The only way to know if you’re buying the best food for
you and your family is to educate yourself on the issues and
to ask questions. If you would like additional information first,
please visit our Issues pages, where
we’ve broken down the topics surrounding factory farming
and sustainable food into simple, easy-to-read sections. Also,
if you would like to brush up on terminology commonly used in
the sustainable food world, visit our Sustainable
Dictionary.
Ways you can speak up include:
Ask Questions
I Care Cards
Blog
The Power of the Pen
Discuss
in the Forum
Once you have some understanding about what’s happening
with our food supply, your next step is to start asking questions.
Ask anyone you come across – ask farmers, store managers,
chefs, waiters – anyone who has anything to do with food.
Even if you think they can’t answer the question, you
should still ask. If enough people ask about where their food
comes from, people in the food industry will notice, and they
will seek out answers to your questions. This will help all
of us become more educated about problems (and solutions!) to
today’s food.
Below we’ve listed suggestions on who you can speak with,
what you can ask, and what answers you should listen for. And
don’t forget to show you care!
Farmers. If you go to a farmers market or are planning
to buy meat, eggs or dairy directly from a farmer, take these
questions along with you. (We’ve even provided the answers so you know
what to listen for.)
Sustainable farmers are very proud of what they do, so don’t
be surprised if they invite you to the farm for a visit. It’s
the best way to know how your food is being produced.
Stores. If you’re headed to your local grocery
store, speak with the butcher, meat manager or store manager.
Questions
to ask a Store Manager, Meat Manager or Butcher –
includes both questions and answers.
Wallet-sized
Cards – if you only need the questions, print out
these handy wallet-sized cards to take with you wherever you
go.
If they can’t answer your questions, ask them to find
the information you want. Many meat/store managers get their
food directly from distributors and are not sure where it comes
from. Ask them to ask the distributor. If you don’t get
the answer you want to hear, there are a couple options.
- Ask them to stock the sustainable
food you want. If you would rather not change stores,
ask the manager to stock the type of meat or dairy products
you would like to buy. Ask them to find a local farmer. Stores
work off of very slim profit margins, and there is a lot of
competition for shelf space, so be prepared to buy the product
if the store stocks it for you. Tell your friends also. If
the manager is not sure where to get sustainable products,
tell him to check out the Eat
Well Guide for farmers in the area.
If you don’t have time to speak with the manager, leave
an I
Care Where My Food Comes From card behind. Get your friends
to do the same. If you can’t find the store manager,
leave it with the cashier and ask that it be delivered to
the manager. And continue to leave cards behind until you
hear from someone!
 You
just have to ask!
Florence from Rehoboth Beach,
Delaware, wanted local milk from
the Lewes Dairy but
didn’t want to change supermarkets. After asking
the store manager twice, he stocked some Lewes Dairy
milk on a trial basis, even though he didn’t think
it would sell. To his surprise, the milk is now sold
regularly and often sells out! When
Florence told the
dairy owners what she’d done, they replied they’d
been trying to get their milk into the store for years.
So, always remember, consumers have all the power. You
just have to ask! |
- You can shop elsewhere. Try the Eat
Well Guide to see if there are any stores selling sustainable
products in your area. If you do decide to switch stores,
and you’re comfortable doing so, tell the store manager
why you are leaving. You can leave behind one of our I'm
Switching Stores cards.
If the store does decide to stock food from a local, sustainable
farm, help promote it! Ask the farmer to come in one day and
give taste tests. Tell the manager to put up signs promoting
the local farm. Be creative and think of ways to advertise the
farm. Don’t forget to visit The
Parlour to let us all know what you’ve done –
others might be able to use your ideas in their area.
Restaurants. Take these handy business-sized cards
with you to restaurants and when you go out to eat.  Print
the questions for a store manager on the back, and you’re
all set wherever you go!
Questions
for a waiter
Questions
for store manager and/or butcher
Wait staff and even restaurant managers might not be able to
answer your questions, but, as with store managers, the goal
is to start asking. The more questions restaurants get, the
more likely they’ll look into serving sustainable food.
Though not publicized, the hamburgers at TGI Fridays are said
to be from sustainably-raised Angus beef, traceable back to
the source. So even though this might be challenging to do at
first, chefs and restaurants owners are beginning to take notice.
Even large restaurant chains are starting to think sustainable.
And the more we ask for what we want, the quicker the restaurants
will offer it.
 The I
Care Calling Card is an easy and effective way to ask your
favorite restaurant to serve more sustainable food. If you find
the wait staff is extremely busy and you’re not comfortable
asking too many questions, leave the card behind with your bill,
or leave an I
Care Note Card – they’re good for restaurants
too!
The Ask
for Change Campaign, being spearheaded by the Husbandry
Institute, also has downloadable cards that you can take
with you to restaurants. Visit them for more information on
why asking these questions is so important, and for more information
about the campaign.
Have your own blog? Following are ideas on what you can do
to help spread the word about sustainable food:
The pen (or computer keyboard!) can create positive change.
Ideas on what you can write about include:
- Write an editorial about factory farming
or sustainable food and submit to your local paper.
- If you see an article in a paper or
magazine that upsets or moves you, write a letter to the
editor.
- Submit your own article to magazines
and online publications.
- Think we should be mentioned in a magazine
you read? Write the publication and let them know! Same
goes for web sites and other outlets – send them our
url and why you think we should be mentioned in their publication.
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