Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Exploration 9

The problems we see with the industrialization of farming deal not only with crop production, but also with the raising of livestock. "Americans fear only one thing, inconvenience." This has a lot to do with the problems we have. It is convenient to grow mass numbers of crops by using different chemicals. It is convenient to have livestock on antibiotics and steroids in order for them to grow faster. Anything we can do in order to make production more convenient. By doing this we are sacrificing the quality of food that we as a nation are supplying to our citizens. We, as citizens, encourage this industrialized farming by continuing to buy foods that come from this style of farming. Why do we do it? Because it is convenient.

The part of the movie that was most convincing to me was when Russ Kremer, the pig farmer, told his story. Here is a guy who used to be all about the industrialized farming of pigs; giving them antibiotics to increase their growth and keeping them close together in pins. But after getting a strep infection from a stab wound left by one of his boars he decided enough is enough. He exterminated his whole heard and started fresh with a new concept of farming. No more closely quartered pins and no more antibiotics. Since then his business has flourished. If seeing this man's story is not convincing enough that industrialized farming is not the way to go then I don't know what could convince you.

I agree one hundred percent that free range farming is the best way to raise livestock. As for crop production I think that we are a long way from being able to grow everything organically. I took a plant biology class at Ohio University and my professor said it takes more land to grow the same amount of organic crops as we do industrial crops. We would not be able to produce near enough organic crops to full fill all of our uses of crops. However we could grow the same genetically altered crops and just decide not to spray harmful pesticides and fertilizers on them. If we do that though then the crops will be infested with bugs and weeds like George Naylor's crops were. People have a false sense that organic means no spraying crops. Organic crops are in fact sprayed with herbacides, pesticides, and fertilizers. The difference is that they all have to be made of pure, natural products and undergo mass amounts of tests in order to be "organic approved".

Even though I believe we are a long ways off from having all organic crops in mass amounts; I would encourage people to have their own gardens in the summer so that they can have foods without those harmful chemicals. Or if you don't want to plant a garden then go to a local farmers market or look for locally farmed fruits and vegetables in your stores. As for meat consumption I personally think that farmers markets or meeting with local farmers is the best way to get it.

A challenge for everybody.............For one week, try and eat foods without and ingredients label. It is way tougher than you would think and is a good way to see how much processed food we normally would consume in a week.

5 comments:

  1. I was convinced by the same part. I couldn't believe that he exterminated his whole heard like that. I bet it was pretty costly for him to do that.

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  2. After seeing this movie I've decided to have my own garden. This movie was an eye opener of what we are really bringing into our bodies.

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  3. It might take more land to grow the same amount of organic that is being produced though industrialization, but I think the end result would be better for everyone. Maybe money and thought should be spent on how to improve traditional farming and not on the alternative. We saw in Fresh that with 3 acres of land, one farmer can produce a lot of fresh foods. Maybe build on what he had going, and improve it.

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  4. I also the Russ Kremer was a real eye oppener, becuase he used to do it the unethical way and now does it the right way and it actually been more profitable for him

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  5. I think that's a good challenge.. it'd be pretty hard to do if you weren't used to eating completley healthy! Pretty much limits you to basically water and produce.

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