"I love that you've brought this to attention. An extensive database of uncommon but resistant and hardy plants/foods could be developed and organized by climate. Ease of growth and processing should also be taken in to account. I will try to…"
A crash course in changing the world.
Beyond the Bounds of Moderation
It seemed, at first, that I would find no mention of the phenomenon that Food Security in St Augustine (or indeed the rest of North Florida), that it was a problem of the homeless. I know that this is not the truth; there are families - in homes, and with jobs who struggle to feed themselves.
In late 2009, Florida was ranked 30th among the 50 U.S. States for food security*. But below the national average - with 12.2% of households "food insecure" and 4.9 percent with "very low food security." This would be reassuring if it didn't mean that one in eight households in my city have to face hunger on a regular basis.
I imagine that this is partially due to the recent recession, difficulty in finding work and government assistance, but otherwise, I have trouble making peace with this idea.
I've been hungry - really hungry - once in my life. I was unemployed, renting a trailer and working at a Day Labor facility here in town. Some days, there just wasn't enough work. I struggled to pay for Ramen Noodles. It was harsh. And I know my experience cannot speak for anyone else's, but I got a menial labor job at Burger King and I busted my ass to ensure it wasn't a problem again (knock on wood).
When I first approached this topic, I assumed that Food Security would only be a problem for the homeless, during Flood conditions or due to Storm Damage. I see now that those assumptions were erroneous.
While I cannot find reference to what causes this insecurity with food, I found a number of area groups organized to combat it:
I also found a PDF link concerning a five-year partnership between government and private organizations designed to increase Food Security in the state. Florida's rise to 30th place in the nation seems to be due (at least in part) to these folk's efforts. http://www.flimpact.org/publications/2004/2004-HungerInFlorida.pdf
I feel a kind of outrage, aimed primarily at myself - at those who share in my oft-times excessive lifestyle. I over-eat, I regularly indulge in candies and snacks I neither need or particularly want. I eat sometimes when I am thirsty, and I know it.
I'm not going to stop eating, but I sure as hell am going to look at ways to curb my [appetite is the wrong word]. At the very least, I will stop wasting my hard-earned money on soda pops and candies when I could be donating it to people - children - who don't get to eat right here in my home town. I'm too pissed off, too disappointed, to write further.
*According to the Jacksonville Business Journal, Tuesday, November 24, 2009.
Views: 189
Comment
Latest Activity
Fourth of July on the Lake
This past weekend was the annual celebration at the lake house in Connecticut. It is amazing that the lake is still so clear and beautiful after all these years. The watershed association has done a wonderful job protecting these waters from the damaging effects of development.The wood grill was finally ready to cook on, so we didn't miss the propane tank fueled grill anymore. The food actually tasted fresher than in the past and was easy to keep fueled.Dad was very proud of the solar hybrid…See More
Stinging Nettle
In this blog post I will focus on a plant that is abundant in our nature, and which is immensely nutritious. It's of course the Stinging Nettle. Let's start with the chemical constituents of this plant:37 % Non-Nitrogen-Extracts19 - 29 % Ash9 - 21 % Fiber4 % Fat22 % ProteinOnce the leaves are drid, their protein content can reach an astounding 40 %, which is much higher than beef, which even under the best of circ**stances can never exceed 31 % protein. In addition the Stinging Nettle consists…See More
The meal
It is 7'oclock, I was late home from work due to an assignment that i wanted to get ahead on. By the time I get home I am feeling extremley tired and I cannot be bothered to make a proper meal. I walk to the fridge and open it to see what there is for me to eat. All of the out of date foodstuffs have been automaticaly thrown away by the fridge, they will be recycled tomorrow as animal feed or something. I see i have organic local eggs and some local cheese. Foods are vacc** sealded for easy…See More
Future
FutureToday is 2020/1/1. It is just like yesterday. The war is still continuing. It has started since 2010. In 2010, that year was a horrible year. Almost every energy ran out. Every country’s governments were crushed down at the same time. There were riots everywhere. All of the big company’s bosses were killed xdeadx in the riots. Troops fought each other everywhere. Food was bought up xawayx at once. There were no more food supplies in any shops. The economy was all crushed down. All the…See More
public servants
The exchange works directly for state and public workers and servants. It gives them credit in exchange for the amount of public work they contribute to the community. The more constructive they are based off a base rate the more credit they recieve.
© 2024 Created by Alchemy.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Urgent Evoke to add comments!
Join Urgent Evoke