An Omnivore's Dilemma thread (the book by Michael Pollan)

[Buster52]

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More information, although he does wrap it in story. Just not as well as Kingsolver, who after all is a very gifted storyteller.

Think of it like this. You know how Kingsolver is telling her story, then digresses for a few pages to tell you the why behind the story? OD is the opposite. It just uses the story as a basic framework to get you from one issue or set of facts to the next.

Iceblink, it may make a difference reading it over listening, but I must confess the pig story was my least favorite part of the book. I think it was probably necessary to round out the whole approach to food he is taking in the book, but the other stuff appealed to me a great deal more.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Sounds awesome!

 

[weaveagarden]

I can see where the last section of the book about hunting and gathering your own may seem a bit lengthy if you are already doing it. But I think for someone who is not really in tune with that type of thing it would be a much better way to be exposed to it.
For many people, this is the only way they will ever experience anything like it, so a little time spent on his feelings about the event and his thought process, worries and emotional preparation are useful for many.
I am just glad he didn't get shot while mushroom gathering. Around here, people take their gathering grounds very seriously.

 

[Lady Henevere]

I wasn't that into the hunting/gathering part of Omnivore's Dilemma either, although I really liked that he "gathered" his own yeast from the air to ferment sourdough sponge. He was in San Francisco, which is known for its sourdough, so I'm not sure it would work just anywhere, but it was an interesting idea that apparently had good results.

 

[NancyP]

I ordered the book and am looking forward to joining this conversation. I just finished AVM what a good book. I am new to all this so if anyone has suggestions for the beginner and good how to books I am interested.
Nancy

 

[weaveagarden]

Sounds like you are heading in the right direction.

If you mean that you are new to organics, you might want to check out the dirty dozen online.

This one also includes the clean 15 (foods that don't need the extra chemicals, so tend to be cleaner.) http://focusorganic.com/produce-dirty-dozen-and-clean-fifteen-updated/

I am new to chickens also, since taking a 30 year break from them..... Very happy to back with my peeps.

 

[NancyP]

Thanks for the info. I am new to chickens, gardening all of it. We will finally be retiring and getting property in Sept so I am anxious to learn and get started.
Nancy

 

[Lady Henevere]

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Other "chicken stories" that I enjoyed are Still Life with Chickens by Catherine Goldhammer and Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich. Still Life is well-written, has some very dry humor, is a little melancholy at times, and is overall a "starting over in life" story. Made from Scratch is more of a "just starting out in life" take by a younger writer who is very funny and not afraid to share both her successes and her failures as she works on "homesteading" in her spare time. Although they are very different, both are good reads. Neither is as in-depth or informative as Omnivore's Dilemma or Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; they are more in the entertainment category (although Made from Scratch would be informative for subjects you don't know anything about).

 

[georgem]

The Omnivore's Dilemma, what a great book! Count this post as more encouragement to read this book if you haven't done so already. Too bad the small movement to convince the Obama administration to appoint Pollan to the post of Secretary of Agriculture didn't go anywhere beyond a few people talking.... not that something like that would ever happen in a bazillion years.

Go see Food Inc too!!!

Neither really convinced me to acquire my laying hens or peruse self sufficiency, as I've been soured on industrial food production for several years; however, I am thinking a little more about the idea of meat birds after having read the book. At this point my only method of protein production (aside from eggs) is catching fish.

The Botany of Desire, also by Michael Pollan, is another good one.

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

2. Did it influence your acquisition of laying hens?
3. Did it influence a venture toward meat birds?

I definitely started to think more about food, raising meat birds, attending CSAs, finding better, more sufficient laying hens.