This lack of appreciation is further exacerbated by the fact that in the United States, more than 50% of housholds are are dependent upon some form of direct Government payment for their current standard of living ...... granted, roughly 5% actually work for the Federal Government in one way or another...... but even if it was 3 times that: More than 1/3 the households in this country are buying some or all of their groceries with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY. They are eating calories, cheap or not, that cost them bupkus........ they just whip out the EBT card and get what they want...... and throw away nearly 1/2 of it ......easy come, easy go.I agree that specialization and the ability to engage in more efficient agriculture have led to unbelievable advances in society, many of which are to the great good. But I do worry we are crossing a line in which we are too divorced from basic understanding -- and appreciation -- of where our food comes from. I read somewhere that 40% of the food purchased in the US is ultimately thrown away. Not to mention the rising problem of obesity. In general, I think if more people had to participate, even for a short while, in the raising of their own food, they would be more moderate and less wasteful with their eating.