optional assignment on Omnivore's Dilemma

Chapter two: The Farm
~Starting from where we left off as a class on section 4 of chapter two~
One of the most important parts though out the chapter after section three was the point which we are eating fertilizers and pesticides which are chemically made, which is based on poison gas from world war II. And now we don't need a large supply of sunlight because of this new technology powered by fossil fuel. "By fertilizing the world, we are altering the planet's composure of species and shrink its biodiversity." (P.47)
Because of the break through of fertilizers and technology, it allows a farmer to produce a lot of corn and keep using the same land over and over again. But the supply and demand of the different people wont take corn for a high price and more, since it is a lot easier to harvest and grow it. Since many farmers cant make a very decent living with so much corn being produced, a new farm law is established and the farmers will take a loan from the government to store their crops till the prices raise again.
in the sage of purdue when America was exporting tons of produce to other nations it vastly increased the income of the farmers, but after a year the prices became too high that no one in America could afford to buy much anymore. thus lead to not enough food being sold, which also affected the farmers since they couldn't sell they cant produce anymore and created a vast decline of certain products. so Butz said "fencerow to fencerow"... "get big or get out" (P.52) which they advise the farmers to make more to help lower the prices on the food.
Every year the corn price and grain falls and farmers are going in dept, since there is so small prices farmers are making more corn to sustain their living styles. "Iowa grain elevators were paying $1.45, so a typical Iowa farmer is selling corn for a dollar less than it takes him to grow it. Yet the corn keeps coming, more of it every year." (P.53) How can some farmers continue working with out getting into dept?

There was no real explanation of how George avoided dept.
Why do farmers want to put in more dept if they make more corn?
Does any of this cheap corn have to do with the technology to plant and reap it?
How are the supermarkets faring with the farmers going into dept?

This shows how even the lowest food group as in corn affects the society highly when in trouble. The technology we use to plant and reap this produce also makes me wonder why we make much if its going to cause many farmers to go bankrupt, and run out of land in the future, since it is fueling the population to expand even faster. By also using all these chemicals we are having a war with the earth and we are winning since we take all its fertility to make food and plant more food and spray and cover it with artificial chemicals.

Vincent:
Its like the quote in the book "men have become tools of their tools. With not needing sunlight anymore and using fertilizers made from nitrogen and a bunch of other things, we have put our hands in the fact that all these things will keep working for us... Do you think you have an idea to why they continue to use all the new products knowing all the consequences? ~KateE.

Kate-[May 24th, 2009 9:35am]
Wells in the book the farmers are told that they must grow more crops to produce more food, to sustain their life styles. But with more crops each year the more they have to use, so it's an endless cycle, that's why they cant break out of it. but unlike the farmers of today some farmers don't use the land more than twice every couple of years to refresh the nutrients, and that's a way they can break out of it. To answer the question all you have to do is look at their shoes and how they sustain life; even if there was a better solution this would be worst especially with the growing population and the high demand for produce. what do you think now?

I would disagree with your last segment about not needing nature on our side. I believe that nature is needed even if we have all of these chemical enhancers. The ground itself gets exhausted and loses all of it's minerals if it keeps getting planted over and over on. Even if we have chemical fertilizers, these chemically grown corn is extremely bad for us. Think about it we're consuming chemicals in a different form. We do need nature, we manipulate nature but we end up shortening our lives. ~John

John- [May 24th 2009 5:50pm]
i think Kate is trying to say that we don't need the non-refundable parts of nature. the unlimited that all manipulate is just the soil, everything else we can make by chemical's. even though we are eating chemicals all we are doing now is altering their DNA so lots of fresh ripe fruit and vegetables come out perfectly. there is no harm to us, since if other animals and plants can survive it so can we. if we don't have these chemicals how can we sustain this vast population and continue to improve technology.

Food Recipe

This is a quick and very easy recipe. It's best to make this recipe about 2 -3 hours prior to serving, to let the flavors meld together. Best if served chilled, with vegetables or crackers.

Hummus is one the oldest foods in the world. It is said to have been documented over 6000 years ago. You can find hummus in health food stores across the USA. This type of food is fun to make because it is simple and quick. Hummus nowadays is more of a dip than a main course, but there are areas in the world that it is the main course of a meal. The main ingredient in hummus is the chickpea.

Hummus is high in vitamin C as well as Iron. It is also a good source of protein as well as fibre. This is the type of food that vegetarians has as one of their staples as they don't get protien from meat. The flavor of the chickpea is nutty and is good on salads.

For this recipe, we'll consider it a dip rather than the main course. Its recipes like this one is when it would be a good idea to have a food processor. Its not neccessary mind you, but its nice. You can also use a blender either way will work just fine. The ingredients for hummus dip as follows:

1 can of Chick Peas(Garbanzos - spanish) 16 oz.
1/2 small white onion(bermuda is also good)
1 clove of garlic
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Drain liquid from can of chick peas, pour peas in your blender. Mash the garlic and insert in blender, the olive oil and salt and pepper. If you have the instant blend button use that and blend the ingredients to a puree texture, add the diced onion and do a quick blend. I prefer the onion kinda chunky. You should put in a tupperware type dish, cover and let the ingredients meld together getting cold. This allows the hummus to be more flavorful.

Open dish and enjoy on your favorite cracker with cheese slices, vegetables or bread. The best thing about this recipe is you can put anything that you want in with the main ingredients. That way the end result can taste any way you desire, put walnuts or even fruit. You are the Chef.

-after eatting this i felt happy but not full since it was very light with no meat or heavy grains-

Omnivores Diemma

In the book Omnivores Diemma, the author says that America doesn't have a main food culture, and we follow others and all the "experts" tell us what we should eat. America went through a red meat only phase because many said it makes you "healthier". We base it on what others eat since we are all followers and if people are eating that we feel the urge to follow. But by looking at America we are not just one big culture and has been around for many centuries to develop a main food culture. France and Italy has been around for a long time and was just like America in the past, but the main difference is the many types of cultures coming together and sharing the different cultures with others. Since there are many different ways to eat coming from all over the world its like that's our main food culture to share with your culture with others and to experience many different cultures. Even though people try and create new cultures like the Atkins diet (where you only eat red meat and no fruits or grains) it messes with our main culture and over powers it, but there is still a main culture, just not seen as a whole. Even though this is an example of a good diet it also has some negatives if your don't do all the parts, the Atkins diet has you eat all this fat but if you can work off the extra fat it will show results. But since America just sits around and be lazy the fat isn't burned and it affects America in the long run. America has a big food culture of many put together to share becasue of our wide verity of people but taking many new cultures the wrong way is a cover up and hides the real culture today.

Food Habits

By looking at the chart of vegetables, grains, roots, nuts, and fruits from school, i eat 47 of the foods on the list per week. I eat many different kinds of fruits and vegetables and grains but not ass many roots and nuts (mostly rice and bread). I like having a wide verity of foods since there are so many things in the world to try and many flavors to mixed to create new emotions of sensations. Every week by eating many verity of organic food allows me also not to be picky at the different foods i eat. My family doesn't go to the typical American grocery store but mostly stands with just either produce or meat found in Chinatown. There is many different things to pick from it and i learn how to pick out good fruits and vegetables by watching my family do it. We all share cooking for each others in lunch and breakfast and share work evenly but for dinner out Grandparents cook for us since they are the most experienced with cooking a large verity of foods.

--Grocery store trip--
what information can you get from a grocery story?
You can gather the nutritional facts about the different foods and the categories they do in.
How does the store display its stuff to make you want to buy more?
The store display foods as children items more near the bottom and the adult items more near the top, they put a lots of one brand of a kind items on sale but still make a profit, they also only put the things that don't sell as much on sale and some things that sell a lot on sale so it makes people want to buy it more.
How should parents help their kids appreciate a wide verity of fruits and vegetables?
I don't think parents should force kinds to eat more fruits and vegetables since kids should be able to eat what they want but no too much. Parents should just offer it to the kids at dinners as a side dish and encourage them but not make them want to eat it, parents could also buy a big verity of lay them out in different weeks to see which one they like the most and the child could eat that fruit or vegetable more.
How many verity of one particular item is on sale? (of an item you normally get from the store.)
23 different types of assorted nuts

May Day

The Holiday states that we shouldn't spend all our time worrying about money and work when there are much more important things in life. It tells us to break free from our daily routine on working and earning money to buy materialistic items and celebrate our lives a better and brighter way. To me May Day has some significance than other holidays, it still has a purpose in this world and not what the culture tells use to do. Since there was no way of manipulating it to their advantage it was replaced in America with Labor Day. This one day that people can be free from each other and live more closer to animals and others. There are no corporate chain holding everyone down, it is all freedom. Unlike what Kate says about how the government will "meddle" into out lives and take away our rights, but people can decide to take the day off if they wanted it, there can always be a reason, May Day or Labor day should still have it values even though it is covered with lies and deception from the world. In Marco's blog he talks about how learning other countries histories is good but we as animals may not agree with each others and will try and change it because we think it "right". People can celebrate what they want if it is related to other countries or not but if people don't want to and wanna continue thinking this lie is the truth it's their moral path and we can change it no matter what we do, no power in the world can change a humans moral path of what they celebrate. Human cant live in a world where we all have one history and one path. May day is like that since we all cant celebrate it because the world can't take the truth of the true meaning behind it.