I suppose it is my inner scientist that truly loves to look at things by the numbers.

And, today, I have some numbers that will truly shock you.

They are numbers that show that we need to take some serious action soon. Otherwise, our health as individuals and as a species may be in serious danger. In fact, we are already in serious danger.

Remember the E. coli outbreak with spinach in 2006 [1]?

What about the recall of over 21 million pounds of ground beef due to contamination last year [2]?

Or, perhaps you recall the frozen pizzas were responsible for illness and even death [3]?

Most recently, we have been the victims of a Salmonella outbreak from tainted tomatoes that has sickened individuals since this past April [4].

Don't things seem to be falling apart?

Well, if we seriously consider these statistics, we should realize that all of this could be avoided by taking actions to fix our broken food system.

• 75% of the spinach crop in the United States is grown in a single California valley.

• 75% of all the beef in the United States is produced by three companies.

• 50% of the more than 40,000 products in an average grocery store are produced by ten companies.

• Food purchased in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles from farm to table.

• Only 3.5 cents of every dollar spent on food in a grocery store goes to the farmer that produced the product.

• 3,000 acres of farmland in the United States are lost to development every day.

• In 2005 and 2006, the United States lost 8,900 farms. That is, more than one farm per hour.

• From 1974 to 2002, the number of corporate-owned farmed increased by over 46%.

• From 1995 to 2005, 70% of government agricultural subsidies in the United States went to 10% of the producers.

Put simply, corporations are taking control of our food system.

And, in the process, they are destroying our health and our environment.

Don't believe it?

Well, have a look at some more numbers.

• 80% of all feedlot cattle in the United States are injected with hormones.

• Some hormones have been traced in the soil of feedlots up to 195 days after administered to feedlot animals.

• A recent study in Ohio showed that 67% of the water tested near poultry farms and 31% tested near pig farms contained antibiotics.

• In 2000, more than 940 million pounds of chemical pesticides were applied in the United States.

• 100% of the blood and urine samples from subjects in a recent test by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) showed pesticide residues.

• The waste generated by industrial animal production has polluted 35,000 miles of river in 22 states.

• 40% of rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways in the United States are so polluted that they are unfit for humans to drink, fish in, or even swim in.

• The annual cost of environmental damage due to industrial agriculture has been estimated at $34.7 billion.

I know that I sound like a broken record. But, we have a problem folks.

And, this problem is definitely fixable.

We need to start supporting local agriculture. We need to put a face to our food. We need to learn where our food comes from. We need to meet the people who grow and handle our food.

We need to buy local and buy organic.

In our home state of Tennessee, a shocking 98.8% of all fresh produce is imported from other states and other countries. And, we are a state that prides itself on agriculture!

This is unacceptable.

Corporate agriculture is focused solely on profit. And, in the process, these corporate farmers are endangering our health and the health of our environment.

We need to take action right now. And, it is as easy as finding a farmer's market. This isn't rocket science folks. Local agriculture is on the upswing. Organic production is increasing. You must use your dollar as much as your vote and change the world one bite at a time.

For more information on the statistics above and even more disturbing numbers, you can visit Sustainable Table [5], the Organic Trade Association [6], and the Organic Consumers Association [7]. You may also be interested in this well researched study, entitled "What's Wrong with Industrial Agriculture [8]."

To connect with local and organic producers in your area, you can visit Local Harvest [9].

Fight the power with your fork!

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