First, buying local is economically stagnating. It's economics 101. A local economy is a stagnant economy. The broader an economy's reach, the more robust it is. (If you don't believe me, read this.) Finished with the Vancouver Sun's article? Read on.

Even though a blind faith in buying everything local is not healthy for an economy, it makes sense in certain situations. Food is one such example. This "action alert" from the Weston Price Foundation is a perfect example of why.

The USDA is now implementing a rule that will require all RAW domestic almonds to be "pasteurized," using either a toxic and carcinogenic fumigant (propylene oxide) or a steam-heating process, to eliminate possible bacterial contamination. This is an effort to make nut production "safe" for industrial-scale farms with literally thousands of acres of production. We are now headed down the slippery slope-if agribusiness players have their way, almost all fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables will be treated with chemicals, heated or irradiated. We need to draw a line in the sand here and now!

It's a rough and tumble world in business. Big agri-businesses will work to stifle their competition, such as this move by "big almond". It the reason why today it is exeedingly difficult to get raw milk. The same thing happened to the milk industry in the 1950's and that's why you cannot buy raw milk, even though it's much healthier for you. It's also the reason why you should be terrified about a powerful central government deciding what you can and cannot eat.

If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny. - Thomas Jefferson

And if you are a little bit worried about the government dictating the type of almonds you can eat, you should be terrified about what the government will decide is good for you if they are in charge of your healthcare.