"Plant a Garden (even a small one)"

Watching Food Inc. was like swallowing bitter medicine. I believe I have become complacent with my food choices to a degree that is uncomfortable for me, especially after viewing the film. While at home we cook the chicken that we grew, and the grass-fed beef that we bought from our friends who live in Acme, I still participate in the industry-produced meat business that devalues the animals, the workers, and the environment. On a personal level, there is room for improvement in my food choices, and I have been thinking a lot about this since watching the film. I am reminded of how I do not want to participate in this system that is in place; the corporate takeover of our farms, seeds, grocery stores, and farmworkers.

It's hard to pinpoint what struck me the most about the film; I can reflect on so many things. Regarding the animal cruelty aspect, I was familiar with this; but it was still agonizing to behold. Certainly the practice of hiring independent chicken "farmers", then requiring upgrades to the tune of $500,000 with an annual paycheck of $18,000 is just unethical and wrong (like so many aspects of the system). I read Omnivore's Dilemma, so many of the characters and topics that were presented in the movie were familiar. Still, putting a face to the farmers and seeing an actual picture of their farms brought their stories to life for me. My heart ached for the older man who had the seed cleaning equipment, who fought Monsanto to the end, until he ran out of money. It's so sad to see a long-time farmer, 50 years in the business, upholding a traditional American farming practice of saving seeds for next year's crop get essentially bled to death by this corporation that's in bed with so many politicians in the White House. It enrages me. What's wrong with this country that farmers are just pawns of the regime, not independent businessmen? So much is wrong.

Of course, I took hope and encouragement in Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farm, who is a wild-eyed farmer who's managing to do his own thing, living and farming by ethical standards and enjoying a thriving business. I loved his description of the bacteria count as he was in the process of the chicken gutting (I also loved that he was right there in the thick of all the dirty work), when he described the health department wanted to shut him down... but his bacteria count was way under that of a factory farm, even with all their bleach baths.

I could go on and on. Finally, I really liked how Schlosser and Pollan closed the film with all the answers to the inevitable sentiments of feeling overwhelmed and powerless to affect any change...they're just too big...what could I possibly do? I thought that was a good ending to a very bleak presentation of our country's food situation, and puts the power back into our hands. We really do vote with our dollars, as the organics entering Wal Mart proves.

U.S. National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health. Straight Talk About High-Fructose Corn Syrup: What It Is and What It Aint. Argenta: IL, 2008. Online.