Thursday, April 24, 2008

More problems--and one solution!

I'm sure everyone has been following the latest bad news about Nalgene and baby bottles? The regulatory focus has been on baby products, since the chemical in question--bisphenol A--poses risks to development. But the chemical is also implicated in breast cancer (see the end of the article). I'm glad to see that Nalgene is changing its plastic, and that there are tips available to minimize BPA exposure. But as a longtime drinker from Nalgene bottles (and eater of canned foods), I also wish this information had come out earlier.

Now onto the good news. I've been complaining (even more off-blog than on) about the fact that modern corporate farming and food distribution has led to less-nutritious, less-tasty food that poses greater health risks. I've been wishing that I had the time to grow my own food, or that we had a direct line to people who farm organically and could get us fresh produce, not stuff picked a few weeks ago and left to ripen in a dark truck.

Well, it doesn't take much internet sleuthing to find that this is entirely possible. Community-supported agriculture may be a relatively new movement, but it's well organized! I've found 2 potentially good farms in my area. The costs are higher than at the grocery store, I think--and that stinks, because again, healthy food should not be something available only to rich people. But for us, the costs are pretty manageable, and I'll be looking into this more. Just think--peaches and tomatoes that really taste like peaches and tomatoes. Keep you posted!