What really matters?
After talking with Exo and the Hatfields, I began to realize that the choice isn’t nearly as simple as conventional versus organic. There are issues that go beyond those handy categories. And there are far more questions to weigh. Is it local? How far has it come to reach my table? Who grew it? How was it grown? In the case of milk or meat, were the animals treated humanely? I know, I know. Not many of us have the time or inclination to interrogate grocery managers about every basket of blueberries or brisket of beef. But in my conversations with farmers and ranchers and scientists, I began to understand that by learning just a little more about the food I’m putting on the table, I could use my food dollars to cast a small but meaningful vote not only for the health of my family but for the kind of world I want to preserve. I’m lucky to live in Sonoma County, California, where I can jump on my bike and, in five minutes, be riding through some of the most beautiful countryside in the wo
