I'm thinking I might have to read this book. Sounds interesting.
He's got the intro and first chapter for donwload at the site I linked to at the top of the post. I'm reading about Joel Salatin's holistic farm right now. It makes me want goats.
Hello Redneck Mother:
If interested Organically Speaking has released a podcast (audio conversation) with Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.
We our introducing a new audio comment system today, you can now leave an audio comment on any of our posts. You will find an "Insert Audio Comment" link at the bottom of the usual "Add Comment" space. All you need is a microphone!
Try it out and let Michael and John know what you think about the show!
http://OrganicallySpeaking.org/
All the best,
-Ricardo
Holistic Conversations for a Sustainable World Who Share Your Passion for:
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Sounds interesting, but can I pause to take exception to the assumption that America = the world?
Where I come from (New Zealand), cows eat grass and like it. In an economy without 7 different flavours of agricultural subsidy, or (hypocritical) import protections, any farmer that tried to feed his cattle something expensive like corn would be looking for a new job pretty soon.
Point taken, Chris. Too often we assume that whatever America is doing is what everyone else is doing as well. Thank goodness that's not the case.
American farmers feed their animals corn because we grow so much of it (thanks to the bassackward federal farm policies you mentioned) and it's so darned cheap as a result. Even here in Texas, land of the longhorn, a steak from a grass-fed steer costs much more than the same cut from a corn-fed factory steer. If you can find one -- many supermarkets don't even carry grass-fed beef.
Eating in a healthy and sustainable way can be quite a challenge here, especially if you're pressed for time or not wealthy.
I read "The Story of Corn" over a year ago now and was amazed at how much corn is in everything. My parents are corn and soybean farmers so it made me a little proud, but a little disturbed too.
Yes! My school-aged daughter has a friend who is allergic to corn, and it is in EVERYTHING here in the US. It is troubling to see the words "high-fructose corn syrup" in the ingredient list of so many products.
Nestle showed a similar conclusion in her book, although she focused more on the politics behind the pervasiveness. You start tugging on a thread and then all of a sudden this nasty secret unravels: people in the US are unhealthy because the government promotes pro-corn/agribusiness agricultural policy.
RNM--In today's DIning In section of the New YOrk Times there are several great articles about local beef in NYC markets, the problems of grass versus corn feeding, and the shortage of small, local, organically minded slaughterhouses. It was interesting stuff. I don't have the links because I read it in the paper version, but it should be easy to find.
Redheaddread, corn allergy was the first thing that crossed my mind as I read about how many things have corn or a derivative as an ingredient. Monitoring a corn-allergic child's diet could be a job in itself, it seems.
Rebecca, thanks for the tip! I found the article here, and it dovetails nicely with the slaughterhouse issues I'm just getting to in the organic section of OD.
I've followed Pollan's work enough that, when Powell's offered OD in a signed first edition, I bought that Mama. Finished Corn and am into Big Organic: wonderful book: glad to see it's getting attention from others.
That is why I like to shop at our own Sunset Valley Farmer's market, where the meat is pastured and virtually nothing has added corn syrup.
And speaking as the companion of a dog who is big (111 lbs at last weighing) and intolerant of corn (can you say "My 111 lb dog gets diarrhea from eating cornmeal"?), check out the ingredients list on a dog chow bag.
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