Omnivore's Dilemma Ch. 15, 18, 19, 20

In Chapter 15 Pollan decides that he wants to make a meal from foods entirely found by hunting, gathering, or grown all by himself. I think this is a great idea. Pollan then tells us about how his mother scared him as a young child about picking poisonous mushrooms or dangerous fruits. She basically told him that picking up the wrong kind of fungi would probably lead to a certain death. It sounds to me like he was smothered as a young child. Before the modern grocery store children and adults alike foraged through the woods and learned from experience which foods were okay to eat and which were not. Regardless, Pollan decides to carry on with his endeavor and create his own meal from scratch.

Pollan asks his readers, "Why go to all this trouble?" He then explains how if everyone were to eat likes this there wouldn't be enough food for everyone, so really there is no point. Although a valid point, I believe that people today could find a comfortable medium between growing your own food, and buying food from the supermarket. Not only would this be a healthier alternative for people, but it would also put the food industry in check.

Omnivore's Dilemma Ch. 16 and 17

In Chapter 16 Michael Pollan discusses the omnivores's dilemma, taste, appetite, and cooking. Pollan talks about community's food preferences and how they are unique to the area. Pollan believes that, "...an immigrant's refrigerator is the very last place to look for signs of assimilations." I disagree. I believe that immigrants, although they generally hold true to all traditions in their home, try to assimilate in as many ways as possible. Food choice is one way to successfully assimilate into a new country. When one decides to move to a different country, it is generally because they want to become part of said country.

In chapter 17 Pollan discusses the ethics of eating animals. Although I am a firm believer in eating meat for a source of protein, sometimes I have this very ethic dilemma with myself. After watching movies such as Food Inc. and other similar movies, it's hard to eat animals that were treated inhumanly. When it comes down to it, I believe that the meat product industry needs to be put under higher scrutiny and be changed drastically. In addition to the terrible treatment of animals is the food they are fed. Chickens are given growth hormones that speed up their development. This growth hormone makes chickens grow so fast that their legs cannot keep up and they can no longer walk. It's terrible to think that consumers are paying so much money to an industry that has no morals.

Omnivore's Dilemma Blog 3

At the beginning of chapter 11 Michael Pollan talks about how farmers wakeup before the sun and finish their chores before breakfast, or with out coffee for that matter. His description reminded me of a time when I was in third grade. We had a field trip to Pioneer Farms, a little tiny pioneer village, complete with a few cabins, no electricity, a barn or two, and farm animals. For a few days my classmates and I lived the pioneer life. We had to wake up early and learned how to milk, feed, and bathe animals, bale hay, and numerous other pioneer-like activities. His description of life on the farm sounded very similar to life on Pioneer Farms; hard work, early in the morning.

In chapter 8 Pollan compares the Naylor farm to the Polyface farm. I thought this was a very interesting and informative comparison. The items he lists help to differentiate two very different types of farms through out the United States. I think that it is important to understand that different farms operate in different ways. This understanding should encourage non farmers to believe that not all farms are the same, and it's important not to generalize about farmers or where food comes from. When comparing these two types of farms, it's clear that the Naylor farm is more industrious and perhaps more efficient, while the Polyface farm is more nature loving and domestically oriented. I think both types of farms are important, as well as having farms in between. This allows for a varied economy.

Ch 12 & 13 Omnivore's Dilemma and Ch. 4 & 5 They Say/ I Say

In Chapter 12 Pollan talks about the slaughter house. He discovers that farmers are able to slaughter a few hundred birds every year, but for bigger animals they can have nothing to do with the process because the government won't allow it. The government insists upon slaughter being done in government inspected facilities. In North Idaho, we have both farm land, and a meat processing plant. It's not uncommon to see cows grazing along side the high way, cattle guards across the road, or cattle crossing signs the road. They look like they are living at least somewhat happy lives. Fresh air, green grass, and a beautiful view of gray cement. There isn't much more a cow could want. Along with pasture land, Sandpoint, Idaho also has Wood's Meat Processing Plant. Perhaps the best place in the area to purchase fresh mean, Wood's offers a variety of different cuts from different animals. This is the only place my mom will buy meat from because it is very fresh and a clean environment.

In Chapter 13 Pollan mentions the use of farmers markets. Some farmers don't like to use these outlets to sell their food because they don't make as much as they would selling food to other companies. We have a farmers market in Sandpoint that is adorable and always sells fresh delicious looking fruits, vegetables, and other baked goods. It's a shame more farmers don't use these places to sell their products. Not only are they fun for consumers to shop at, but they offer a healthy alternative to supermarkets.