They had stopped buying meat altogether for awhile because they hated the conditions the animals faced. While vegetables and fruits were a big part of their experiment, they also needed to change their meat choices as well. She cited the work of organizations that were helping introduce programs that would ultimately help that farmer provide a better life for his family by raising his own food. She said that farmer lived a substandard life because of his dependence on foreign companies for a subsistence wage. Barbara talked about some “experts” who insisted it was the duty of Americans to buy from the foreign farmers who depended on their jobs as a means of life. The cost of fuel for shipping and handling was a major factor in their buying decisions.Īnother factor was the farms where the food was raised. They cited the extremely high cost of producing and transporting processed corn syrup and eliminated all foods that used it, including sodas. They stopped buying food that had to be hauled in refrigerated trucks. They stopped buying produce that was shipped long distances. Probably the most important aspect of the experiment for Barbara's family was the desire to lessen their carbon footprint. Choosing organically grown produce can make a difference on this front, but large operations do not always consider what was on the land in previous years. These changes have impacted taste and quality, but also introduce negative chemicals, including carcinogens, to the land, water, animals, and even the humans who consume them. Many modern commercial seeds are genetically altered to handle diseases and maximize yield. Most commercial farmers use an array of chemicals in their production of food. The second part of their reason was more complex and more difficult to explain. Food that was grown in their own gardens or in the gardens of their neighbors was fresher and naturally tasted better.

They had multiple reasons and goals, but the main two were taste and the desire to lessen their impact on the negative side of food consumption. They spent some time settling into their new lives with plans to begin a year-long experiment aimed at eating local food. When Camille was a year away from college and Lily was about to enter third grade, the family made the permanent move to the farm. The family owned property in the Appalachia region and spent their summers there. They lived in Tucson, Arizona, where she began to feel that they were an unnecessary drain on local resources, especially water. Kindle AZW file.īarbara Kingsolver's family consists of her husband, Steven L. Kingsolver, Barbara Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Harper Colins, 2007.

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