Bugging out: Indoor insect-free farm providing new foods to observant Jews

NY1 ^ | July 13, 2018 | Michael Scotto

[Yaelle]

Obsessive. Gd forgives eating something by accident that isn’t kosher. We are to live by the Torah, not become anal by the Torah. Just checking visually for bugs is all that is necessary.

[gattaca]

Some insects are actually Kosher.

The Title “Bugging Out” reminded me of an episode of Doomsday Preppers. There was a rabbi who raised rabbits. Even though they aren’t Kosher, he said it was okay to eat non-Kosher foods when you’re “starving”

[2ndDivisionVet]

Didn’t John the Baptist subsist on locusts and wild honey?

[Ken H]

“The requirement is so onerous many observant Jews avoid farm-fresh fruits and vegetables altogether and stick to pre-packaged produce already checked by rabbis, limiting their food choices.”

That’s just not cricket.

[LadyDoc]

Here in the Philippines, they grow organic vegetables in greenhouses.
Lots of them in Baguio, where a lot of foreigners retire.

We were working to set up the program here, but after a year a typhoon went thru and flattened everything so we went back to just growing organic rice.

[gattaca]

Yes. According to Leviticus, you may eat insects that have “jointed legs for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.”

[ckilmer]

locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper remain popular in many places

[Does so]

Good luck with pepper.

Feds allow 11% bug content.

[exDemMom]

But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.”

How many insects have four legs?

[Vaquero]

I’m sure that in biblical times, they were able to prevent all insects from entering the vegetable farms and granaries. ( sarc).

[Vaquero]

locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper remain popular in many places

Not much different than crabs or lobster, really. Except these too, are banned by Jewish dietary laws ( more for me!)

[gattaca]

Maybe they weren’t very good at counting.

[FreedomPoster]

The ones you’ve pulled 2 legs off of?

That would seem like it would get tedious, to get enough to amount to anything to eat.

[EEGator]

LOL, since all insects have six legs...

[fishtank]

“
Aramaic Bible in Plain English:

Blind guides who strain out gnats and swallow camels!”

[outofsalt]

"How many insects have four legs?"

They all have at least four ;)

[captain_dave]

I agree. I think the Hasidim have gone off the deep end with too much focus on nothings. Perhaps their response to the modern world is to build ever stronger barriers. They’ve worked very hard at recreating the shtetl, but their form of Judaism is no more authentic than modern orthodox, conservative, or reform.

[T-Bird45]

I wonder what kind of prices they pay for this produce where insects are not allowed. Insects take care of pollination for free and if you don’t allow insects, then you’ve got to pay a person to take care of the pollination to have fruit. That would get expensive in a hurry. $10/pint for the previously-unknown strawberry anybody????

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Removing bugs from typically farmed produce often requires intense washing.

I'm no expert on the subject, but it's very hard to believe that this is 100% effective. Many insects, grubs and worms are going to burrow into vegetables and fruits. I doubt there's any realistic way to eat fruits and vegetables without consuming a fairly significant quantity of insect matter every year.