FOOD INC Movie....
We are watching it in class... pretty interesting
basically about how corrupt the FDA is and how the whole farming industry is a monopoly that does a lot of shady shit etc...
In my opinion fuck that, it tastes good, we're living longer than ever, who the fuck cares? If we didn't do that shit, we couldn't eat 200lbs of meat a year, compare that to third world countries or centuries ago, I'm sure they'd care less about putting steroids into chickens lol
just my 2 cents
1.) We're not living longer, even basic stuff like our infant mortality rate is starting to slide.
2.) We're fatter and unhealthier than ever. Some of this has to do with HFCS and hormones they put into our food. Its mostly true that the fat situation comes down to consumer choice, but its still true that most consumer foods are loaded up with unnecessary junk.
3.) We've created a demand for food that is beyond what our natural resources are capable of sustaining. That is why we are feeding chopped up chickens to our chickens and chopped up cows to our cows. Thats why we need to pump chickens full of hormones so they are ready for the market in 4 weeks.
4.) We're creating a culture where people are disconnected from local sources of food production. People are relying on foods trucked across the continent and flown in from around the world. Not only is this un-necessarily expensive, but in the event of some disaster or something where transportation is impossible, people would be cut off from food sources.
5.) Homogenization of crops is contributing to the depletion of ancestral seed banks and ancestral farming practices. Certain varieties of crops that may be disease resistant, more nutritious, or able to grow in harsh climates/environments are being phased out.
For what its worth I haven't seen the movie, but I do research this sort of stuff.
I don't suppose anyone on IA reads Wendell Berry...
so i guess this isnt that movie i was watching last night where food was falling from the sky
Total Blender is pretty much spot on with everything. I would like to point out that when people always mention the life expectancy is longer that it doesn't take into account quality of life, which there is really no gauge for. People who live for so long spend 10+ years medicated where they are basically walking prescription bottles.
Due to my job I see a lot of food trends and one thing that is starting to worry me is on the all-natural/organic front you have a lot of the big companies swallowing up these small companies that have been doing organic for so long and whenever that happens you just know the big boys are in it for the money and trying to find ways to cut corners. In addition to get away from HFCS there are a lot of companies using Erithrytol (which is sugar derived alcohol) and stevia to sweeten products. The plus side is this means the product contains no sugar and no calories. The part that worries me is sooner or later they are going to be growing stevia in labs and making more potent versions to make it even sweeter and turning something good and natural into something that's borderline artificial. Another thing is the popularity of coconut has exploded over the past two years and there are so many products on the market made with coconut that I can see them being over farmed and grown in the middle of Iowa somewhere if it keeps growing. I remember two or three years ago the only form of coconut water you could buy was in a Caribbean or Asian specialty store. Now there are numerous brands and even Coca-Cola under the Odwalla label has a coconut water now. For those wondering coconut water is like nature's gatorade and it's much better for you as well.
I actually agree with you although im not very well read in the subject. But from what i gather Corporations are basically just taking out all the mom and pop farmers because like you said the culture has changed.Originally Posted by Total_Blender
The one thing i think we are vulnerable on national security wise is our food source. Can you imagine if somehow our infrastructure was crippled and no food deliveries were made?
We would all starve to death lol.
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Farm subsidies have a lot do do with why mom and pop farms are losing to big agribusinesses. The way the subsidies are being set up, a lot of farmers get paid not to grow anything.
And in a fucked up way thats better than letting them grow what they want because EVERYONE is growing corn right now, year after year because of HFCS and also the demand for ethanol. In order to regenerate and remain productive the land really needs crop rotation. Farmers around here used to alternate between row crops like peanuts, soybeans, cotton, corn, wheat, tobacco, etc etc. And now its just corn year after year. Thats going to have a disastrous effect on the land... and given the fact the GA is getting drier it could even lead to a dust bowl.
If I made a little more money I'd do Community supported agriculture. Basically you pay a flat monthly rate to a local farm and they bring you a load of produce every week. Some of them even do meat and dairy. It helps the farmers because they have a steady income instead of just getting paid a few times a year when they do a major harvest. Because they sell subscriptions the consumers help finance the farming operation and share the risk with the farmers. This is best suited to family farms that do not have the up front capital that an agribusiness would have.
Luckily for me I can buy meat directly from the agriculture program at the University where I work. It all local, top quality, good farming methods, and the money goes back into the AG programs. And its even cheaper than the grocery store...
I have a friend that lives in pitt and she says up there the produce is so much more accessible than here in GA. The fresh produce is much easier to access i guess.
Doesnt Harrys or Whole Foods do the whole "support local farms" thing where they purchase and stock only vegetables and fruits from local farms?
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Yeah Harry's/Whole Foods does have a lot of local stuff, but they also have stuff shipped in from the other side of the world. You have to pay attention to the labels to get local/seasonal stuff but they certainly have a lot of it. Farmers markets are good too. Here in Athens theres one on Saturdays in a local park. I think some of the local farms set up at the Flea Market too. Theres a really big farmers market in Decatur and a huge one in Forest Park (the one in Forest Park is where the grocery stores go buy their stuff)
Total Blender, what farm/ranch does your University get their meat from?
As far as the CSA's it's not that expensive, but you just have to find one that has a pickup location near your daily route. I used to participate in a CSA, but I moved and they have no pickup location in Cobb County. I was part of Moore Farms and Friends (moorefarmsandfriends.com) and I think you could place an order as low as $20, but I usually ordered more than that especially in the summer.
Last edited by cjhutch; 04-19-2010 at 11:25 PM.
The farms are actually owned and operated by the university. They are located South of Athens... if you've ever been to where the Varsity and the frat houses are the farms are about 5 or 6 miles South on Milledge Avenue from there. You can see the Women's sports complex (softball field) in the NW corner of the map, most of the buildings on Milledge South of there are the UGA farm buildings... the beef, pork, and poultry programs, the Seed Development Commission, etc etc
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...h&z=16&iwloc=A
They are trying to find funding for an expansion too:
http://www.ads.uga.edu/about/doublebridges.html
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