the next time you enter your grocery store, look around … for a few minutes, just soak in the scene and think deeply about what it all means … if you live in a rural area, your grocery store may be a community-based family-owned business … some food may be produced locally and a certain percentage of food and other goods may be imported either domestically or internationally …

if you live in an urban centre, and your grocery store is a supermarket the size of a small village in Indonesia, then you may be looking at various store departments replete with goods produced all over the world … it’s an entertaining luxury to be able to purchase these exotic goods at your whim … but how were all of these foodstuffs made and what amount of time, energy, labour, and resources was required to bring these commodities to your local market?

chances are, you may not be able to even fathom the micro- and macro-logistics of international production and trade … it may be mind-splitting for some people to think about … so suffice to say for now that a tremendous amount of natural resources and money is required to stock the shelves of super-size grocery stores …

leaving aside the fact that the quality and freshness of goods available at these mega-stores are often questionable and inferior, an important thought to consider is what are viable and attractive alternatives to obtaining your nourishment and sustaining your health? …

what can you do? … here are some ideas …

this is a vegetable garden in Italy ... italians are *serious* about their gardens! ... even so, the organization of this garden amazes me ... it's a beautiful garden ... i like to keep my gardens more relaxed and not-so-tightly managed ...

1. plant your own garden … if you are fortunate enough to have a plot of land where you can grow some of your own vegetables, fruits, or legumes, this is by far the most rewarding and nutritious alternative to store-bought food … this includes growing some plants indoors, such as herbs, spices, and small tropical fruit trees … some great resources for tips and info: the garden helper … the helpful gardener … gardener to farmer blog … the itinerant gardener blog …

2. alternatively, help a friend or relative tend to their organic garden in exchange for a portion of the harvest …

3. community gardening … if you don’t own land, many urban communities have neighbourhood gardens where numerous people collectively plant, tend, and harvest garden vegetables … to find a local community garden near you, google “community garden listings + [the name of your city or town of residence]” …

4. farmer’s markets … farmers’ markets and street markets are the norm in many countries around the world … however, in countries where life is heavily modernized, most communities have either organized farmer’s markets or you can check local farm directories to locate farms near you that you can visit directly … pick-your-own farms are especially rewarding experiences, because you can learn about the source of your food, appreciate the plants that nourish you, and understand a small part of farmers’ reality … some useful resources: US organic farm listings … UK listings … Australian farmers’ market association … markets in New Zealand … Canadian farmers’ market association provincial chapter links … a farmers’ market near Jerusalem … a list of some morning markets throughout Japan …

5. internship on local organic farms … for people inclined to truly experience farm life, or who want to learn how to run their own farm, interning on local organic farms can be a truly awakening and life-changing experience … i’m not necessarily referring to metaphysical transendence (although living on the land certainly does open and inspire your spirit), but rather to practical realizations of what food production really entails, how fresh nourishing food really tastes, and how mad and superfluous urban lifestyles can become … websites to help you find your niche: WWOOF … in North America … Planet Volunteer listings … backdoorjobs … WiserEarth … manage cyberary …

6. agritourism (also called agrotourism) … this is a relatively recent trend … well-intentioned people travel to various locations worldwide to spend all or part of their travel time living and working with farmers or fishers, etc. to learn about the trade and to contribute manual labour … everyone i know who has participated in this form of tourism raves about the experience … it fosters a very deep appreciation for the cultural perspectives and lifestyles of different societies … experiences such as these always expand your mind … search for a location that moves you: AgroTourNet and agritourism in the EU … agritourism in California and other U.S. states … Caribbean agritourism … farm life in British Columbia, Canada … informative youtube videos … wikitravel geyser of info …