bargain hunting ourselves

if you don't buy organic - it's probably because it's too expensive (or you've been fooled into the illusion of perfect looking produce - which is a whole different problem). and i've learned that even the people who believe in organic, sustainable practices (myself included) sometimes find themselves going for that super saver deal - because usually it is such a difference in price and we've been trained like pavlovian dogs to salivate at good deals.

but what's really surprised me over the past two months is that some farmers - who themselves sell organic products - often buy conventional goods (even the most chemically treated - like potatoes, milk, and cheese). and i find it really, really upsetting for three reasons.

first, it shows how little money farmers make and how little their occupations are appreciated by society - even though they are controlling the most important aspect of living (besides water). and of course i knew all this before i started wwoofing - but to actually meet people and really see how hard they work - it's amazing that we appreciate them, and the food they produce, so little (if we even appreciate them at all.)

second, the dilemma of - to buy, or not to buy - is nasty. if the farmers themselves aren't even buying organic products - then they obviously don't believe the average person will because of the same reasoning - and therefore they end up marketing their goods only to the rich and affluent. forget the larger part of the population - the ones who's diets are suffering from other societal problems. poor people don't deserve a strawberry that tastes delicious. and their kids surely don't deserve milk that isn't fortified with cow puss and antibiotic goodness. no, no.

third, we as a society really need to sort out our priorities. why does organic cost so much? why are we wallflowers to the dance of corporations tangoing with government subsidies (aka our money) - where most money goes to crops like corn and wheat which are artificially made important, and probably really unhealthy? and why do we spend more time thinking about the quality of a car, tv, or phone over the quality of what we eat?

it doesn't make sense. how did we let ourselves become so fucked?