Go Green tip of the week:

“Put your money where your mouth is…”

You have heard it before that the squeaky wheel gets the grease… This may be true, but in the capitalistic society that we live in today, Money Talks! It shouts loud and clear. Companies every day are measuring and collecting data on what we spend it on and what we don’t. We, as consumers, need to use our money to “vote” for what we believe in.

Do you want to buy produce that has been treated with pesticides, drink milk from cows treated with Bovine Growth Hormone, or feed your family products made from Genetically modified crops? First, you should start educating yourself on these very real practices of the food industry in America, and second, you should choose wisely and let your purchases speak for themselves. A very good book to start with is: Harvest for Hope: a guide to mindful eating, by Jane Goodall.

Do you like fruits and vegetables that have been certified organic? By choosing to shop at stores that carry these products, you are making your voice heard. Every time you shop at a local farmers market, you are supporting local farmers, telling them with your purchase that you like their wholesome food and want more!

How do you feel about farm-raised fish? If you only buy wild caught fish, you are one of many people who are against this practice and are essentially” boycotting” this industry.

Some folks have taken a step further to ask specifically about menu items in restaurants.

Has your milk, cheese or ice cream come from cows eating organic grains and grasses, or pastures laced with herbicides and pesticides? Have the cows been given hormones to produce more milk by their greedy owners? What quality standards do you have for the food you are giving to your family? Set the standards, and stick to them!

Have you ever seen a label stating, “This product contains NO GMOs!

What is this, you ask? These are genetically altered food crops that have been made so that they can be sprayed with lethal doses of ”Round-Up” weed killer, and still live!

Organic fruits and vegetables, hormone free milk products, and other “organics” are sounding better and better, the more I learn about how foods are produced commercially.

Every time you shop you are making choices. Where you shop, and what you buy, is your voice being heard? “Vote” for “Green” Foods!