I’m a foodie from the bay area. So it’s easier to find things that are local, organic, natural, etc. I realize that there are a lot of parts of the country where you just don’t have much choice. For this reason, it’s good that the big guys are “imitating” the organic and natural thing. It gives people who can only shop at mega-chains a choice and a chance to vote (with their dollars). The guidelines don’t command the most sustainable practices for the corporations, but they do require the corporations to sell (IMO) a better product, free of modified oils, sugars, and GMO’s. Six months ago I had the choice between standard chicken broth and Swanson organic chicken broth. I bought the organic because at least it makes some difference.

So if these trends force ConAgra & others to follow guidelines that are less sustainable than true organic but far better than traditional AgriBuisness, then I’m all for it. I doubt it will drive out the niche small farmer/producer and I doubt the big guys could ever achieve the quality of a small farm.

Would I buy from them if the product is just as good? Yes.

Given the choice would I shop at my local co-op instead of Whole Foods? Even if it’s less convienent? Absolutely.

I don’t have a problem with that – I just want people to be truthful with themselves.

I have done a lot of “buying the dream” in my life, too. Many years ago when I lived in Bennington, VT I liked having a local book store on Main St. I would browse through Barnes and Noble or Borders, etc. and if I found a book I wanted, I would go to Bennington Bookshop and usually have to order it. I would pay extra and have to wait (I hate waiting) for something I could have gotten immediately from Big Book. But, I wanted Bennington Bookshop there because I liked the idea of it – the dream, if you will.

Local and organic foodies are often just like that – they want to have food from a little farm more than they want organic, humane, hormone-free food. So I guess our question is to these foodies – would you buy from Conagra they produced the food they want?

Mike

It may have sounded that way. But I didn’t care. The point of this piece is to have a conversation about this. I think it should stir a certain level of emotion. Here, I actually used that “rural romanticism” as a rhetorical device here. My wife, who is my chief editor, and cohort on my regular blog thought it sounded like I was actually being snarky (which I was not trying to be).

To give up a little from behind the curtain, I actually find myself more often not caring about “who” produced it. I personally think some of this is really a fashion trend like many other aspects of culture. Just as its hip to cook with certain ingredients, I think the ingredients and their providence are becoming part of that same fashion as well.

I personally buy, eat and enjoy many mass produced products. I only tend to buy organic when there is a real benefit to me. I tend to purchase locally produced or small farm when I am exposed to them and they are better than what I can find elsewhere. Because I’m in Northern Virginia, this means really only in the summer and early fall do I have that option for the most part.

I would say that in my food politics, as well as in my everyday politics, I am absolutely for letting the market drive this. I tend to support bigger businesses. If ADM or Conagra or Monsanto are producing the highest quality product, then I would not hesitate to buy them.

Thanks for the response and that is what I think the dialog should be about– Marketing product versus quality of product.

-Kendle

My last post sounds snippy - I didn’t mean it to sound that way. I’m not accusing you of anything, I’m really just asking and maybe starting a conversation here.

Again, I’m sorry the first post came out so poorly.

Mike

To my mind, the most telling thing you said was this:

“For those of us who support these small farmers and high quality ingredients, we demand a certain sense of rural romanticism.”

Are you really more interested in the quality (by that, I mean the organic-ness, no antibiotic-ness, etc) or the rural romanticism? If Conagra were to produce exactly what the small farmer does on an industrial scale, would you buy it? Or are you really buying the dream?

Mike

I don’t disagree. I’m perhaps not as cyncical, but I think its a conern I have from the standpoint of substance versus fashion that modern food has right now. We have so much available, so much we think is special, and how much does that plus our political values play into what is marketed to us.

-K

If the entry of big business into organics is any indication, it will lead to widespread /pretending/ about sustainable practices and local origins. Contract growing and animal feeding operations will extend to farms of a few acres. There will be a demand for government regulation of “sustainable” practices, and the new USDA definitions of “sustainable” will bear little resemblance to actual sustainable practices. Monsanto, ConAgra and Cargill will all profit enormously.

Excuse my cynicism, please. It’s been a long week.

Thomas