Why Many Farmers Eat Like Crap
3rd January 2014
Bottom line: Farmers aren’t really farmers any more, they’re people who work in an outdoor food factory. And they have about as much time to fix ‘foodie’ food as the rest of us, i.e. very little.
“My breakfast is usually yogurt and granola. The yogurt could be healthy, but I end up with the sugary, non organic stuff rather than the homemade I would make if I had the time,” says Jen Burt, 29, of Dismas Family Farm in Massachusetts. When things get really hectic, Burt finds herself snacking on Doritos, Peanut Butter M&Ms and ice cream during the 30-minute drive between the farm to her house. “I grew up in a family that ate a lot of junk food. Since then my appetite has changed, but when I’m most stressed, I often just want those familiar foods,” she says.
Rachel Kaplan, 35, of Powisset Farm, a CSA farm in Massachusetts, shares a similar sentiment. “At the height of the season, it is a feat in and of itself to sustain the energy to work let alone come home and start preparing food.” Even more to the point, she adds: “A lot of the times cooking comes at the expense of sleep.”