McD's Influence

A student in class brought up an interesting question today in class during the discussion of a national cuisine. When foreigners think of American Food, they think of McDonalds! I'm not saying that we do not eat fast food, but when I think of American food, I immediatly think of hot dogs, hamburgers, and barbeque, the food we eat on Fourth of July. America does not have a national cuisine because it is made of diverse cultures and people from all over the world, which according to Michael Pollan has lead to the omnivore's dilemma and I agree.

Watching the documentary clip today, I heard the Indian woman talking about the Green Revolution, but I had no clue what it was until I googled it up. It was termed by William Gaud, who was once a USAID director, in 1968. It was a time when technological advances were developed to improve crop performance with an escalating population crisis. Some critisize the movement for its detrimental effects on the environment. Nevertheless, the Green Revolution has reduced famine by 20%.

P-Patches, also know as community gardens, are another solution to famine and it is not just a hobby. You know in your heart that you don't have to worry about what you are putting in your mouth and it tastes a little better because you put effort into it. When I first heard of P-Patches, I thought Mrs. Anagnost meant Pea-Patches. I interpreted it wrong, except for the fact that you could grow peas in P-Patches. From the support of Seattle citizens and city coundil, P-Patches have been an extraordinary and eye-opening example for what is possible in a city and to not depend on other nations for food. It costs $40 or more a year, depending on the size of the lot, but it is affordable and cheap.