Sunday, November 15, 2009

Holy Cow!

I have either crossed over the line into foodieland or insanity... Or both. Or I crossed over before and just now have the perspective to see that I have crossed over. I just spent $12 for a pound of butter.

It wasn't just any butter, of course, it was "Fresh, unsalted, raw butter from grass-fed pastured cows from a local farm." You call a number and they answer the phone and you tell them you want a pound - they won't deal in less - and you go get it. Cash only, of course. Wrapped in a baggie. Sound familiar?

So far I can tell you this about fresh, unsalted raw butter from grass-fed pastured cows from a local farm. It somehow seems more greasy than regular butter, even 'European-style' butter. It's pale. It has a flavor that regular butter does not have, which, I'm assuming comes from grass. I melted some to put on top of popcorn, and there are no solids or foam in the butter.

It tastes great. But it's really really expensive.

So I was thinking... What if food with lots of fat or sugar or chemicals cost a lot more money than unprocessed food? Kind of like the 'cap and trade' ideas that are going around for carbon now? What if all pounds of butter, margarine, spreads, oils, etc were at least $12/pound? and cakes and donuts and cookies and ice cream were $20/pound? Would people change their eating habits? Would you?

3 comments:

chel said...

I do remember some kind of baggie transaction with a local farm once but I'm pretty sure it wasn't butter:)....if cake were $20 a pound I'd quit eating it....if chocolate and cola were $20 a pound I'd be getting myself a second job!....and now you have me thinking about popcorn....

wendy hale davis said...

Yup. Popcorn's my vice. Oh, lordy.

Timaree said...

Absolutely. If we stopped subsidizing the meat industry and the corn farmers, we would have a more balanced pricing system. I spent a year on a low fat vegan diet and if prices were as you suggest, I'd be on it still. It's too easy to go back to the good ol' stuff when it's cheap.