Food Inc, The Future of Food.

So, I don't know what got into me the other day. I have seen Food Inc advertised since it came out and have been interested, but it was never a pressing matter. However, two nights ago I decided we would get it. Turns out my video store closed (shows how often I rent movies) so we ended up going to Boarders and buying it. At first I was hesident because it was $27, but I thought, eh, lets just get it. Oh my. My life is changed. So I did some light googleing and came up with some websites and this video on hulu called The Future of Food. It's 1.5 hours, but I watched it last night. At this point I really feel very helpless. I want to make a change, but I am so unsure if it will
A. be possible and
B. if it will do any good.

I am starting to look at food companies and find out who owns who, also seed companies, I already have seeds this year for my rookie year of a veggie garden, but I already know where I will order from next year. As products run out in my home I am looking for who I can use to replace said things. For example, I use kosher salt for cooking, I had no idea it was owned by Dow. I find that troubling. I was already planning on using farmer's markets for the veggies/fruit I didn't grow myself. Now I am going to make sure that they are really a farmer not a wholesaler, and I am going to ask the source of their seeds. If they can't answer that, they can't have my money. Someone will tell me, I know. I am going to learn to can this year to save some of that farmers market food and my own food I grow. It just feels like it's not enough, or too little too late.

What about anyone else? Has anyone seen either of these films? Has it effected your way of life/shopping habits? What are you doing to make a difference.

Please, I am not looking for debates on the benefits of GMOs and other such things. If you don't agree with my thought process, find another thread to post in. If this kind of thing doesn't bother you, that's ok, but it does me, so please don't tell me how wrong I am. To each their own y'all.

-Amanda

This kind of thing bothers.

BUT... about all we can do is what you are now doing.

... and it will be a blessing as the new great depression lingers on.

Be ready to share with your neighbors.

Hi Amanda ,
We also have The Future Of Food, DVD. i would encourage you to visit www.seedsavers.com/ we ordered seeds from them last year. And have also kept seed from our plants. Please start your own veggie garden. A book I would recommend is Organic Gardening, this book teaches you all about growing fruit vegetables and protecting your plants from GMO pollen. To answer your question, it will make a difference and will be good if you and your family start your own DIY food.

I have not seen the movie but I will be looking it up. As for the farmers market we have two here in Bowling Green. One is your everyday style farmers market but the one that we attend must be grown by the sellers. The sellers must register before hand and their farm is checked to make sure it is actually coming from were they say. I believe in buying local when ever possible. Also we are lucky enough to have two differant groups of Amish close by that sell everything, we try to visit there once a week as well.

I watched it! Thanks for the link! That is scary... very scary, I'm glad we're living in the county I have my chickens, and my own garden.... It does seem like folks are slowly starting to wake up and notice alot more than say just five years ago... Hopefully folks will band together and we can get something accomplished. But as I've said before... The United States is no longer for the people by the people... Its for the corperation paid for by us. These big businesses run the government now...

It's frustrating to me that I live in an agricultural area with virtually no farmer's markets - everything is big ag (wheat, alfalfa, barley) for export out of the area. We have a very small farmer's market that runs late June-September and that's it. I do keep a garden, but I'm not much of a gardener (and I don't particularly enjoy it) but I don't enjoy buying tasteless produce at the supermarket, either. We did belong to the only CSA in the area but it's small and limited produce - I can only stand to eat so many beets a year.

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I had to do a google cause I thought seed savers was owned my M&M Mars, but it's not, it's Seeds of Change that is owned by them. It's so much to keep straight.

Gonzo I so agree with your statement "The United States is no longer for the people by the people... Its for the corporation paid for by us. These big businesses run the government now..." It is SO alarming to me to see all the ties from these big corporations that are in the branches of government making the laws on how our food is raised and what's approved for our use. It saddens me to admit, but I truly do not believe that anyone has our best interests at heart anymore.

In my research I have done I decided Bob's Red Mill will be my main source for grains. I enjoy their products anyway, and they are an employee owned company. Their prices on the website are so much better than what is in the store. Ok, flour and grains done. Eggs will be done around Aug (or as soon as my babies start laying) Now to look into dairy.

I went vegetarian after reading Jane Goodall's "Harvest for Hope". I joined a CSA, started paying attention to where food comes from. I have since watched "Food Inc." and "Fast Food Nation"; and read "Twinkie, Deconstructed", and other things..something by Joel Salatin, I know...

I did start eating meat again, but I get it straight from a farmer who raises pastured, Heritage beef. No hormones, no antibiotics, no feedlot.

I was raising my own chickens for eggs for a while; and had a large garden. Now I have a compact garden and no livestock, but I can still go to the farmer's market and ask them where their produce is from.

It's all of us doing our small part and voting with our pocketbooks that will (I hope) eventually bring about change.

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Yes the future of food, has changed our shopping habits. Now we double check the labels and see if it says GMO etc..


Sibone

I just reread this and noticed you check labels for GMO, how lucky! Here in the US they haven't pushed any law yet that requires labeling of GMOs. It's scary to me because for health reasons I have been trying to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup, I just don't believe the adds from the Corn Growers Assoc.

Example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEbRxTOyGf0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVsgXPt564Q&NR=1 Propaganda films I say.

In doing this I have found out there are so many products with HFCS. Bread was the hardest, but there are a few options now.
So I realize, how many of the billions of products we have that have HFCS in them is HFCS made from GMO corn. To think about that is just astounding. Then think about all the soy products and anything with canola oil. I also read that beets are now going to be aloud to be GMOs. (forget the source but if I find it again I will post) So everything with beet sugar will be suspect too.

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DH and I started looking into this last year and made several changes. First we bought into a local farm co-op. Here it cost us about 550.00 for the April to November growing season. We get a bushel of produce every week which they drop off at a local drop off point. We know the farm it is just about 20 miles from here and the family invites all the co-op members to visit and they also have an annual get together on the farm--- so you can actually see how they run their farm. At first the price seemed steep until I started figuring out how much I spend at grocery stores--- it is slightly more expensive BUT I know exactly how it is produced and where it came from. They also include recipes with each bushel. Second--- We found a place that supplies only organic, grass fed meat (dairy too) and wild caught sea food. Third, I bought a grain mill and now I buy 6 gal pails of organic wheat, oats, rye, and other grains which I grind for my own flour and "flake" for my own cereals, granola, etc. I now make my own bread once or twice a week--- with a bread machine it is a breeze. With our chickens and their eggs we feel we have made a pretty good shift in the right direction. This is the website I used to get started http://www.eatwild.com/index.html. It is catagorized by state and provides lots of good info.

Your question about whether or not it will make a difference--- I can say this--- it will make a big difference for you and your family and for the farm families you support. Will it change the world--- I can't say---- but at least I know I am doing my little part to do things the right way. Especially as our leaders have continued to nationalize everything our food will be under their control more and more--- already big agri-companies like Monsanto are manipulating more and more of our food. It is near impossible for large farmers to get anything but GM seed. If we want to continue to eat we must be as self sufficient as we can AND we must support small family run farms.

This video inspired my husband and I to get off our bee-hinds... if this guy can do this with 1/5 of an acre my 2 1/2 acres should be able to help us self sustain and maybe even help family and neighbors. (next year we are getting dairy goats--- hopefully!)