Written by Rose Cameron of Bite Me Kitchen

Mass production and over-incorporation in the food industry has been a hot topic for a number of recent films, books, and articles. Most people buy virtually all their food products from big-box retail chains like Target, Wal-Mart, and K-Mart, or grocery giants like Ralph’s, Albertson's, and Vons. Meat comes from a place resembling more a factory than a farm; produce is plucked prematurely from the vine and chemically ripened in warehouses; the majority of our grain products are so convoluted with enriched ingredients that they hardly resemble the original grain. Consumers and (more specifically) chefs, foodies, and home cooks are increasingly aware of the growing distance between the farm and the dining table. The problem is known, but the solution is rarely discussed. In a world where free time is minimized as we juggle children, jobs, social activities, and housekeeping, it appears efficient and cost-effective to make a single stop a week to purchase groceries at a store that carries nearly everything.

As consumers, we are completely separated from our food. The meat we buy is processed and packaged until it no longer resembles a living animal and monumental fruit pyramids, skins waxed to a high sheen, tempt our eyes in the produce section. How much food we can buy for how little money has consumed us so severely that we have forgotten completely how our food should taste. Something fundamental has been lost when the most important features of our food are its value and appearance. A return to buying locally would provide the consumer with higher quality ingredients, and bring us back to the concept of community, fostering the creation of strong neighborhoods and a healthy local economy.