I read Food Inc. the book while I was in High School ( about 6 years ago), since then Food Systems have always been an interest of mine. I’ve read Pollan, Nestle, am in the middle of Roberts’ at the moment. I too thought that I knew a lot of the information in the movie, and I thought that when you mentioned that the movie moved you to tears that it might be a little extreme. That is until last night I too was also moved to tears at this movie. It is completely striking how farmers and their rights are compromised because they simply cannot afford to stand up for themselves. That and the way that immigrant workers are treated simply breaks my heart. I am glad that this movie has been created, I feel like I’ve been waiting for it forever.

i’d already stopped eating meat, poultry, farmed fish, and most processed food after reading one too many articles about the underside of the food industry. i also stopped eating in most restaurants. i buy what i can at the greenmarket, eat low on the food chain, and pack my own food most of the time. hard but necessary. the upshot of being so rigorous about my food {and staying mostly vegan/whole grain during the day} is that i have the energy and complexion of someone much younger.

I think the biggest point was what the guy from Stonyfield Farms had to say. It will be interesting to see how dealing with Wal-mart changes his company over the next few years. But the important part for me was that he reminded us that we vote everyday based on where we spend our money and what we spend it on. While there are many areas of the country that don’t have that choice, there are plenty that do have those choices. That’s why it is important for more people to learn this message. As more money is spent on better foods, those choices will hopefully spread. The dollar is king, but we control the dollar in our pocket.

Reform is necessary on two levels – political (better regulation) and personal (making better food decisions, for those who can afford to).

“Don’t cry, get mad!”

And don’t wait for the government to do anything for you – make them do it.

Thank you for providing such an informative blog and adorning it with Donna’s excellent photography.

As you mention in your post, many of us are already familiar with the works of Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser. We are also becoming more and more aware of what we eat and where it comes from. As consumers we have the ability to cast our financial vote which will eventually cause the markets to shift. However, as has also been pointed out in this thread – just how many people are willing and/or able to pay for locally raised, sustainable food? Case in point – please recall what happened in Mexico when we decided ethanol was a “green” fuel alternative and withdrew a portion of the corn harvest to make it. People rioted in the streets when the cost of corn meal increased by 50%.

The farm subsidy programs in this country need to be rethought along with a tax system that has brought about the destruction of the family farm. Farming is a tough business and as a wag once put it “the only business that buys retail and sells wholesale”.

But if you want to make an immediate impact on the quality of the food you provide for your family I would not suggest that you wait for the government to do it for you. My wife and I bucked the demographic trend and moved from an urban environment (where we had lived for nearly 50 years) to a rural setting. We have a substantial garden and we can, dry or freeze what we don’t eat fresh. We have chickens and all of the fresh eggs we need. We also eat a fair amount of venison and elk – free range, grass fed, hormone free. I don’t need to ask about the provenance of much of our food.

Does all of this require a great deal of work? Yes. Do we think it is worth the effort? Yes. Can everyone be involved in producing their own food? Absolutely. DIY.

You CAN opt out of a disgusting and corrupt system and you can do it today.

I am so glad you took your son to see it, and that you decided you would in fact post about it. Thanks for this.

I go back to something I read in one of Marion Nestle’s books: that, in the U.S., we produce food 2.5 times the amount of calories that every person needs EVERY SINGLE DAY. The majority of that food is fast food or highly processed heat-and-eat.

Another thing that sticks with me is the farmer (I don’t remember his name) who commented that quite often when people tell him that his prices are too high for free range chicken eggs at the farmer’s market, they are often carrying a high-priced latte that costs more than a dozen of his eggs.

I agree that it’s hard not to preach to the quire. I do it all the time unfortunately. I hope to become a nutritionist so I can get paid for my long and detailed lectures.