When I buy my groceries I am supporting family farmers, helping to protect the environment and promoting good health.

Now, you may be wondering how I do all this simply by going to the grocery store, but every time we make a selection from the grocery store shelf, we are supporting a certain kind of agriculture and a certain kind of industry. We are making decisions on social and environmental issues.

So how do I support all of these good causes with my grocery store purchases? I buy organically grown and produced food.

Organic farming is a method of farming that sustains the health of the land. Sustainable agriculture protects soil quality, conserves water, utilizes modern and traditional low-impact management techniques and encourages biodiversity.

The way we grow and distribute our food is a hot topic right now for many reasons.

It is a timely subject because food-borne pathogens have been in the news lately. It is an applicable subject; agriculture is a way of life in Iowa. I think many people are unaware of the impact their food choices have on larger issues.

This generation is arguably the most health conscious — gyms and health clubs are chic and it seems like everything from food to motor oil is labeled non-fat, low-fat or reduced fat.

This generation is arguably the most concerned about the state of our natural environment. Membership in environmental organizations are at all-time highs and “green” buzz words like “dolphin safe” and “environmentally friendly” attract consumers.

Yet, somehow this generation has overlooked the connection between these two developing paradigms.

Anyone concerned about their health or the environment or the preservation of family farming in Iowa should consider supporting sustainable agriculture by buying organic food.

To make the connection, we need to understand how our food is produced. Conventional agriculture has become too reliant on chemicals.

Agricultural chemicals are polluting our soil, our ground water, our streams and rivers and, in diluted form, the food we eat. Research suggests many of these chemicals are toxic to humans and that many of the pests they were designed to eradicate are now becoming more resilient, requiring higher concentrations of chemicals to be used.

It is time to find better ways to grow our food so that we are not polluting our bodies and planet in the process.

Fortunately, agriculturists have found a better way — sustainable agriculture.

Supporters of sustainable agriculture say it not only protects the earth, but it also preserves the family farming lifestyle, protects the health of farm workers, carefully documents pest control and adds nutrition, flavor and quality to foods.

Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, there has been some criticism of sustainable agriculture.

Critics say it is too labor-intensive and low-yielding because of the traditional or “outdated” farming methods used. They argue sustainable agriculture could not produce enough to replace conventional farming yields.

However, most sustainable agriculture farmers say they do not reject technology, but couple appropriate modern technology with time-tested traditional methods. “It rejects toxicity, not technology,” one article on the subject stated. Supporters also say organic farming is beginning to be practiced on large scales with promising yields.

In Ames, organic food is available from several sources. Wheatsfield Grocery, 413 Douglas, carries organic produce, packaged and canned goods and dairy and meat products.

The Magic Beanstalk, a seasonal community-supported agriculture program, sells organic produce and other organic products such as eggs, chickens and honey.

The Ames Farmer’s Market, on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the mall parking lot next to J.C. Penney, showcases the seasonal goods of local farmers.

Several groceries stores such as Hy-Vee and Cub Foods have natural food sections that offer certain organic products.

We hold a lot of power as consumers; market forces show if we want something changed. We can change it simply by using the power of the dollar.

A recent CNN Headline News story reported Horizon Farms, a large organic dairy in the west, is now marketing to major supermarkets nationwide.

The manager of one supermarket chain said the Horizon organic dairy products were given shelf space because of consumer demand and were now the store’s hottest selling item.

Organic products may be hot, but conventional agriculture still produces the bulk of our food.

But this is beginning to slowly change.

A few consumers are beginning to realize the impact their food selections have on larger issues.

A few people are beginning to realize if they want to preserve natural resources like fertile soil and unpolluted ground water, they should support sustainable agriculture.

And people are beginning to realize if they want safe, healthful, fresh and affordable food, they need look no further than their local producer.

And soon those few people will turn into many.

---

Jonquil Wegmann is a senior in community and regional planning from Bellevue.