Welcome!

This is our project on The Omivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. We are Heather Karagianis, Samnang Seng and Dentor Pang. Our section is The Forest, and here we will be answering questions about the book and providing other relevant information.

What do you like or dislike about Michael Pollan?

Sam: I like Michael Pollan.  I appreciate the work he has been putting in towards educating people on making better decisions on their food choices and how those choices impact our economy, environment and health.  I have read his books:  "The Omnivore's Dilemma" (my favorite), "In Defense of Food", and "Food Rules."


LIKES: 

• "Culture over Medicine"-When it comes to proper food intake, we should be learning from what is "tried and true", not what some industry sponsored reductionist scientist is coming up with in a test tube.
• "Being seduced by the Fast Food Culture"-It is cheap and it is quick… and deadly!
• "Losing the Food Culture of our Ancestors"-Most people have no idea how to eat today, and even if they did, it is very very difficult to stay disciplined 24/7/365.
• "Instant Gratification"-Cheap and fast/convenience food is quite the temptress, obviously more seductive than slowly cooked local food, but the consequences are dire; it impacts our economy (subsidization), our environment (carbon footprint), and our health (disease/death).

DISLIKES:

• "Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants"-Generally speaking, most people are going to benefit from this advice.  But, individually speaking, a lot of cultures will not flourish on this type of eating (low protein and low fat intake).  Do you have ancestors that were Inuit, Masai or Maori for example?  If so, "mostly plants" is NOT going to get it done!
• "Losing the Food Culture":-This may be minor, but important none the less.  Native Americans and Hispanics have NOT even adapted to processed food, let alone fast/junk/convenience/manufactured food.  Eating cheap food may slowly cause the majority of the population health concerns, but for these two cultures the impact is sudden and destructive.

Is eating an agricultural act?

Sam:  Wendell Berry, an American farmer, academic and social critic, incorporated the expression “Eating is an Agricultural Act” into his essay The Pleasure of Eating. One of the essential messages in that essay was that, by our choice of what we eat, we influence profoundly what Berry calls “the annual drama of the food economy that begins with planting and birth”. By making these choices we are active participants in agriculture, for better or for worse. He encourages us to reclaim responsibility for our part in the food economy - “reclaim” because, as things stand, we tend to remain blind to what is happening in the world of agriculture and food production. To redress this blithe ignorance one could do no better than read Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma and his most recent In Defense of Food, another writer committed to understanding all that’s involved in getting food onto our plate. The first book mentioned lays out - as part of a larger story - the devastatingly destructive consequences of the corporate industrial food empire, in particular the role of commodity corn. Pollan’s second volume concludes with the advice, “Eat Food. Not much of it. Mostly plants.” Together, these books deconstruct the industrial food machine and reduce the conflicted and confusing world of eating down to a simple and sustainable prescription.

I have recently begun to work with FarmFolk/CityFolk as a social enterprise photographer. A social enterprise is a business operated by a non-profit and involved in the production and/or selling of goods and services for the dual purposes of generating income and achieving a social aim. FarmFolk/CityFolk is such a non-profit, working to promote small sustainable farming and ‘Grow Local, Eat Local’ programs in Vancouver and across British Columbia. In this capacity, one photographic perspective I have taken is to focus on what Wendell Berry has called the “annual drama of the food economy."


Our cultural, personal and spiritual identity is bound up with the food we plant, grow and harvest, kill or purchase, cook, eat, digest and eliminate. Our very survival, both on a micro- and a macroscopic scale, is an existential drama. This deeply meaningful pageant began to present itself to me as I photographed life and work on five community farms, in my first season of work for FarmFolk/CityFolk.

In many of the images I create, I try to portray the direct evidence of the physical and emotional/mental roles that people play in the food drama. There have been vast and consequential costs to the ever-increasing part that machines and technology have played in the creation and preparation of our food. As we remove our own bodies and minds from participation in this “annual drama” we lose touch, literally – and we forfeit a profound understanding of our place in this world we inhabit. Inevitably such numbness leads to the loss of meaningful relationships with the world and with each other. Everything is interrelated…

Wendell Berry’s essay is his response to a question many people have asked him over the years of his writing and activism. They ask, "What can city people do?" He lists seven actions that he considers a good start. One part of his response is this: “Whenever possible, deal directly with a local farmer, gardener, or orchardist”. Another part: “Learn the origins of the food you buy, and buy the food that is produced closest to your home.” These words were published in 1990. Our society as a whole is only just beginning to see the critical importance of this advice.

Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do. 

How safe is our food supply?

Sam: Should our food supply be made safe? YES! Is a one size bill the answer? NO! As far as I understand it, we wouldn't have E. coli or Salmonella to worry about if it were not for Monsanto GMO seeds/crop­s infused with E. coli and Salmonella to activate (Which our FDA that is *supposed* to 'protect' us, allows!) Cows fed GMO corn cannot digest this and they literally defecate E. coli. **Cows that are grass fed, do not! Enter "Big Ag Animal Farming" dangerousl­y close, inhumane and unsanitary living conditions (living knee deep in their own fecal matter). Total. Disaster. ((Oops, a flood, E. coli run-off to the Organic spinach farm next door. -or- what about unknowingl­y buying E. coli tainted manure to use in your garden? Monsanto and Big AG has got to be held accountabl­e. Has our FDA protected us from that? NO. Their answer is to dip all meat in the neurotoxin "ammonium Nitrate to kill the E. coli, rather than fix the problem. ((Oh! Grass fed IS better). The FDA fully support Monsanto. I am afraid this bill is only meant to give more power to Monsanto to run it's course. It is a simple solution. Tell the FDA to clean up it's act, do it's job and say 'NO' to Monsanto. No to Mass Factory Animal farms! Support your local farmers and take the weight off "Big Ag" as to better handle the flow of America's consumptio­n of animals--w­e eat over a billion animals a year alone!”

Does the North American diet differ from the diets of other countries?

Heather: Absolutely. North Americans in general have one of the unhealthiest diets around the world. It has been said that certain people "live to eat" while others "eat to live." As far as I know, people from other countries think North Americans live to eat. I can't give a more specific answer to this though because I don't know how every single North American eats. Many people have healthy diets, but Americans have been stereotyped as overeaters. Having Triple Big Macs on their McDonald's menu doesn't help their case. They are the only country to have such large fast food portions.

How did the story of Angelo Garro in northern California help Michael Pollan to understand and communicate his subject?

Heather: Angelo Garro helped Michael Pollan understand food better by helping him learn to hunt his own food so it's a better feeling when he eats it. He learned what it was like to start from the beginning with food instead of buying it in a store and cooking then eating it, or if it's pre-prepared, just eating it right away. He valued food a lot more when he had to do it all on his own.

What do you think should be the proper role of government in deciding how we grow, process, and eat our food?

Heather: If we're growing our own food, they should have no say in it. They also shouldn't really have any say in what we eat either. If people are stupid enough to make bad decisions about what they eat, then they have to face the consequences.

Have you ever grown your own food? Has that changed the eating experience?

Heather: I've only ever grown my own food as a kid. I grew an apple tree but before I got a chance to eat any of the apples, my dog ate all of them. At one point we also grew blueberries among the forest in my old backyard and it was exciting to go and pick them because it was hard to remember where they were so I would go on a little bit of a hunt, like Michael Pollan did with mushrooms.

Is the capitalistic model (getting the most from the least) a good one for food production?

Heather: I think that could work out. That way more people could get fed, meaning less people go hungry.  Unless of course rich people buy all the food because they can afford to, and then the poor people who can't afford to buy a lot of food don't get as much. Although that sounds a lot like normal, so I guess not much would change.

What concerns you about the way you eat or the way your food is created?

Heather: The big problem here is that unless you grow or hunt your own food, it is unlikely that you will know exactly what is in it or how it was cooked. Honestly though, I'm not really concerned about the way I eat just yet. I probably will be later in life when I'll regret not caring right now.

What health problems can be linked to modern food production?

Heather: Modern food production tends to involve a lot of preservatives, extra fat, and extra sugar. These could lead to diabetes, obesity, and many different heart problems.

How has Michael Pollan changed the way you think about food?

Heather: After reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, I have started thinking more about growing my own food instead of buying it. I don't think I would be ready to hunt animals yet, but I would have no problem with planting seeds and growing vegetables.

Will you make any changes in your eating habits?

Heather: I would like to say yes for this one, but in all honesty, I probably won't. There has been only one situation where I changed my eating habits. That was when my brother's friend ate a burger at McDonalds, got salmonella, then died a few days later. This happened in September 2010 and I haven't eaten beef from McDonalds since then, which is a big thing for me because I used to love McDonalds.

PART II - Urban Agriclture and Proteins

By: Dentor Pang

Urban Agriculture

I have personally attempted to sprout from various seeds and nuts, including chick peas, lentils, kidney beans, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, alfalfa sprouts. Although far from any kind of expert, I can attest to the relative ease of working with dried seeds and legumes, in terms of being able to buy them in bulk and not worry about short-shelf lives. Having spoken to the girls at the Sprouts stand in the basement of the St. Lawrence market I've been able to broaden my understanding of the nutritional as well as economic benefits to sprouting and germinating seeds from dry. I believe that by re-defining our perception of food and what food should start and end with organically grown and pesticide-free greens and grains, which can be grown in these conditions without the need for industrial interference, or the escape to the wilderness and the hunter-gatherer ideal.

PART III

Urban Protein

In both part I and II I discussed methods for cultivating in an urban situation, but realize the dilemma of the omnivore is the choice in diets not exclusive to vegetation and carbohydrates. One of the solutions to this would be to introduce the popularity of organic or free-range hens to the backyards of Torontonians with pre-assembled backyard chicken coops that would provide a sustainable and constant supply of healthy, gmo-free source of protein in the form of eggs. The hardiness of chickens in cold climates lends itself well to live in the downtown core, and not requiring large amounts of territory is another benefit to backyard coops. Although the current political climate frowns upon the potential dangers of self-raised hens, that hasn't stopped companies from pursuing the market and the strong customer support that has since pressured city hall to make amendments to city by-laws decrying `house-hens`.

Urban Farming Solutions

"What I had in mind was a dinner prepared entirely from ingredients I had hunted, gathered, and grown myself"

PART I - Food's Kitchen
By:Dentor Pang

Throughout the forest chapter, Michael Pollan laments our disconnect to the hunter-gatherer perspective on eating, and describes his past failures in attempting to harness the power of nature through less-than ideal means. From exploding fermentation experiments to poisonous fungi cataloguing he exposes some of the dangers of the do-it-yourself chef/agriculturalist but I feel he was onto something significant. In an attempt to explore this notion of urban cultivation here are some concepts/ideas that I believe are readily accessible and applicable.

First is an intriguing idea proposed by an architect with the concept of a kitchen designed by food as opposed to for food in order to strengthen our relationship with it. His name is Nick Sowers and the following illustrations are from his blog.

His approach to designing his kitchen is that most have a lot of wasted space; seldom-used cupboards and awkward vertical  cavities that are not conducive to storing everyday items. The solution? Turn said areas into dedicated fungi germination areas, providing the at-home gourmet with year-round access to exotic fungal species that would otherwise be subject to the laws of seasonality, scarcity, and most importantly, price-point. By creating temperature and humidity controlled micro-climates one could hypothetically turn their kitchens into a Dr. Frankenstein's Lab of various species of fungi and vegetation.

Sowers' functional cabinet designs account for the ideal growing environments for each species of mushroom, a slanted design and rotating storage space allows for Shiitake to grow and renew themselves on inoculated logs

This model is the, "Oyster Pocket Slider", which can be embedded into any existing wall, allowing for maximum light exposure control and surface area for the mushrooms to flourish. Notice straw substrate is ideal growing medium and sliding design offers ease of harvesting.

He even goes as far as installing hydration ovens to maximize harvest yields and shelf live. These innovative designs on kitchen utility demonstrate how hunter-gathering can be adapted to an urban cultivator situation and even increase the quality, safety, and cost of otherwise foraging for these labour-intensive delicacies, as Pollan discovers while searching for his fake chanterelles.

References: http://www.good.is/post/what-if-a-mushroom-designed-your-kitchen/#comment_stream