Post #7

The Norman Borlaug Article is a scholarly written article so it is not something that is meant to be read casually but rather by educated people, putting some serious thought into the meaning. The author did not cater this with normal day language but rather large words that I, admittedly, had to look up to refresh my memory. Once I got past the complexity of the writing I found the article quite intriguing. One thing I found interesting was increase in trans-genetic crops in three years, from just about two million to 40 million in such a short time period, which is a massive increase. The article was very well written by showing both sides of the aurgument, like the factions who want to the ban of GMO’s, he gives them credit by saying that they have helped the passing of some clean air acts and pollution acts. After he introduces the naysayer he then he criticizes the opposition by asking how they expect to feed the massive increase in population in the coming years. I have different views on the author’s points. I believe that we do need to figure out a way to feed the growing population, but that does not mean that there is not a better way than using GMO’s which will eventually not be able to support the world’s growing population.

Blog #6

In Chapter 15 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma Pollan begins talking about the hunter/gatherer food chain. Pollan makes an entire meal out of food that he had hunted and gathered himself. Pollan talks about how this is not practical present day but is just a good thing to get connected to the earth. This is because you never actually have to hunt or gather to survive but can just go to the market.
In Chapter 18 and 19 Pollan describes the process he went through to get the food for his meal. In 18 Pollan and his friend Angelo shoot a wild pig, Angelo is especially helpful for Pollan because he teaches Pollan almost everything about hunting and gathering. In 19 Pollan talks about how he gathered the fungi for his meal.
In Chapter 20, titled “The Perfect Meal”, talks about the best meal in Pollan’s opinion. It is quite impressive how Pollan put together his meal that he hunted and gathered all of the food because I could never do something like that.
Overall I am glad that this book is over, I agree with most of his views but the reading was just to dry for me and was a struggle to get through.

Blog #5

For this blog I am choosing to blog on a class lesson this week. I am choosing to talk specifically about the first part of the move Food Inc. that we watched on Thursday. This was a very eye opening movie to watch and see the horrifying things that happen in slaughter houses and chicken coops rather than read it in a book. I am defiantly more of a visual learner and this really stuck with me and kept my attention, unlike when I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
One thing that really shocked me was the way that chickens were treated. Seeing the chickens not being able to walk and having no room to move if they wanted could, also they are in the dark all day every day. But the most disturbing thing to watch was that chickens being abused by the illegal immigrant workers. Although I am not a PETA, supporter, in fact I usually make fun of them, this makes me want to take action against the things that were happening in the chicken industry. Another thing that was disheartening was hearing the lady who owned a chicken farm talk about how the major corporations trap the workers into staying with them. The farmer is faced with a choice, either do things the way the big corporation wants it and have a job or try to make it on their own, which they already have accumulated massive debt.
Overall the film is very interesting and I am looking forward to the second half!

Blog #4

One of the major concepts I liked in Chapter 6 of They Say I Say was to plant "Naysayers" in you writing. The reason I really like this is because I think it could really improve my writing in the future. Putting in their argument and showing ways possible solutions is a great way to show how strong your point is. This is great for me because I love to debate, but have never gone to the point of debating in papers. A couple things I need to keep in mind while writing these not use papers is to not use stereotypes and to use one of the “naysayers” stronger points.
In Chapter 16 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma overall told me that different eating habits can lead to being healthy or having health problems. Pollan points out certain diseases that aare caused by foods and what to stay away from.
In Chapter 17 I felt like Pollan was trying to make people feel guilty about eating meat. I love meat but thinking about the animals that I am eating and the treatment of those animals made me feel a bit guilty. This was one of the more interesting chapters in The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Chapters Four (TSIS), 12 and 13 (OD)

Chapter four in They Say, I Say tells you how to reply to someone’s research. There are three different techniques which are to agree, disagree or both agree and disagree while still getting across your point. The authors also showed that interpretive responses aren’t the bluntest to about agreeing or disagreeing but it is a good way for you to take a side. I liked how it gave me ideas about how to agree with my response, a novel idea, or to strengthen how I disagree with an author in future papers. Overall I learned a lot from this chapter for my upcoming essays.
In the Omnivore’s Dilemma, chapters 12 and 13, Pollan talked about the ‘small organic’ business. He revealed that it is quite a bit better than ‘big organic’ companies but still not perfect. He talks about CO-OP’s and how they aren’t exactly local, such as the yack meat in Moscow Idaho. Then he talks about the USDA and this chapter I kind of felt he was questing the importance and effectiveness. Overall I thought that these chapters were fairly dry, as much of the book, and a struggle to get through. He makes some good points but tends to beat a dead horse with repetition.

Chapter 9 Reading

The reading this week of The Omnivore’s Dilemma was very thought provoking. I have never really thought much about organic foods in terms of where they come from or how they are handled. I, under false pretences, assumed that the “free range” chicken spent the majority of the time outdoors not in practically the same conditions as non-organic chicken. I also had the same picture of organic produce of coming from family farms that sold to large corporations, not a massive farm that employed migrant workers. To say the least this was a very eye opening reading and, quite frankly, made me distrust the organic industry.
However, I do see all the good that has come because of the organic industry. Down the road the soil will still be fertile and able to grow healthy crops. When eating organic foods, even though they cut corners, I am not ingesting pesticides but instead vitamin rich foods.
Still, this does not affect me for the most part. I do not get to choose where my food comes from since I live in the dorms and have virtually every meal at the cafeterias. Therefore I do not get to pick if I eat processed, organic, or beyond organic foods it is just given to me.

January 25th Reading

I choose to write only on The Omnivore's Dilemma reading. More specifically just chapter two of the book. This is because this was a very intriguing chapter with a lot of detail and interesting information. The author, Michael Pollan, talks dives into the corns takeover of the farm due to multiple variables. Pollan lifts the veil topics that many Americans know nothing or very little about.

Pollan discusses how farms used to be with multiple crops and supporting just the farmers family and twelve others, now one farmer supports 129 with their crop. He also discusses the many other vast changes in the make-up of Indiana farms as well as farms nationwide. This is due largely in part because of a man named Fritz Haber who figured out how to use nitrogen for fertilizer. Because of this invention corn can be grown more efficiently and in tighter places than ever before.

Another major reason why corn has taken over farms everywhere is because of the government subsidies which has lead to farmers being forced to grow corn over other vegetables because the government will pay for someone to lose a lot of money growing corn rather than a bit on a different product. There are many other interesting facts in this chapter but those were just the main ones.