So, here I am…

As I scrolled through the writing inquiries available this semester one word stuck out to me….food. Just a quick glance at this word had my stomach growling and my mind wandering. I began to think of all the possible snacks and edible creations I could shove down my throat. It occurred to me that it would be extremely rewarding to write about something I enjoy and am passionate about as opposed to any random topic. I quickly enrolled for this class, ensuring that I had a spot and looking forward to the 15 weeks to come.

As a freshman there are very specific classes I have to take for my major and general education, and I was thrilled to find a class that sparked my interests. Being from across the country in Boston, I have experienced very different food. People may not be aware but food varies just from coast to coast. It is almost impossible for me to eat clam chowder and other seafood here after having it in Boston, and I could say the same thing for Mexican food here. I am excited to learn how to express my thoughts and feelings about food through words.

I woke up Monday morning, looking forward to a fresh set of professors and classmates. Attending class on that cool morning, I walked into class with an open mind and ready to work hard and learn. I was surprised to learn that we would be actively blogging. I have never blogged before but I am fascinated with social media and eager to learn how to and improve at the art of blogging.

I was inspired hearing from my new professor that there were no such writers as good and bad writers and what really mattered was efficiency. I hope by the time this class comes to an end I am a more efficient writer, because I believe writing is one of the most important skills in life to obtain. I would definitely not say I am the most efficient writer, but it is my expectation to put in a lot of work to this class, and get a lot out of it with the leadership and guidance of Professor Keefe.

Something I really took out of the first class was the idea that sitting in a classroom would not and could not improve our writing. I agree that we do have to experience and write, and I am glad to get the opportunity to spend friday class time evaluating food at places like markets and restaurants.

Since food is a part of life that can not be avoided or unappreciated, I do think it is important and valuable to learn how to write about it and I feel blessed that I get the opportunity to learn how to.

Family With a Chance of Meatballs

Every one of my Saturday nights began with a garlicky aroma. At around 5:30 P.M, I would walk into the house I knew since I was born, with a huge smile on my face and an appetite to match.

This house that was so familiar to me belonged to my Grandparents, who my older sister cleverly named Ma and Grampy.  Since I moved around a lot when I was younger, this was the house that I was most familiar with. I could get around there with my eyes shut. I knew it for always being filled with crafts and warmth, provided by the oven. Ever since I can remember, my grandmother had always had something cooking in the oven. It would feel unnatural if I went there and nothing was being prepared.

I remember the last Saturday night dinner I attended. I remember walking into the house on a warm summer evening, filled with bittersweet emotions. Looking to the left, I saw my grandfather in his favorite chair watching TV. Down the hall I found my uncle and my cousin in the family room, later joined by my two little brothers and my dad. In the kitchen I saw my grandmother viciously cooking away and my uncle at the table on his laptop. My sister, mom, and I joined him at the table and we all collectively waited for our readied meal.

The classic Italian-based American dish prepared was spaghetti and meatballs. This dish was developed by Italian immigrants. It was a result of Italian traditional food and the adaptations of their new environment. Although the meal is not authentically Italian, it still represents Italian practice of home cooking. Home cooking, and family dinners are especially important for our generation. With large families, it is hard to stay connected, and family dinners can be crucial. My family is on the larger side and that’s why Saturday dinners were so prevalent in all of our lives.

Ma, as we called her, would heat up the crock pot at the peak of the morning, and begin to prepare her special sauce. She made enough for the entire family, with some to spare. To make this sauce is simple, just follow what my grandmother  did. First she would heat up the crock pot and boil water and olive oil. Then add 1 and a half chopped onions. When the onions were halfway cooked, she would add 4 cloves of cut up garlic. When the garlic browned, she would add 1 can of tomato paste and mix. After that, she added 2 crushed up tomatoes and mix again. Following that, she seasoned with salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and sometimes a little Parmesan cheese. This would heat for about 7 hours. She would let it cool, and we would serve ourselves from right out of the crock pot, slathering the hot, creamy sauce on our pasta.

When preparing the sauce, she would also prepare pesto pasta for my brother, because he enjoyed it so much. Later in the evening, right before 5 o clock, she would prepare the spaghetti, the meatballs, and my personal favorite the garlic bread. She would make an entire separate loaf for me, because she knew exactly how I liked it and that I could eat most of it with no shame. When I was younger I would go early to her house, to help butter and garlic the bread. Then I would anxiously a wait as it heated up in the oven. My uncle was always in charge of making the meatballs, and sometimes I would help him roll up the meat as well.

When the final product was completed, each member of my family would serve him or herself, and gather around the kitchen or dining room table, depending on the week, and eat as if we hadn’t in weeks. So many things would be going on at once, whether it was my mom yelling at my little brother to eat, or my uncle telling a joke or doing an impression that only my grandfather would find funny. But no matter what was going on, we were all together, and it was the beautiful meal that brought us there.

After we ate the main course, we all joined in on a game. “Taboo” was the family favorite, but my Uncle always used his persuasive nature and try to convince us to play “monopoly”. My choice was always “scatagories”; however, usually no one else preferred that. As we played we would chow down on whatever was for dessert that night. Sometimes we would have delicious strawberry shortcake, or others we would have moist and delectable pumpkin bread. It varied from week to week. For the rest of our night we would all just converse and bask in each other’s company.

Going off to college, I realized I was going to miss and reminisce this tradition that I had all my life. I even knew I would occasionally taste and crave the spaghetti and delectable sauce.  What was so crazy about our Saturday night dinners was that it was something that was always there, and stable throughout my life. So much happened in the 18 years I attended those gatherings, and so much had changed, yet that meal was always the same. I think back to how the dinners were 4 years ago, before my youngest brother was even born. I think back to all the different girlfriends my uncle used to bring, and watching them come and go. It is crazy to think of all that has occurred, and yet that spaghetti meal with the special sauce, meatballs, and garlic bread has always been there for me as I grew up. In fact, It still is there for me when I revisit my hometown of Newburyport Massachusetts. Although I am unable to join every Saturday night, like most of my family still does, It is still special to me and close to my heart. It is more than just a meal, it is a meal prepared by the loving hands of my wonderful grandma that not only brought and continues to bring our family together, but also has helped me throughout my life.

Photo Credit www.gourmet.com 

Dear Student Writer…

Dear Student Writer,

An effective Manifesto is an accurate and interesting one. To write a manifesto you have to put yourself in the shoes of an audience member, and understand what methods of persuasion would be useful and appropriate. Effective manifestos contain information that is not commonly known. They give the audience a reason to want to get involved with the subject matter and make a difference.

To write a food manifesto, it is important to choose a topic of interest to you. Maybe choose a topic that you are familiar with and would like to learn more about, and that directly relates to your life.

The easy part about writing a manifesto for me is to relate the topic to my life. It is harder for me to make a call to action and find primary sources to support my statements.

Techniques I find helpful are to be very specific with the topic and not broad. This helps the manifesto be organized and have a clearer purpose.

One of my favorite Manifestos is “A Dancer’s Manifesto” by Kelsie Matt, and that is because Matt directly related it to her life, and included a proper aphorism that her topic supports. She backed up her manifesto with information, and really got me thinking, which is very important to do.

Manifestos are not just about listing important facts and figures, but about explaining the importance of the information and making it interesting and persuasive. Think of what would move you as an audience member, and use those techniques in your writing. Think of questions you would ask yourself, and answer them in your writing. Think of what would compel you to read something, and incorporate those elements into your own work. Writing is impossible to do without reading and discovering what you like and do not like in manifestos, so read and discover what you like before perfecting your own.

Writing Techniques

As spectators read and analyze, they pick out what it is they liked or disliked about the writing. This simple act can improve anyone’s writing because by doing so, the reader is determining which techniques make writing interesting and beneficial to read. Certain topics require certain techniques, and I believe some of the articles about food I just read hit the nail on the head, while others may have fallen short.

One very important aspect to incorporate when writing about food, I believe, is detail. Tony Judt’s “Food” is a perfect example of how to use detail to capture an audience: “The characteristic quality of a Friday night dinner in those days was the repeated contrast between soft and crunchy, sweet and savory. Potatoes, swedes, turnips were always brown and soft and appeared to have been drenched in sugar.” This really makes me picture the meal and imagine the author enjoying his Friday night supper. This article should be read not only to enjoy the wonderful detail within it, but because it contains valuable relevance to others besides himself and his family. Judt discusses the contrast between different cultures and their food, and how that can affect one’s food life when cultures intertwine, and how your culture can shape who you are as an eater. This article has a lot of significances and is definitely worth reading.

“Henry James: Vanilla Ice cream with Brandied Peaches” by Nicole Villanueve is also a worthwhile article to read. I appreciated the poetic style of writing as well as how he compared food to other aspects of life that could possibly relate to his audience: “In typical Jamesian fashion, the end of the market was a reminder of the passing of youth and (if we want to get really profound) of a bygone era.” This article was not solely a story about food, but how food can make us feel.

I was not as impressed with “Raymond Chandler: Swordfish Siciliana” also by Villanueve. I think organization and clarity are both really crucial in food essays and this lacked both. The whole article just kind of confused me and I was left without knowing the significance of it.

Villanueve did an exceptional job on “Ernest Hemingway: Bacon-Wrapped Trout with Corn Cakes”. My favorite technique used was comparing a person with a meal: “Ernest Hemingway has become such a legendary character, it’s hard to think of a recipe that could match his macho reputation.” I think this is a clever way to make the audience understand both Hemingway and the meal of his choice.

For my future writings, I definitely plan on incorporating techniques like these.  I would certainly like to use detail like Judt did in “Food”. I really strive to make my stories organized and  easy to read. I also want to show how my feelings and experience with food  can have significance for others.

Vocabulary of a foodie

Every subject and category of life comes with it’s own vocabulary and food is no exception. The food language is filled with vocabulary and terms, all used by different types of people and in different locations. Every person eats food, and therefore any person could create their own, unique and creative food dictionary.

Localvore is a word used to describe foodies who only eat crops that are locally grown. This word even sparked a movement; challenging citizen’s to only eat food within certain radium. The movement is growing and spreading, and those participating believe it to help the economy. This movement caused for the expansion in farmer’s markets. Localvore’s diets are strictly vegetarian or vegan.

Slow food is another vocabulary word, which basically is just the opposite of fast food. It is food that is properly grown in clean and safe conditions. The “slow food movement” is one that promotes natural flavors and little to no food processing. Although we may not get the same kind of instant gratification we get at, say, “McDonalds”, we are filling our bodies with the proper nutrients as well as getting real and natural taste back.

Fast Food is food that can be served and prepared quickly. In fast food restaurants quantity stumps quality, typically leaving the food high in saturated fat , sugar, salt, and calories, but low in price.

Government subsidies, in regards to food, are mainly referring to agricultural subsidies. The Government supplies $10 to $30 billion dollars to famers each year. They give more to the processors of high demanded products. Many people are against, and long to repeal these subsidies because they fear they are not only hurting the economy, but also taking money away from taxpayers, and harming the environment.

When defining the word “natural” in terms of food, many definitions can arise. The most common definition come across, is food containing no artificial flavoring as well as no preservatives. Some people believe that natural foods could have gone through a little processing, whereas others believe in order for it to be considered natural, no processing is to be involved.

Organic food is food produced by farmers who value the art of conserving soil and water to enhance the environmental quality. When it comes to organic food that comes from animals, the animals are not on any antibiotics or hormones. Organic food processing is usually highly expensive resulting in high costs of the food itself.

Every food expert can define food vocabulary differently. The word’s described above all relate to each other in that they are more prevalent in today’s world of trying to eat less possessed food, weather it’s to help the economy, the environment, or our own health. I think each of these words are important and should be studied and looked into more by the general public, because they could help make the world of food a better and safer place.

A Consumer’s Manifesto

“The Universe is nothing without the things that live in it, and everything that lives, eats.”

Throughout my life I was always taught that I was important, and need to respect myself through what I put in my body. The fate of the Universe depends on the people within it; however, how is it possible that us people respect ourselves If, our own government does not respect us? How are we supposed to know what we are putting into our systems, if the proper labels are not put onto genetically modified food packaging? The answer is we cannot, or we have to spend 10 to 30 percent more money on organic foods just so we can know what, exactly, we are consuming. So, why does the government not force genetically modified foods to be labeled? Is there something they or the companies are hiding from us?

AgBioForum concluded through their primary research that 11 countries have mandatory labeling laws in affect, and none of those countries are the United States. The US. Currently has a voluntary labeling law, and more times than not, the companies choose not to label.

Companies are reluctant to label, because they believe that if their consumers can identify the GMs in the food, they will not buy them in fear of unhealthiness or disease. If consumers are not told exactly what is in their food, then they will not think about it and continue to buy the products.

Companies take advantage of the fact that both the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A) and the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A) do not require labeling. Labeling has become a State decision over a Federal decision. As a capitalist society, the government fears that labeling may cause fear in the citizens to not buy the products, resulting in less money for the companies and subsequently less money for the government.

There are many problems when it comes to Genetically Modified foods. Of course, disease is what initially comes to mind and sparks most fear in Americans when it comes to GMs. The organisms are not tested and there is ultimately no way to tell if they are dangerous or not. The process of producing the genetically modified food also uses pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Since they are used throughout production there is a chance the food itself contains these items, which are, in fact, not supposed to be digested. There are many recalls on genetically modified foods but they do not occur until a good while later, when the harm most likely has already taken place. For example, trans fats were available in grocery stores for decades before they were found to be unhealthy. It is just a matter of time before it takes a horrible incident to realize a GM is harmful.

Another problem with GMs, are that they are massed produced, so if one item has a disease causing organism, many more do as well, and it is impossible to pick out exactly which ones. GMs are also linked to diseases such as diabetes and obesity. It may not be necessary for Genetically modified foods to be completely demolished, but consumers should at least have the right to read what they are putting into their bodies and decide if they are comfortable with it or not.

Another issue newly connected with genetically modified foods is allergies. Growing up with two brothers with severe allergies, this is an issue I am very familiar with. I think of all my favorite foods; peanut butter, pizza, sushi, chocolate, all of which they cannot have, along with millions of other children with allergies. There were various occasions where I had to view one of my brothers having an allergic reaction. I hated seeing them break out in hives and appear in such obvious discomfort, but the worst is seeing them have a reaction to something they are usually not allergic too.

Genetically modified food is in fact linked with the growing rates of allergies in the US. GMs produce new protein, which can, in turn, create new allergies. The proteins created are produced by bacteria, and it is unknown if it will cause a reaction prior to being formed.

My brothers have very limited foods in which they can confidently eat, and the absence of labeling makes this even harder for them. Why should they have to have even more foods in which they cannot eat? Just the other day, my mother called me in a panic, saying that my youngest brother had had an allergic reaction after only consuming crackers. It just so happens that crackers contain soybeans, which are one of the most modified foods in America.

89% of soy acres use the same genetically modified organism, which happens to be a foreign gene. Some of the amino acid sequences that occur in this specific GM are common allergen sequences. Soybeans also, many times, have cross-reactivity with peanuts, causing people with peanut allergies to have reactions to soybeans.

Since my brother is allergic to peanuts, and the GM in soybeans can make him react, he should try and avoid foods with soybeans that were modified. How is he supposed to accomplish this task if the GMs are not labeled? He simply cannot. Well I personally do not want to see my brother have to be stabbed with an EpiPen for merely eating a cracker, so something must be done to establish proper labeling.

Laws for mandatory labeling have been proposed in 20 states, including Maine, Maryland, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, but none of them were successful. My home state of Massachusetts has the minimum requirement for food labeling and it is important to get a bill proposed there and get as many states on the bandwagon as possible.

This past election, there was a proposition on the ballot of where I currently reside, California. Proposition 37, would have required retailers and food companies to label genetically modified products. Some companies and celebrities were on board and even endorsed this campaign. An anti-campaign was also present from those who believed labeling would be costly, like Monsanto and Hershey. This proposition failed by only a hair, as 51.5% of the vote was no, and 48.5% was yes. If this bill passed, California would have been the first state to successfully enforce GMs to be labeled.

The next steps to this process are now taking place. Activists plan to take this issue directly to Washington, the heart of the government. Along with this, the state of Oregon plans to have a proposition relating to this matter on a ballot in either 2013 or 2014.

It is important for the common person to get involved now, more than ever. Citizens need to get the word out, as they are ultimately the ones being affected. State representatives need to push for this issue to be on the ballot, and people need to vote. It is vital for your own safety. If this propositions passes in Oregon maybe it will show other states that there is nothing to fear and only good can come out of it. People have a right to know what they are consuming, and it is absolutely essential for them to fight for their right.

Photo Credit: http://blogs.ajc.com/food-and-more/files/2012/11/prop-37-300×198.jpg

Food Adventures

Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, I was very unfamiliar with farmers markets. I had of course heard of them and seen pictures of them and images of them on the television, but I had never physically gone to one until the other day when I went to the Farmer’s Market here in Orange, CA. It was exactly how I’d pictured it to, except perhaps a little smaller. It amazed me how such a natural and organic market, could appear in a spot I walk past a couple times a week. I loved how an empty lot across from the film school, Dodge, could become such a magical place for 4 hours every Saturday.

I initially saw all the stations set up for different foods and produces, and was tempted to run around and try samples of everything. My friend that was familiar with this specific farmer’s market directed me to the fruit, and of course the first thing that caught my eyes were the raspberries.

The packs of raspberries were spread among different fruits such as blackberries and blueberries; however I though the raspberries looked the most appetizing. There bright red color stuck out among all the other fruits. All I wanted to do was grab a handful and shove them in my mouth. I thought they looked a little different then the ones at the store. They seemed a little less “juicy” than the ones at the store but I thought that it was from sitting outside in the sun for a few hours. They still looked amazing and I would still have eaten all of them.

There were two guys working at this particular stand, and I decided to take it upon myself to gather information. I asked one of the guys about growing and picking raspberries, and how challenging it was to do. It turned out the worker could only speak Spanish, but another worker translated for both him and me. The worker said he did not have experience with growing the raspberries, but he knew it was easy. He did, however, have experience picking raspberries, and that job was, in fact, “very difficult”. In the translators specific words “there are thorns in raspberry bushes, similar to the ones in rose bushes, which make raspberries hard and dangerous to pick”. I asked him if he thought that was part of the reason raspberries were so expensive and he said it definitely plays a part. He also said raspberries are very fragile and can fall apart easily when picking them.

This research has got me thinking a lot about what goes into making raspberries available for consumers. It is not only about growing them, but picking them as well. I definitely want to look more into how others perceive growing and picking raspberries, and maybe see if anyone has experience with a diseased bush. I realize how much effort is put into preparing the food we eat everyday, and how many people it must take to prepare those foods. I am very thankful for everyone who works so hard to make my favorite fruit, raspberries, available and delicious for me.

Ravishing Raspberries

“Are they ready yet? Are they ready yet?” I would continuously ask my grandmother until one warm summer evening when she would kindly reply “yes”. Being used to hearing “not yet sweetie” it took me a moment to comprehend what I was hearing. Yes! She said yes! My body would fill with excitement and my mind with happy thoughts, as I ran outside to the emerald green bush with bright red berries splattered all over it. “Finally!” I thought, “The raspberries are finally ready!”

Raspberries have always been my all-time favorite fruit, and one of my favorite foods in general. When I was younger I lived for the day that my grandmother’s bush was finally ripened with a few raspberries, and many more on the way. I would yank each one off its leaf, and immediately wash it in the sink and shove it in my mouth. The sweetness and overall greatness of its flavor took over, as it rushed through my body.

 According to red-reasperries.org, raspberries originated in Eastern Asia. There are red and black raspberries and the red one was brought to North America in prehistoric times, by people who crossed the Bering Straight. They have been around ever since, although canes were not cultivated until 4^th century A.D. Washington is the primary state in which raspberries are grown, but are also grown profusely in California, Oregon, and in the Midwest.

Raspberries are not only a delicious snack; they also have many health benefits and are used in medicine. According to the Oregon Raspberry and Blueberry Commission, raspberries are high in iron and in turn help to fight anemia. The property of tannis in the leaves, also help fight sore throat, swollen gums, eczema, and other mouth and skin related problems. Remedies can also be created that help keep women fertile and to help during pregnancies. Even when just eating raspberries they provide you with tons of healthy minerals, vitamins, and enzymes.

According to research done at Cornell University, raspberries are relevant in the art and literature world as well. In Greek mythology, they are present to relate to fertility, due to all the benefits they have to keep women fertile. It is also said that the berries were once white, and Zeus’s nursemaid later pricked her finger and stained all the berries. They are also used today, in visual arts. In Christian art, raspberries represent kindness. The red juice is a symbol for blood running through the heart. In the Philippians, raspberry canes are hung outside of doors to ward off evil spirits. Although raspberries are prevalent in areas non-related to food, my favorite use for them is still as a snack.

I have loved raspberries for as long as I can remember. For me, it is a special occasion to eat them, because they are so expensive to buy. I surveyed 20 of my raspberry loving peers, to find that only 2 of their families buy raspberries on a regular basis, and the others do not because of the price. My mom always hated buying raspberries at grocery stores, because she thinks they are a waste of money, especially because I can eat a whole pack in one sitting. This is why I try to find alternative means to receive them.

More recently, to get fresh raspberries in the summer, my friend Kate and I go to an airfield in my hometown in Massachusetts, where there are hundreds of raspberry bushes to pick from. My dad, also, sometimes brings them home from the bushes of the golf course he works at.

The Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (mofga) says raspberries are so expensive because they have a very short production season. They are also fragile, which makes them hard to handle, package, and ship. I wanted to do hands-on research about this and speak with people who had direct experience with raspberries, so I headed out and did some investigations of my own.

I decided to go to the Farmer’s Market right here in Orange, CA. Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts; I was very unfamiliar with farmers markets. I had of course heard of them and seen pictures of them and images of them on the television, but I had never physically gone to one. It was exactly how I pictured it, except perhaps a little smaller. It amazed me how such a natural and organic market, could appear in a spot I walk past a couple times a week. I loved how an empty lot across from the film school, Dodge, could become such a magical place for 4 hours every Saturday.

I initially saw all the stations set up for different foods and produces, and was tempted to run around and try samples of everything. My friend that was familiar with this specific farmer’s market directed me to the fruit, and of course the first thing that caught my eyes were the raspberries.

The packs of raspberries were spread among different fruits such as blackberries and blueberries; however I though the raspberries looked the most appetizing. There bright red color stuck out among all the other fruits. All I wanted to do was grab a handful and shove them in my mouth. I thought they looked a little different then the ones at the store. They seemed a little less “juicy” than the ones at the store but I thought that it was from sitting outside in the sun for a few hours. They still looked amazing and I would still have eaten all of them.

There were two guys working at this particular stand. I remembered my initial reason for going to the market, and immediately started asking one of the guys about growing and picking raspberries, and how challenging it was to do. It turned out the worker could only speak Spanish, but another worker translated for both him and I. The worker said he did not have experience with growing the raspberries, but he knew it was easy. He did, however, have experience picking raspberries, and that job was, in fact, “very difficult”. In the translators specific words “there are thorns in raspberry bushes, similar to the ones in rose bushes, which make raspberries hard and dangerous to pick”. I asked him if he thought that was part of the reason raspberries were so expensive and he said it definitely plays a part. He also said raspberries are very fragile and can fall apart easily when picking them.

Still curious about how raspberries are grown, I was determined to do some more research. As soon as I returned home from the market I called my grandmother. I asked her to tell me about the growing process and she said, “as soon as the season is over you have to cut off the old stems in order for new berries to grow”. She said she has heard of many raspberry bushes catching diseases but hers is still in healthy condition. She also stated “raspberries enjoy acid”. I asked her what she meant by this and she said they like a lot of nutrients, which acid provides. She said she does this by putting coffee beans into her soil.

Going to the market also raised another question for me. How did they have raspberries now, when they’re a summer grown fruit? I did some more research on red-raspberry.org, and learned that with new technology, cultivators and transportation, raspberries can be obtained year-round. This information brought great joy to me, because I could personally eat raspberries any time of year, probably even at any time of the day; however, this is another factor that weighs in on the price. The new technology that makes raspberries available in all seasons can be costly.

Overall, raspberries have health, art, and of course taste benefits. The one downfall of raspberries are the expense; however, there are definitely ways to still enjoy what this fruit can offer without paying several dollars. You can find a place to pick raspberries, or even start a raspberry bush of your own! Also farmers markets are a bit cheaper than in stores and they are just as healthy and flavorful. After researching these berries, I learned so much. I learned about all the hard work that goes into making them available for consumers. Now I feel I can appreciate them even more than I already did when eating them than I previously.

Photo Credit: www.sunset.com

Photo Credit: http://www.encore-editions.com

“King Corn” vs. “America Revealed: Food Machine”

After watching both “King Corn” and “America Revealed: Food Machine”, I was left with many opinions and ideas about the food world. Although both movies generally communicated the same thing, they did so in two very different manners, and they gave me some similar and some different thoughts.

Both movies discussed how the food industry is taken over, and largely by one crop, corn. I found it interesting that in spaces where hundreds of crops were once grown, a single crop now grows. They both show how 1/3 of items in stores contain corn, and that cows are brought up to primarily digest corn. This concerned me because corn is not a cow’s natural diet, therefore the meat the cows produce, as well as the dairy may not be natural.

Another aspect that concerned me was the endangerment of bees. “America Revealed” especially shows how bees are mysteriously disappearing, and they are used to pollinate plants that give us so many foods like apples and zucchini. There are so many foods that rely on bees so this fact scares me a little.

Another aspect both videos discuss is the growing fast food industry, and that the food crops are being pushed to the limits to satisfy the demands of the people. Something “America Revealed” did that “king Corn did not, was show how the workers in the industry are also being pushed to the limits. The movie showed how the workers and farm owners are under a lot of pressure and stress, trying to provide for the world. “King Corn” really just made these people out to be villains.

“King Corn” showed more of what the meat industry actually did to the animals. It was very graphic at times, and actually made me question my eating habits, which I think was their goal. It also showed how terrible the conditions were that the animals were staying in. An image that I vividly remember is all the chickens, crammed into a small space and being appreciated solely for their meat.

Overall, “America Revealed” left a more lasting impression on me than “King Corn”, I think, because it gave hope for the future, and also showed how the current food industry is not completely bad. It showed how Farmer Greg, is actually proud of the accomplishments and growth of his farm since his grandfather once owned it. It also showed how people use extra tomato’s that are grown, to help fight cancer, and have people pay $10 to participate in a tomato fight.

The movie expresses how the food industry changes and adapts to the times, and that even though there are some challenged with it today, there is hope for the future. It shows how people are starting to plant crops in big cities, like Detroit, and how efforts are being made to improve the industry. I feel like “King Corn” just shows the negative aspects of food and left me depressed, whereas “America Revealed” left me hopeful for the industry and future of America.

Bee Aware

What do you think of when you think of bees? Everyone has a different connotation of bees, whether it is being stung, or having an infestation in your backyard. For me, I think of the food industry, and how it would be significantly affected if something were to happen to bees.

According to pbs.org, honeybees in America started to die in large numbers five years ago, and hives were abandoned. Approximately 1/3 of the bee colonies have disappeared. The problem at hand is called Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD.

When I first heard about this issue a few years ago, I was led to believe that there would be absolutely no food without bees. After further research, and seeing movies like “America Revealed: Food Machine”, I realized that it is certainly not all food, but a signifigant amount of it.

This disorder affects 130 crops in California alone. The pollination of bees affects $15 billion worth of crops. According to the Natural Recourse Defense Council, come crops that depend on the pollination of bees are apples, grapes, strawberries, most nuts, broccoli, carrots, and many more. It is said that one in every three mouthfuls of food consumed is either directly or indirectly due to the pollination of bees.

When I initially heard of this problem it terrified me, and still kind of does today. When I was younger I would always wish bees would not exist, for fear of being stung, but now I have learned to be careful what I wish for, because bees are essential for the food industry and even to some extent for everyday life. I immediately thought, scientists need to figure out what was causing this problem, and fix it, but of course it is not that easy.

Pbs.org also claims that Scientists do not know that much about bees. They have multiple theories for what could be causing this dilemma, such as pesticide exposure, mites, inadequate food supply, or a virus that disturbs bee’s immune systems. These theories are being further looked into; however, none of them have been proven. $20 million dollars has been put into research, yet a solution has still not been found.

This issue is not extremely dire quite yet, but it is getting worse and worse as scientists fail to find what is causing CCD. What is important now is to find an answer. Going without bees is not a solution, and would cause the world to go without almonds, berries, fruits, and vegetables. Beekeepers are working to keep their bees in better condition to ensure they will stick around and not disappear. It is also a suggested solution that natural habitats for bees need to be restored near the crops that need to be pollinated, instead of beekeepers keeping bees in unnatural conditions and bringing them to the different crops. I think any idea for a solution is worth a shot, because it is crucial that this problem becomes solved.

Yes, the majority of my memories with bees are unpleasant, but when I think about all the food that they provide me with I am left in awe of the honeybees. Without their pollination, I would not be able to enjoy my favorite foods, and would be deprived of many of the proper nutrition and food groups. CCD concerns me and should concern the rest of the country, as we need to make efforts to keep bees around. Constantly thinking about bees when I eat, I am aware that the world would be devastated if bees were no longer available to pollinate. This growing food issue needs to be squashed now, before it is too late.

Photo Credit : HuffingtonPost.com