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Posted by Jamie McIntosh Jun 2, 2008 |
Now that the weather has gotten warm enough to activate the ice cream lobe in my brain, the real estate space in my freezer has grown ever scarcer to accommodate chocolate mint chip, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, and whatever other frozen treats beckon. True, we need another quart of ice cream in our house as if we need another hole in our heads, but in my house ice cream is as necessary in June as air.
Last week, as I pondered the trendy new flavors, I noticed a discrepancy in the carton sizes of one of my favorite brands. This manufacturer is in the midst of a product volume downsizing operation, and I caught them red-handed. If the switchover had been complete, I probably never would have noticed. After all, there was no banner proclaiming, “25% less for the same price!” Sadly, I’ve noticed this trend in many pre-packaged food products, from cereal to breakfast sausage. Food costs are rising, and manufacturers must compensate.
Although I’ve yet to churn out my own dairy treats at home, one way I can compensate for rising food costs is by growing organic fruits and vegetables on my property. It’s not difficult to find seed packets for 25 cents or less at the hardware store, and I can save seeds from heirloom vegetables for nothing. I can fertilize my garden with compost I made from lawn and kitchen scraps, and irrigate with runoff water trapped in rain barrels. Contrary to the incredible shrinking foodstuffs at the grocery store, I can grow bushels of zucchini to share with neighbors and giant watermelons for picnics. In fact, I know of a recipe for zucchini ice cream. How’s that for food security?