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???

Lack of Motivation

Everyone has something that inspires and motivates them, right?  For myself, it is usually music.  I put headphones on and feel like I can conquer the world... depending on the song.  Lately, I have been lacking all inspiration and motivation to do the things I so loved doing.  Thanks to my early pregnancy woes I have mostly been lacking the energy to be motivated or do put my ideas and inspirations into action.  I am well into my second trimester now and starting to feel much more energized.  I can only hope it lasts 20 more weeks, as I have many things to accomplish before Baby Reed gets here! 

I am big on health and fitness.  You cannot achieve happiness and mental wellness if you aren't taking care of your body.  Perhaps my falling off my exercise routine during the first trimester has been the key factor in my loss of motivation.  I am hoping to change that.  I have done my research and will safely get myself back into a routine.  I obviously can't challenge myself like I would love to right now, but I will certainly do what I can.  After all, an active Mommy-to-be is said to have an easier labor.  I am hoping all that hype is true.  Then, there is the eating right.  I have made so many excuses for not cooking like I used to.  As I have been coming across many interesting recipes lately, I am saddened that I have let myself off the cook with home-cooked meals.  We have spent more money eating out the past 4 months than we did a year ago probably for the entire year.  Yuck!!  I would like to scream "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?!  WHAT HAVE YOU LET YOURSELF BECOME?!?!"  Realistically I know that this will do me no good at all.  The best thing for me to do now is reorganize, plan, and take action!!  I cannot continue to let this vicious cycle control me.

I have always disliked hearing other women complain about their pregnancies and how "hard" it was for them.  I was much younger when I had Lane and Katy so my body reacted well to both pregnancies and they were both easy.  The only thing I regret is the weight I gained with Lane.  64 pounds to be exact.  Anyhow, I am getting payback for turning my nose up at complaining pregnant women since then.  This pregnancy has not been easy on me.  I can be thankful that I have had no serious complications, but it doesn't excuse the many days I spent lying on the couch praying I would just throw up and the sick feeling would go away, or the many days I spent trying to pry my eyelids open because I was so exhausted I couldn't even keep up my daily activities.  Thus far, it has been no cake walk.  However, while I am trying not to overdo it, I will take advantage of this new found energy to get my health and fitness back on the right track for my pregnancy.  I have no doubt that once this baby has been born I will punish myself for all the bad behavior, but until then I will keep it simple as not to disturb my wee one growing very rapidly inside me.  I am looking forward to a healthier, happier, and more energized me!