Dilemma

I just finished the Omnivore's Dilemma, and while it was far from the author Michael Pollan's intent, it made me feel justified in my choice to be a vegeterian. Grant it, I'm not a vegeterian for ethical reasons by any stretch. But wow. This book revealed that the bulk of our food that we get in grocery stores is "made" by raising animals of a mixture of food that their digestive systems aren't created to handle, and when coupled with the close living conditions, they have to be pumped full of antibiotics in order to just live 1/5 of the lifespan they should before slaughter. In the case of cows they are fed a mixture of corn (which they can't digest), anitbiotics, and other dead cow parts (which no animal can handle - we were not genetically made to eat our own kind without becoming ill).

Pollan went on to ask a very powerful question - should we even be eating anything that our ancestors wouldn't be able to recognize? In other words, is the ultra-processing of food really good for us or should we return to eating things that come from the earth?

For me the question has to go one step further, should we be eating things from the earth that are out of season? As a vegeterian my life is pretty centered around the Fruit and Vegetable food groups. But I'm so out of touch with nature and consequently so in touch with the way the grocery store operates, that I'm used to just getting whatever fruit and vegetable I want whenever I want it. We can credit this to importing food from around the world. The other day in Wegman's I saw "Australian Oranges". :/ Don't get me wrong, I loved the fruit in Aus,, but when in Central PA I should be eating what's grown in Central PA - both for economic and ecological reasons. I really need to get into the habit of buying what is in season, only. I'm so excited to get to Drew and buy from the produce stand on campus that only offers what is in season. May this be a learning experience for me!