In my English 101 class, I have entered our course's persuasive essay writing section. I had the assignment to watch a film called Fresh. This film aimed to persuade viewers about the negative aspects of industrialized farming vs. the healthier benefits of sustainable, organic farming techniques.
 |
| Image Source |
The film effectively demonstrates why consumers should purchase their food from smaller, organic farms vs. mass-production farms that use chemicals and antibiotics on their food and animals. Why would I want to get my food from companies that, due to their cost-cutting, mass-producing goals, lead to diseases and less-nutritional products? It seems like a no-brainer to buy organic. It had me doing a Google search for farmer's markets in my local area.
This film made me feel guilty about what I feed my children daily. One of the farmers, Joel Salatin, is shown on a swing with his grandson, talking about all the nutritious vegetables he likes to eat, and then they sit down for a family meal containing lots of fresh farm food. I am guilty of Poptarts or sugary cereals for breakfast and fast-food meals in the evenings on my busy days. I know this is unhealthy, and while I try to cook home-cooked meals 5-6 nights a week, I often fall short and throw those chicken nuggets in the air fryer. Even with the prepared meals, getting my children to eat a sizable amount of their vegetables is quite the challenge. I often wish they had never been introduced to processed foods, to begin with.
 |
| Image Source |
Another obstacle to eating farm-to-table for me and many others is the cost. Free-range eggs are often double, if not triple, the price of mass-produced eggs. Organic vegetables and meat also cost more. Add inflation to the cost of organic foods, and I have to take out a second mortgage just to put food on the table. If I could shop at farmer's markets more, those foods would be gentler on the wallet.
The last challenge for me to switch to the foods the video supports is shelf life. I cannot even begin to calculate the cost of the foods I have thrown away because I plan to cook them, but they go bad before I get the chance. Becoming more dedicated to meal prep could be a solution to this issue.
The issue of what I feed my family has been on my mind for a while, and the timing of this film assignment was uncanny. If I tackle each issue in small steps, I can reach the goals of supporting small farms and raising kids with a healthy diet.
Hello Curtis,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. The analysis of the documentary is spot on and very well written. Prior to viewing this documentary, I was aware of some of the malpractices taking place on farms but did not know how badly the industrialized process affected everything. I also sympathize with regards to what we feed our children. It is clear that as a parent, I try my best in educating my young ones of these matters since it does affect them directly. As you point out, the cost of organic produce is hard to meet, and I believe this concept makes us more reliant on the cheaper industrial produces. The documentary does show a path of hope for the future of farming, and it is great to see that people's eyes are open in this matter.
V/R
Sam P.
Name : Nazeef Adoi
ReplyDeleteYou have a well developed and great analysis on your blog , you made a great point mentioning the malpractices that occurs on the farms .