for a second and list a few things I think we can do.

1) One of the biggest things we can do is to buy local as much as possible. One way to do this is to shop at the Pinebelt Farmers and Artisans Market on Thursdays from 3-6pm. Also you can support restaurants/businesses that use or carry local produce, dairy, etc. New Yokel Market is such a place and Robert St. John has planted a new garden for his restaurants (see last week’s column).

2) Another thing we can do is to eat less meat. I don’t think you have to give up meat altogether to make a difference for your health and for the environment. You can do this by cooking meatless a couple of nights a week or by using less meat in your recipes. Think of meat more as a condiment than as the center of your meal. For some ideas, join the HattiesVeg community on Facebook.

3) Plant a garden. You can’t get more local than your own back yard. If you’re not a master gardener, you can start with a few containers of herbs or tomatoes.

Ok, off soap box. Watch the movie and come back and leave a comment about what you think!