Química

The
 Importance
 of
 Self-­‐Sufficiency
 in
 Food
 Production
 
 
The
 Priorities
 
 
What actually matters in life? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that question? We are so busy making ends meet, rushing to and from work and errands, and generally allowing all of the pressures of life to dictate our actions and dominate our thoughts that we might not beable to easily answer a question as basic as "what really matters?" So, what is the answer? It is going to vary from person to person because some people would say that their family matters the most or that their pets matter the most. Some would say that their health matters the most and others might believe that the amount of money in their bank account matters the most. These are all reasonableanswers, but look at it this way - what matters at all if you don't have your health? For example, if you are ill because of poor nutrition there is little else that is going to matter. What is so interesting about that simple idea is that there are many who believe that our good health through good nutrition is something at great risk in the modern era. Whether it is due to: • • • • Geneticmodification Toxic farming practices Codex Alimentarius implementation Staggering food costs (after all, the cost of food has risen by "double digit rates" in the past few years)

There are millions who understand that it is important to safeguard your health by taking on some of the responsibilities of personal food production.

Understanding
 the
 Situation
 
Of course, being aware ofone's health by growing food is only one reason to consider a bit of self-sufficiency. There is also the idea of "going green" in order to help the struggling environment, and the tremendous financial savings that can come from inhouse food production. Most would also agree that if good nutrition is what really matters; if it is a fundamental issue connected directly to survival, that it is alsoimportant to consider this in terms of the breakdown of society. What does that mean? You would have to live in a very isolated place to remain unaware of the fact that our world is getting closer and closer to an actual "end of days" scenario than ever before. We are not only witnessing catastrophic financial problems,

overwhelming political crises, clashes between major religious groups, andepic environmental changes, but we are going through all of these things at a pace never witnessed in the past. If you don't believe this to be the case, just consider how many mainstream groups turned their attention to the Mayan calendar predictions for 2012. Clearly, the idea of true disaster is in the air, and a lot of people are rushing to purchase weapons or build bunkers in order to feelsecure. You don't have to go to such extremes, however, because you can begin learning how to manage the things that matter the most right in your own home. You can learn how to grow food that is nutritious and which can sustain you through some of the worst of the problems we will face in the future.

The
 Reality
 of
 Food
 
What it all boils down to is one thing - control. When youask yourself about what matters most, it would be great if you could also say that you had control over these issues. Where food is concerned, however, most people "subcontract" control to food producers. We are only now learning about the chemicals used to make animals more productive, the chemicals used to make farming easier, and things like pink slime being added as filler to our meat. It isclearly time to take back control. Just consider technology fan and artist Britta Riley had to say at a 2011 TED conference: "There are days that I palpably feel how much I rely on other people for pretty much everything in my life, and some days that can be a little scary." Why do we quote Ms. Riley? It is because she acted on this fear and created a method by which she could produce a lot of her...