Chapters that interest me/ Chapters I had views and opinions on. (6 different chapters)
Chapter 1:
The most interesting points made in this chapter personally was Pollan’s description of the history of corn. Before reading this I would not have thought that corn is as important as it really is, and how the fact that farmers cant save hybrid corn seeds for planting the next crop made their business possible. At the end of Chapter 1 Pollan states that “Hybrid corn now offered its breeders what no other plant at that time could: the biological equivalent of a patent.”
Another thing that I think stood out was the way it seemed as if Pollan spoke about corn as something that has manipulated human beings. This made me question whether or not his intentions of this book were just to persuade the reader to think of corn as something that had a bad affect on life? Is corn something that is really something that made a huge difference in humans life, and can the relationship between humans and corn be seen as something negative? Is eating all this corn good for us?This affects my understanding and thoughts of food and human life because it shows me that when the two come together It can cause confusion and negative reactions from humans, because the way Pollan described corn as something that took over humans gave me a negative image of the relationship between food and humans.
Chapter 2:
An important idea that I think stood out in this chapter was Pollans description of George Naylors farm and the conflict that it faced. This is a conflict that I’ve read about plenty of times when the reading is focused on the farming life. Productivity and cost are the main factors that take place. Pollan states “Measured in terms of output per worker, American farmers like Naylor are the most productive humans who have ever lived. Yet George Naylor is all but going broke.”
This is issue that farmers go through, making profit. It hard to do when there is a lack of quality because that plays a huge role in the production of food.
Something interesting and important is how Pollan shows that animals die, vegetable come and go...so the main importance of using these two sources is their quality. The quality of the animal and vegetable is only as strong as the quality of the land they are on. Maintaining the health of the fields is a important way to make sure the quality of the animals and vegetable are good. Grazing the grass at the right time is also important, if its grazed too soon it will die off and if its grazed too late animals would not like it. Overall what I understood from this chapter is that the balance of grazing, fertilizing and keeping the field in good condition is the best way to give the animals and land what it needs...which will improve the quality of the food produced overall. This shows the relationship between animals, nature and humans. The animals (chickens) help to remove diseases while making itself a very high protein meat. Just enough chickens and cows can make a big difference in the quality of the food us humans eat.
Does it surprise people when they are the told about the different challenges farmers face?
Is it worth it to put so much work and effort into making the quality good, when it can be sold either way?(if quality is good or not) Or is this based on competition with other farmers?
Chapter 6
In this chapter the claim that corn is going into everything, which is causing obesity to run rapid in America is a very strong view made. Being that In a previous blog I spoke about fast food playing a role in the obesity rate in America, I this chapter gave me more information and deepened my thoughts on the this specific topic that I already had. Pollan makes a statement which implies that being that calories are becoming cheaper, we are consuming more. Everyday we are surrounded by obesity, but not by the answer to why the number of obesity cases are growing and growing. The argument that Pollan put out there for the reader to notice is that the over production of corn is the cause of obesity. This is something that I actually agree with after reading it, being that corn is used in fast food...and fast food is a main cause of obesity, it all goes back to corn being the main reason.
Also when reading this chapter I tried to find reasons to the situation where if farmers are barely profiting from producing the corn that will go into producing unhealthy foods and cause obesity (which then causes death), than why is even allowed? Why cant they just produce less food with higher quality which wont add to the rising rate of obesity? This is probably because its easier for people to spend less money on junk food and fast food because they are getting more for their money, at Mcdonalds you are able to buy food off of the dollar menu that will full you up quickly. Healthier foods are more expensive, therefore until the price goes down for healthier foods or the quality of the cheaper foods change...the way we as humans consume food will not change.
Chapter 7
In this chapter one idea that caught my attention and that I focused on was that the industrial eater is the victim of the industrial food chains use of corn... “obscure the histories of the foods it produces by processing them to such an extent that they appear as pure products of culture rather than nature” (pg 115) This is basically saying the industrial food chains makes the history of the food invisible to the consumer and only allows the food to seem like they are pure grown products, rather than to be food that has been processed in order to get the taste and look that it has. This is said to be a tool that replaces the real meal that we are actually consuming.
Another attention grabbing aspect of this chapter is how Pollan himself said that when eating fast food he enjoyed it. “I loved everything about fast food: the individual portions all wrapped up like presents (not having to share with my three sisters was a big part of the appeal; fast food was private property at its best); the familiar meaty perfume of the French fries filling the car; and the pleasingly sequenced bite into a burger – the soft, sweet roll, the crunchy pickle, the savory moistness of the meat.” (Pg 11)
This is how most fast food consumers view the food, which is why the fast food industry is so successful. Pollan also states that the food can be eaten with one hand, which I believe is the way the food is seen as a ready to go and easy to eat meal. This goes back to Pollans the idea that corn is a cheap and convenient substitute for food. This shows the connection between food, nature and humans because when the corn Is grown on the farm, it then goes to these fast food restaurants in which we as humans take advantage of, and never notice the background of where the food (and the corn that is served in it) actually comes from.
Is it a big deal that we as humans eat high amounts of corn? Is it considered bad when looking back at the history of corn? Is this something that varies from person to person?
Chapter 8
In this chapter Pollan makes a point that everything is grass, and basically everything that we eat in a way relates or is tied back to grass. He states that ““All flesh is grass.” His reasons to believe this is that most of us eat meat, which comes from animals...and those animals eat grass or has been affected by grass in someway. An examples that he talks about is chicken eggs, he states that because of the grass that the chickens are consuming...it allows them to produce a greater number of eggs. Even though this isn’t a direct human to grass connection, the point is that there is an overall connection when it is looked at on a deeper level and when the sources to that main meal we are eating if broken down to the first source used to make it....because according to Pollan grass is a common link between all of our major sources of food.
I believe that this is true because grass is said to be something that cannot harm the human body if eating directly...which sort of gives me an idea that this is used to make most of the food we eat. This is an obvious connection between nature, animals humans and the food we consume...because its seems as if there is a circle cycle. Grass gives to the animals, animals give to the food we eat...and it starts back at the beginning.
Does every food follow this cycle?
Chapter 9
I always hear that organic food is the more healthier choice when eating. In this chapter an interesting thing that Pollan discusses that products with the word “organic” displayed doesn’t matter. It would also be a mistake to assume that the word “organic” on a label automatically signifies healthfulness, especially when that label appears on heavily processed and long-distance foods that have probably had much of their nutritional value, not to mention flavor, beaten out of them long before they arrive on our tables.”(Pg 181)
Pollan asked questions such as “Is it better for the environment? Better for the farmers who grew it? Better for the public health? For the taxpayer.” This makes me think about a previous blog I wrote which focuses on how we Americans listen to “food experts” and automatically believe facts about food when its told to us by a person who is said to have great knowledge in the food business. When seeing a product with the word “organic” stamped on it, we don’t ask whether or that this is a fact...or even what makes it different from a product that isn’t organic. But because we are brain washed into think that just because a product is said to be organic, than it is automatically better for us.
In part 5 of Ch.9 “My Organic Meal” Pollan buys Organic food items for dinner and compares them to conventionally produced food items in order to see whether or not that belief that organic may be better. This served as something that helped me to see the difference between the two foods..and Pollan stated that evidently the taste is the same and there isn’t a difference in the organic foods or the non organic foods.
Does the stamp on the product define how much it is bought and how much it is sold for?
Does food that is said to be organic bought more by upper class Americans?
Comments to other blog post :
Comment to Jia min on Chapter 2:
The question that you stated in your response is one that I also had . “This gets me thinking why are the farmers are going broke when they are feeding this many people.”
This is something that I saw as a sad situation, because in order for the farmers to produce things, they have to spend the money on tools...which keeps taking from their profit and decreasing that amount of money that they are making. This can be related to restaurant owners. Its said that many businesses fail when first opening because of the failure to make profits and produce things to help expand their business. Its just like if someone opens a restaurant they have to hire cooks, cleaners, waitresses, pay these people for their services, buy food, buy tables, make menu’s..etc. These things cost money and many times the profit that they make doesn’t always cover the cost of these different expenses...which results in the businesses having to close and the business owners going broke.
Comment for Kate on Chapter 2:
“So what I am wondering is new technology a good thing?” New technology can be something good and also bad. In this case it can be seen as something bad because like you said, everything that is happening can be connected back in a negative way towards corn and new technology. In relation to other things, whenever something is done by hands and requires human beings to get the job done, and then technology is made that can do the job for humans...there is a cut back made in how many humans you actually need to do the job.
