In the video, “America Revealed: Food Machine,” the host, Yul Kwon, investigated the modern American agricultural industry, with an emphasis upon the contrasts between contemporary farming and the American farming of previous generations. At the start of the program, Mr. Kwon discusses the route of a pizza delivery person in New York City, and he describes the origins of the ingredients of the pizza. To do this, the host travels to California’s Central Valley, a region that was once a desert, but is now the breadbasket of the United States. In this valley, thirteen million tomatoes are grown per year as well as fifty percent of the country’s fruits and nuts. Water is the most expensive resource in this region, as it must travel many miles from …show more content…
In Kansas, he speaks to a farmer, who relays the transformation of American agriculture from subsistence farming to commercial farming via the tale of his family. The farmer’s deceased relative had only grown enough for his family and livestock. Additionally, the grandfather’s field had been the size of only one of his grandson’s fields. At this time, Kwon discusses one of the United States’ largest crops: corn. The host discusses the idea that corn is found in almost all prepackaged foods, and that it makes it possible to produce beef at an industrial scale, as it is fed to cows. Thus, American companies prove able to export beef around the world. Kwon continues the television program by discussing means to keep crop pests at bay, a task that the post-war chemical industry revolutionized. Today, there are 3,500 aerial crop-protection pilots in the United States, offering forty to fifty pesticide products. Farmers, in turn, hire these pilots to tend to pesticide issues. Additionally, as Kwon points out, farmers have begun to hire companies to harvest crops, and bees are sent around the country for the purposes of
Moreover, this system of mass farming leads to single crop farms, which are ecologically unsafe, and the unnatural treatment of animals (Kingsolver 14). These facts are presented to force the reader to consider their own actions when purchasing their own food because of the huge economic impact that their purchases can have. Kingsolver demonstrates this impact by stating that “every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we
In the movie “American Meat” the writers discussed the difference between commodity farming and sustainable farming. The film does not give a balanced view between the two types of farming. The future of farming is sustainable farming. As seen in the movie, it is possible to sustain all of the American people while practicing sustainable farming methods.
In the New York Times article “When a Crop Becomes a King”, author Michael Pollan argues there is an overproduction of corn that does more harm than it does good. He writes this in response to a farm bill signed by then President Bush to increase the budget for corn production which caused much controversy. Pollan uses an infuriated and frustrated tone in order to convince American consumers that corn has taken over their environment and economy. Michael Pollan uses rhetorical strategies to challenge conventional views of corn and to argue against additional corn production.
... ridiculous to Anatole that we have fruits and vegetables that are grown somewhere else and then driven miles and miles to the supermarket. The clash of the two cultures makes me wonder if the “American” way is better. It is pretty ridiculous that people can’t grow their own food and only rely on the labor of others.
...rn Alabama. Almost 10,000 acres of commercial citrus was grown in Mobile and Baldwin counties by 1920. In recent years Alabama farm income from cattle exceeded that from cotton. Alabama's landscape today is dominated by woodlands, pine plantations, scattered pastureland, and small rural and suburban homesteads that stretch between major metropolitan areas. Few modern Alabamians depend totally on agricultural production for their livelihood, but as of 2005 there were 43,500 farms on 8.6 million acres that sold over $3.3 billion worth of commodities” (Mitchell, 2007). The wiregrass region is agriculturally diverse producing cotton, peanuts, poultry, cattle, some vegetables, and forestry products. Following cotton, peanuts dominated the Wiregrass during most of the twentieth century. Therefore, Alabama and the Wiregrass agriculture continues growing for you and me.
More and more health-conscious individuals are scrutinizing the source of the food their family consumes. However, even the most conscientious consumer is not fully aware of the exhaustive efforts and struggle to get a juicy, ripe strawberry or that plump tomato in the middle of winter, even in Florida. These foods are harvested and picked mostly by seasonal and migrant farm workers. Migrant workers hail, in large part, from Mexico and the Caribbean, and their families often travel with them. Migrant farm workers must endure challenging conditions so that Americans can have the beautiful selection of berries, tomatoes, and other fresh foods often found at places like a farmer’s market or a traditional super market. Seasonal and migrant farm workers suffer a variety of health problems as a result of their constant exposure to stress, the elements, and chemicals such as pesticides. They are paid minimal wages and are expected to work long hours of strenuous labor for pennies on the dollar per piece or per hour. The migrant families are expected to live in substandard quarters and transported to various work sites in unsafe transportation. The fresh fruits and vegetables consumers purchase with little thought reach supermarkets at a cost that is not reflected in the retail price. This cost is ultimately absorbed by farm workers in Florida and other areas throughout the country, who are among the poorest of American workers.
Corn soon became the crop of choice to Iowa farmers. They found that it was more resistant to disease than the other crops they were growing, such as barley, oats, wheat, and apples. With this newfound “wonder crop”, Iowans found that farming had become the ideal way of life. Working on the farm involved all of the members of the family, which brought them together and made them stronger through hardships and great opportunities.
As Americans become more health conscious, their consumption of fruits and vegetables is increased at astronomical levels. Since migrant farm workers are responsible for picking the majority of these products, the eating habits of Americans perpetuate the very farm labor market conditions that many people would like to put an end to. Therefore, whether knowingly or not, Americans are exploiting these Migrant workers who are paid less then minimum wage, have no power to bargain with their employers, and have inadequate and unacceptable living accommodations. In New England, the harvest of blueberries and apples are crucial to the economy, and are in abundant supply. Those who pick these fruits travel across the country, and often across international boarders to fill agricultural jobs that U.S. citizens are not willing to take. Both blueberries and apples are extremely difficult crops to harvest, and require extensive manual labor. Migrant workers are willing to fill these physically exhausting positions because of economic hardships, and the lack of jobs in their own countries.
Looking back at the role tomatoes plays in our daily lives we see that the financial survival of the indigenous migrants of Mexico is tied to the vegetable farms of the United States and Mexico. Their lack of local employment leads to an endless cycle of poverty and pain for them and their children as migrant pickers. As producer, packer and supplier A&W provides the logistics from field to market for total accountability of product quality and cost. We have seen that the tomatoes represent not only an important cash commodity for farmers and retailers, but it’s also one of the most important food staple in our daily meals. The tomato farms of Mexico provides much needed employment for the migrant pickers as well as health issues, low wages, discrimination and poverty.
Material Culture/p. 34: The material objects that distinguish a group of people, such as their art, buildings, weapons, utensils, machines, hairstyles, clothes, and jewelry. (Henslin 34)
Current public concern is the result of a wide-ranging, well-financed propaganda campaign of negatives – negatives intended to strike fear in the hearts of countless consumers "over there" and now, over here. Government agricultural agencies of var...
Berry describes the flaws of industrial products, the awful conditions in which domestic animals are kept, and the money-oriented attitude of patrons of the food industry. These facts, however, are not confirmed by any specific facts. The only concrete reference he mentioned was “bechemicled factory-fields that I have seen, for example, in the Central Valley of California”(Berry 14). There are no trustworthy documents, or photos, or convincing evidence to support his words, so we just have to trust him. Although Wendell Berry is a well-known writer, paying close attention to farming and agriculture themes in his works, he was more of an amateur in agronomy than a professional. Therefore, we should not consider his arguments as a reality of the
In the book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser talks about the working conditions of fast food meat slaughterhouses. In the chapter “The Most Dangerous Job,” one of the workers, who despised his job, gave Schlosser an opportunity to walk through a slaughterhouse. As the author was progressed backwards through the slaughterhouse, he noticed how all the workers were sitting very close to each other with steel protective vests and knives. The workers were mainly young Latina women, who worked swiftly, accurately, while trying not to fall behind. Eric Schlosser explains how working in the slaughterhouses is the most dangerous profession – these poor working conditions and horrible treatment of employees in the plants are beyond comprehension to what we see in modern everyday jobs, a lifestyle most of us take for granted.
Former editor of Us News and World Report and recipient of Guggenheim Award,Stephen Budiansky in his article, “Math Lessons For Locavores”,published in August 19,2012 addresses the topic of locally grown food and argues it as a more sustainable choice in terms of freshness and seasons.I agree with Budiansky for growing food locally,however; with three other reasons: we can reduce food waste,(which will benefit the environment), and obesity(which will help an individual mentally and physically), and improve our economy. The purpose is to illustrate why locally grown foods would be a finer option for an American lifestyle. Budiansky adopts an informative,persuasive,and insightful tone for his audience,readers
This highly influential and informational documentary about corn is told and experienced by two college friends Ian and Curt. These two best friends move from the east coast straight to the heart of their food’s location, the Midwest. Through the help from helpful neighbors and genetically engineered seeds they plant and produce their own crop of corn on just one acre of Iowa soil. After their attempt to follow their corn into the food system of America they wonder about the food we eat and how we farm. The two meet with the man who changed farming in America forever, Earl Butz and learn more than they ever thought they would about one crop.