In the past, the FDA has had a great reputation for keeping the food sources in the US safe for consumer consumption.  No one seems to be able to tell you when that changed but it certainly has.

I don’t know if you remember after the tainted spinach was tracked down in 2007 that the government assured the people that it would be working overtime to insure that this will “never happen again”.  It took less than a year for tomatoes to be the tainted product.

I am not an alarmist and the government will never be able to totally protect the public from impurities in our food chain.  However, there are some things we can do to protect ourselves and still have great, fresh food year-round.

• Buy local grown foods when you can.  My son is a chef at a very nice restaurant in Colorado and they buy almost all of there produce and as much of their meat and cheese products from local sources.  This does several things; keeps your food source close to home and; supports your local farmers, which helps your local economy.

• Grow your own food, year round.  This can be done with several different kinds of cold frames or greenhouses that are for the hobbyist and meant to be erected in the backyard.  There is cost upfront for the greenhouse and the setup yet after that cost; it is a very effective way to control your family food supply.  Personally, I would much rather have tomatoes grown at home than store bought any day!

• Start or support a community garden.  This can be done on an empty lot or land that the city donates to the cause.  You can raise money for a larger greenhouse or install raised beds, if the soil needs help to insure good growth.  This will take some cooperation between all the parties and is a great solution where there is little or no dirt.

I had a great uncle, years ago that after he retired from farming that turned a part of the state highway in Texas into a garden that fed the poor.  He was bored and armed with nothing more than a shovel and a hoe he made a difference in peoples lives.  Granted, the dirt in West Texas is rich and things tend to grow easy so, it may take a little more than what he had to make things grow in your part of the world but I know you can do it, if you put your mind to it.

There are a number of choices for greenhouse kits and cold frames and for those that really want a challenge, there are larger greenhouse kits to meet community garden needs.  The main thing to keep in mind is that you can make changes in how you get your food that will ultimately keep you safer than the FDA.