By Sen. Rob Wonderling

"Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible." If you remember the early days of Saturday Night Live, you'll remember that opening of an ongoing skit poking fun at the naturalistEuell Gibbons. Gibbons became a minor celebrity in the mid-1970s when he became a television spokesman for Grape Nuts cereal.

Of course, 30 years ago the thought that eating healthy meant eating natural foods was a foreign concept to most people. Our appetites and our culinary cravings were frequently met by T.V. dinners, frozen, canned, and boxed foods, and casseroles in a wide variety of forms (my mother seemed to favor tuna noodle casserole in our house, and I never tired of it). We call it comfort food today, because it reminds us of simpler times. But it also played a big role in making us fat, as well as happy.

According to data presented in the 21st Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America, the driving force behind most food purchasing decisions today is convenience, not healthy eating. This shouldn't really surprise anyone. Many a night, especially if I've been working late, my drive home includes a stop at a local mini-mart for a frozen burrito.

The old adage that you are what you eat could not be truer today as increasing numbers of Pennsylvanians are facing the unfortunate consequences of eating an unhealthy diet. The ready availability and convenience of food choices that are packed with too much sugar, sodium, and preservatives are contributing to what has been described as an obesity epidemic. That, in turn, is helping to fuel a variety of preventable diseases that are tied to nutritional choices, including type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

Beyond that, however, Pennsylvania needs a new approach to agricultural, nutritional, and public health policy as it relates to food. We must, as Joni Mitchell wrote, "get ourselves back to the garden."

Last year, I spent time in Brian Snyder's garden in Centre County, Pennsylvania. Brian is the director of thePennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture(PASA), and while his own garden is a fairly modest affair, the ideas he is cultivating about sustainable agriculture could transform Pennsylvania farming as well as the eating habits of Pennsylvanians.

According to its website, PASA is the only statewide, member-based, sustainable farming organization in Pennsylvania and the Northeast, and is one of the largest in the nation. PASA's mission statement is simple yet compelling: to promote profitable farms that produce healthy food for all people while respecting the natural environment.

Sustainable agriculture (which includes but is not limited to organic farming) is not a difficult concept to grasp. It seeks to use and renew the land in the most efficient and productive way possible, to produce for the market the most natural food possible, minimizing or eliminating manmade "enhancements."

It is an undeniable fact that fruits, vegetables, and livestock and poultry grown and raised in its most natural state is not only tastier, it's also better for us. It is generally more nutritious and is also free from additives whose health benefits are questionable at best.

Our state government should be encouraging wider use of sustainable agricultural practices, not just to support sustainable farmers, but for a variety of other important public policy goals as well, not the least of which is to improve the health of our citizens.

We need to retool, for example, our policies for school lunches in Pennsylvania's 501 school districts. With childhood obesity a growing problem, we have an obligation to ensure that the food our schools are providing our kids is fresh and healthy. We can do that and support Pennsylvania's sustainable farmers at the same time.

As we seek to curb suburban sprawl, sustainable farms can serve as a model for land use planning and responsible environmental stewardship. Public subsidies for preserving open space have their place. But might it not also make sense to encourage the conversion of some unused open space to sustainable farmland that makes an abundant supply of locally grown, healthy food readily available?

In Pennsylvania, we enjoy a veritable cornucopia of locally grown produce. From crisp, juicy Adams County apples to sweet Warren County cherries to delicious Clarion County honey, Pennsylvania's farmers make our commonwealth a world-leader in the production of farm fresh products. And Pennsylvania has become a leader in grass-based and organic meat and dairy production as well...what state has more beautiful pastures than our own?

We should be doing more to raise consumer awareness of the many benefits of eating fresh food raised in and on good Pennsylvania soil. Improved local signage pointing the way to locally grown food would be a great place to start. We should also do more to encourage both public and private sector purchasers of large amounts of food to buy PA Preferred. Putting a direct link to information about fresh food sources on the state's home page would also be an easy, yet effective way to increase public awareness.

What was once seen as a quirky quest has become a respected pursuit, thanks to people like Brian Snyder and the work he and the members of PASA have been doing so effectively. It's work we need to strongly support, both as individuals in our own buying and eating habits, and as a matter of public policy.

This conversation is one of 21 interviews Sen. Wonderling conducted over the course of a year, meeting with Pennsylvanians from all walks of life. Recently, he compiled the interviews into a book entitled "Talking Pennsylvania: 21 Conversations for the 21st Century."

A free copy of Sen. Wonderling's book or would like to speak with him about the book, please visithis websiteto download a copy.

10/3/2008