Organic Farming and Food - Why Bother?
I want to begin answering this great question by
starting with a quote from Pope Benedict on subsidiarity, which deals with
keeping responsibility local. The Pope
writes, “We are
all responsible for the protection and care of the environment … it
is important for everyone to be committed at his or her proper level.”
How then can we be committed to
helping protect the environment on our proper level? I want to share the story of my family’s
organic farm as an example.
My parents stopped using agricultural chemicals early
into their farming career. Their
decision arose from this very simple consideration. If a corn plant is surrounded by dead weeds
that have just been sprayed with herbicide, do I think that corn plant has not been affected in some way?
While none of us want to
directly ingest herbicides or other chemicals, we do eat plants that have been
directly exposed to such chemicals. This
is the concern of organic farming and food – what we do to the soil impacts us,
our children, and future generations.
How then can we at St.
Francis shoulder our share of the responsibility? Here are some helpful
questions to ask ourselves.
Do I take responsibility for
the foods that I eat and how they are produced?
How do I care for my lawn and
garden?
- Lawn-care typically applies chemicals at 3 times
the rate of agricultural use.
Do I take responsibility for
my own body and health (the most immediate gift God gives any of us) for His
greater glory and service?
Gary Koenigsknecht on behalf
of the Sustainability Team
