2nd post for LSC100

Before moving to Madison, I lived in a very rural area where many families chose to buy beef either straight from a butcher or from local farmers in the area. This meat was available at the local grocery store as well, but if a family could afford to buy a half of a pig, they would most certainly do so. Also, there was such a large amount of pride in the community during the county fair where young adults would show off their livestock that they had been raising for the year. The best animals would receive ribbons and would be sold to people. This was meat much different in taste than what you would buy at the store, and it was much better for you. There were no preservatives and no special health claims. It was just local people trying to sell a locally raised product.

Here in Madison, I eat whatever I can get a hold of for a reasonable price. I can’t really ask questions about where it is from or what is actually in it. If I go to the Commons and get whatever it is they are serving that day, I would almost guarantee that the meat they serve probably wasn’t raised on a small town farm; however, I understand that to do this for a dining place that serves hundreds of people in a day is extremely illogical and would drive up the cost of a meal a substantial amount. The average person probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference anyway.

When I am finished with school and I have a reasonably well paying job, I will be able to purchase meat that is home grown and organic. Until then, I will eat what I can afford as a poor college student.

1st Post for LSC100

For this blog, I am required to talk about my reaction to the reading of Micheal Pollan's book "In Defense of Food." At first I was quite skeptical about having to read this. I have been raised to believe in eating meat at every meal and always as the main dish, but after reading the first forty pages my views are being challenged by this new information. I thought that this book was going to be very biased and persuasive, but so far, it has been more informative than anything else. The main point that caught my attention in the book was that throughout the last few decades, the food industry that produces items such as meat and dairy has been mostly trying to save itself from loosing its customers. Micheal made a great point about this when he discussed the various cover ups dealing with healthy choices.When Senator George McGovern had hearings on why the public had an increase in chronic diseases, the committee released guidelines telling the public to cut down on red meat consumption. The response to this by the meat and dairy industry was very surpising to me. I found it amazing that these industries pulled so much weight in congress that they could cause the committee to changed their original statements to benefit their own industries. I also agree with Micheals' points that scientists may not know as much about food as they think they do. The example of margarine and how much it has changed with what they put into it really made me think about what I actually eat when i use margarine. This article that I found deals with eating less meat and how much it can change your health. I am very excited to continue reading this book. It has really opened my eyes so far. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/20/AR2005062001056.html