Home Grown Food Production

Well my fellow environmentalists I wish I could say this has been a good year for home grown food for me I really wish I could. 

But that is simply not the truth...

The garden has been plagued by hail, hot sun, not enough water and I will admit some negligence on behalf of those involved.  The lettuce bolted and has gone to seed, the last row of pumpkins, melons and cantaloupe never got enough water.  The sunflowers dried up and died and only about half the corn that I planted actually came up. 

I wished I could say it is all my fault that the garden failed because at least then the failure would be a teaching moment and I would improve on it next year.  But the truth is, it isn't all my fault the weather played a big role.  But it was how the garden was managed that had the most impact on its performance.  Unfortunately for the garden I accepted a position that took me away from home four days out of every week and for anyone that has a garden they know how impossible it is to manage it from a distance

To make a long story short the garden ended up producing ok.   

I had such high hopes for this summer and the garden I wanted it to be the beginning of a new stage in my life.  Where I lived according to the sun and seasons, where I could grown enough food to feed me and my family well through the winter. 

But that never happened my hopes were dashed and dreams are set back another season waiting yet again for a chance to grow food, live lightly on the land and move further down the path towards true sustainability. 

Well maybe next year my fellow environmentalists maybe next year

3 Must Watch Food Documentaries

Since food has been my focus these past few months as I geared up for planting season I thought it was about time that I presented what I thought are three excellent food and agriculture documentaries that really bring to light what food is really about in the modern age. While these three only cover a smattering of what is out there they do provide a cross section that I feel is relevant and important.

If you want to learn more about food and agriculture as it is today what I have here in this post would be a excellent start to your journey. But what can be found here is but the tip of the iceberg and I will caution that some of the assertions made in the documentaries must be approached with a open mind and a grain of salt.

Enjoy

Food Inc.

A 2008 documentary that delves deep into the sometimes shady world of industrial agriculture and food production. It brings some alarming facts and truths to light about food production in our modern world. Divided up into 3 segments the first dealing with meat production, the second with grain production and finally with the economic and policy influence that large agribusinesses can exert on government regulatory bodies like the USDA and FDA. I found this documentary to be very eye opening and shocking with some of the imagery it found showing how large agribusiness farms treat animal like disposable bits of trash. However the part that is most interesting in my opinion is when it looks into just how much influence these agriculture companies have in our government. It really is a must see documentary for anyone interested in how food is grown and produced in America.

Forks over Knives

This documentary delves into the claim that food can be used to treat most if not all of the ailments that plague mankind. From heart disease to cancer it asserts that with the proper diet of fresh, nutrient, dense foods and exercise we could potential stave of old age and be illness free for our suddenly longer lives. While the claims of the film haven't been scientifically proven and only a few studies like the China Study show any glimmer of hope for the idea. But unproven claims aside the documentary does offer a new and obviously healthier way to live if we wanted to embrace it.

Dive-Living off Americas Waste

Following the exploits of a dumpster diving man named Jeremy Seifert he shows just how much food is tossed out by grocery, department, and bulk purchase stores in America. A lot of food in the dumpsters is still perfectly edible and with the little know how easy to eat. He and his family eat well from what other people throw away on a nightly basis. One of my favorite parts of the film is were a chef friend of his prepares a gourmet meal that would have cost them a good bit of money at his restaurant from what they gathered from dumpsters. It is eye opening film that really shows how wasteful we are as a society when it comes to our food.


If you are interested in purchasing these documentries they can be found under the Green Reading catagory in the Young Environmentalist store.

Unitl next time

Josh