Why Barbara Kingsolver Would Not Eat Porkrinds

I have been playing with the title for this post this morning. Here were some other options: I Really Don't Want to Admit that I am Eating a Poptart and Drinking Kool Aid with Splenda for Breakfast

OR I AM a Good Person Even if I Don't Grow my own Food and Frankly am Ok Buying something shipped on a Truck.

OR I Teach School for Pennies for what my Degree Could Earn Me, If I Want to Eat Lunchables that Cost a Dollar on Sale, Don't Preach to Me!

I tried really hard to get into Barbara Kingsolver's nonfiction narrative of living a year on sustainable food soucres. I already had heard that Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was a little on the preachy side, but I loved thePoison Wood Bible and overall the purpose of the book so I added it to my summer reading list.

Instead I am stopping on the 5th Chapter and returning this book to the library for someone else to enjoy/feel bad that they are contributing to the demise of the earth because in a pinch they used Ziploc bags to pack a lunch.

It's not that she doesn't make very valid points about how much fossil fuels are used bringing food to market, the wasteful nature of farm subsidies, or the increased use of pesticides in our foods. I am concerned about these things and yes try to be cognizant when shopping and choosing food.

If given the chance to buy my veggies from our local farmer's market, like last weekend, I will. If given the chance to buy organic milk and cut down on meat we eat weekly,I do. BUT, I am also going to eat porkrinds when I am traveling on the road. Interstate Travel Plazas call to me on a long road trips.

Our family food bill has plummeted since Bill's surgery. We no longer eat out :-( and most weeks our grocery bill is down by 60%-70%. Packing Ben's lunch everyday with food he will eat (peanut butter avoided) has been a challenge. Most nights back at school I have been making salads or eating out of my freezer full of dinners carefully prepared for the return of busy nights.

Bringing attention to the American public about the real source of their food is honorable, but making me feel that I need to forgo any conveniences is why I stopped reading this book.

On the positive I did copy several recipes to try with the tomatoes and herbs I have growing in my yard so all is not lost. I might come back to this book in a crisis of conscious, but likely I would invest that energy in school reform given the nature of lower graduation rates, social promotion, and the changing demographics of schools nationwide that need to be address with real solutions not a Civics lesson by your local politician.