Excited, bothered and intrigued

The one topic from this class that excites, bothers and intrigues me all at the same time is the omnivore's dilemma. Not only was the book thought provoking, life changing and identity shaping but the whole conflict of what we eat and why stays with me. I would have eventually read Micheal Pollan's book, if not for this class, but having it as part of the curriculum made it an even richer experience.

I think a lot about what I eat and have become aware of the far-reaching effects the industrial-agriculture system. I believe every person only has one body and since you rely on that body for literally everything, you should make sure the things you put in it are appropriate. This issue riles me up because most other people don't consider what they eat to be as big of a deal as I think it should be. I know it is a constant struggle to eat what is "right" and "fair" and it really helped me put it in to perspective to see those same issues posed for my classmates. The food journal was an amazing glimpse at what other people eat and how food decisions are made. In addition, the corn hybrid diagrams that each group created helped me gain a well rounded perspective on the issue.

I no longer look at McDonalds, Taco Bell or even Cub Foods the same. And I am always asking myself... "How much corn did it take to produce this meal?" In the end I hope the food system in the world can be refined so it can provide healthy, sustainable meals for the globe for years to come. However, this class as taught me that a lot of 'knots' will need to be unraveled for that to ever happen.