Home Grown is best !

I found this wonderful page in my Women's Weekly Diary 1999. Not specifically about home grown eggs, but a true vintage lifestyle saw people with their own chooks, vegie gardens and fruit trees in most suburban and provincial backyards.

With the trend towards home grown produce of all kinds (home-made cakes, home baked bread, home grown eggs,veggie patches, fruit trees, etc) that is sweeping our communities right now, comes the overall return to the vintage lifestyle I so passionately advocate. What could be healthier for our human consumption, as well as for our communities, environment and even animal rights (!) than backyard production of great food. Yes it does require a little extra effort, but the benefits are so worth it - rubbish is recycled (compost bins, chook scraps), less waste is produced (think no plastic packaging on your apples, bread etc), better animal welfare(chickens are not kept permanently cages), and you save $$$$$ (to be spent on your next vintage pair of shoes !!).

If we could see a return to locally produced foods, local independent greengrocers, deli's, bakeries and the like, our farmers might actually begin getting what they deserve for their toil - instead of bottom dollar prices as they compete with Safeway cheap food imports. I believe our rural (and urban) communities would also grow stronger through a 'home grown and locally produced' mindset - a better paid farmer can employ more farm hands or farm contractors, and this, in turn, flows to our towns - shops, cafes, social groups, - everyone wins !

I find this concept so compelling (I have written a number of essays on the topic), particularly due to my involvement with the largely artistic vintage community. I cant stand mass production, cheap imports, lack of creativity, the mindlessness of 'going with the herd' ! With a locally based society, communities would develop their own flavour, their own culture, their own skills and craftsmanship, their own identity. It is only in the last half of the 20th century that beauty, uniqueness and creativity has been fazed out for the concept of 'mass appeal' and 'mass markets'......all to create a broader money making capacity for a small few at the top of the tree. And everyone is scrambling to try and be one of those few at 'the top'. Doesn't it suck ?! Life should (and can) be so much better than that !

So from this article about humble old eggs comes my crazy little lifestyle philosophy........I always knew that the vintage lifestyle was a winner !

Would love to hear your thoughts and comments about these ideas if you have the time to post a comment !