Bye-bye Wendy & Ron!

You know, my love for gardening is obvious. My interest in sustainable agriculture grows with every book or article I read about it. I love the idea of home-grown fruits and vegetables, farmers' markets, organic and natural farming techniques...

I talk a good talk, but the truth is, I have an Achilles' Heel: Fast food. It tastes good, it's quick, and I don't naturally have a lot of food guilt. I eat stuff that tastes good, I enjoy it, and I don't regret it. Well, at least not mentally.

But fast food also tends to make me feel like crap later on. And actually, as often as not, it doesn't even taste as good as I think it should. It's about as unhealthy as any food can be. It's based on some pretty scary farming and processing practices. It costs money that could easily be spent on something useful. It's a waste of gas. It makes a mess of my car. Based on the trash I clean up out of our roadside ditches, it's got to be the #1 or #2 source of litter. (Aluminum cans are the competitor. I'm troubled by how many beer cans I find. Are there that many people drinking beer in the car?)

I had to drive to Cincinnati today. I had fast food on the way down, and again on the way back. I don't feel very good tonight. While I was taking the garbage cans out to the street, one of them spilled. As I was picking up the stuff that fell out, I was appalled at how much of it was fast food bags, wrappers and cups.

So I've had enough. I am publicly stating here and now, that I will not eat any fast food for the next month. None. Cold turkey. After a month, I'll see how I feel.

Wish me luck. Keep me honest.

I shall now go read Fast Food Nation....