Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Fair Farm Food Quiz

I took the Fair Farm Food Quiz on the Food and Water Watch website.  I have to admit that I was being a little overly negative and sarcastic when I answered some of the questions and to my surprise, I got them right.  Good news??  No, no, no.  This is very bad news.  I am learning new things everyday that can be utterly depressing.  What's even more depressing about it all is that most consumers just do not care.  We care about fancy cars, clothes, and other materialistic things.  Yet, we do not care about the food we ingest.  It's a bit sickening to say the least.  As I am feeling a bit pessimistic today I will go ahead and assume not many readers will take the quiz themselves.  So, I decided to post the questions and answers here.

1. FOR EVERY DOLLAR YOU SPEND ON GROCERIES, HOW MUCH DOES A FARMER GET?
A $0.91
B $0.66 
C $0.19
D $0.36

That's right. Less that 1/4 of what you pay goes to the farmer.  Does that sound fair to you??  It doesn't to me.

2. HOW MANY FLOWERS DO BEES HAVE TO VISIT TO MAKE ONE POUND OF HONEY?
A 200
B 2000
C 200,000
D 2,000,000

Two million!  Wow, that's a lot of flowers.  It sure does put a new meaning to the term "busy bee".

3. HOW MANY TIMES A DAY IS A COW MILKED ON A FACTORY FARM?
A Once, just like a regular cow
B Two, just like a regular cow
C Two, which is more than a regular cow
D Three, which is more than a regular cow

I assume the hormones and antibiotics these cows receive aids in the increase in milk production??  But what does it do to the quality of the milk.  My family prefers organic milk due to taste and this is no lie.  Organic tastes better.  I dare you to test it out for yourself.

4. HOW MANY EGGS DOES A FACTORY-FARM CHICKEN LAY IN A DAY?
A NONE -a chicken lays eggs only once every few days
B Just One
C Two
D Five - chickens are amazingly productive!

So, I am not a farmer and I am not 100% about how many eggs a chicken living in natural condition will lay... but I believe this is pretty normal.

5. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A COMMERCIAL CARROT TO GROW? 
A Three weeks
B Four weeks
C Eight weeks 
D Twelve weeks

It takes a carrot (grown under natural conditions) at least 3 months to grow fully. 

6. HOW LONG DOES THE AVERAGE FACTORY-FARMED CHICKEN LIVE?
A Six Weeks
B Three Months
C Six Months
D One Year or More

Six weeks!!!!  Naturally a chicken should take about 20 weeks. We're forcing a naturally occurring process to speed up for money.  A form a virtually non-existent trade measure. Good things will not come of this.

7. HOW MANY INGREDIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE BUTTER??
A Just one - cream
B At least 2 - cream and salt
C Several - cream, salt, and some stabilizers
D It's not butter if it doesn't have a few ingredients I can't pronounce

Now just for grins and giggles, go check your butter box/tub and see how many ingredients BESIDES cream are listed.  Ew.  Gross, right??  What is that you think you are eating??

8. WHAT DOES A "FREE-RANGE" LABEL ON A PACKAGE OF EGGS MEAN??
A Just what it says - the chicken is allowed to go wherever it wants on the farm
B The chicken must spend at least three hours a day outside
C The chicken must have access to go outside at least six hours a day, if it wants to
D It means absolutely nothing.  There is no government standard for what "free-range" means, so the company can define it for themselves

Have you ever scanned the price differences on eggs?  I have. I do.  I buy USDA organic eggs with the seal that tells me the product I am buying is regulated and worth the extra cash.  "Free-range" means the company gets "free-range" on how much more they can charge you, even if their chickens are not allowed roaming.  It sickens me.

Money, money, money!  Greed!  If you think buying the products that aren't labeled organic or all-natural will save you in the end, you are wrong.  You are still putting your money into the pockets of these mass producing tyrants.  They aren't worried about whether we have enough food to feed America.  We eat too much anyhow (68% of Americans are overweight or obese)!!  They are worried about having enough money in their pockets to live their lavish lifestyles while your bodies pay the ultimate price.  Think about it.  Start thinking about what you eat.  There is only one thing you can take with you throughout your entire life and that is your body.  Why wouldn't you want to take care of it???

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