Cheapeats, Inc. Blog

As we’re approaching 2010 and the end of a decade, change is the buzzword on everyone’s lips. What resolutions will you be making? My suggestion….see “Fresh The Movie.”

I saw this movie a few months ago and it moved me so that I (a healthy eater) will never look at food and farming the same again. Let me break it down simply.

Have you ever been on a packed train or airplane, where people are bumping and pushing you? Someone with a bad cold is coughing and sneezing on you. Your personal space is invaded and all you want to do is scream!!! Well that is the life of a standard chicken. Sitting in a huge barn, the size of an airplane hanger, just miserable. Their beaks and claws have been snipped so no fights break out. Being injected with antibotics to prevent disease because of being in such closed quarters and hormones to speed up growth. Ladies, remember how you feel during that time of the month when your hormones are in full swing? Imagine feeling like that everyday. Looking at the screen, I could just see the misery in their eyes.

Then there’s another scenario. A chicken coop outside with a sweet farmer opening up the door and letting the chickens out wishing them a good morning. These birds coming out with swagger in their steps and could hear them saying good morning back. They look happy.

That is th difference in farming today. Those that utilize the cyle of life to make their farming humane and benefit the food system. Farm animals are meant to be vegetarians not carnivores. This one farmer rotates his cows and chickens across his farm to graze on the grass and then turns it to hay. This allows him to maximize use and profits on his farm and  keep his costs down. Mmmm, interesting concept.

One story of a pig farmer just blew me away. He followed the customary procedure of antibotics and hormones for his herd. One day he got gnawed by one of his boar. He was rushed to the hospital with an infection that no drug or antibiotic was able to cure. He almost lost his leg and his life. By a miracle he survived and make a decision to change his farming practices. He got rid of his entire herd and started fresh. No more drugs. Just nature. He formed a co-op with other farmers and now sell their products to grocery chains across the US. It turned out he was more profitable because he wasn’t paying out $30K a year on hormones and antibotics.

Why did farming change? Because Americans want their food faster but it’s affecting the food system and our health. There is a movement to change farming. Do away with the goverment subsidies and get back to the earth. Yes, it’s scary but this movie shows that change can be made and it doesn’t have to affect your pocket.

2010 Resolutions

• Support your local farmers
• Host a screening of Fresh
• Eat and cook seasonally
• Read food labels carefully
• Sign the petition of ending Corporate control over farming
• Support Vertical Growing
• Support Community Gardens
• Support your local green market

To learn more about this movement visit: Growing Power

                                                                                   Just Food

Happiness, $25 and under

Tags: Farming, Fresh The Movie, Green, Growing Power, Just Food, organic, Seasonal Eating, Vertical Growing

This entry was posted by Rosemarie on Thursday, December 31st, 2009 at 11:03 am and is filed under Organic/Green. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.