Reflection of Class

When I decided to take Anthropology of Food, all I wanted to have was fun and I had no high expectations. I also wanted to take a chance, so I chose a class that I usually would not take. I remember a staff member telling me he would rather have a student to "break a few glasses" than have none broken. College is a time to explore various fields.

On the first day, I said I chose this class because we would get to go on field trips and I like eating. I wanted a healthy start in college and insight on how I would not gain the Freshman 15. I thought we'd learn about food of different cultures and its history, influence, and significance and we did, but we also read, discussed, and saw the foods we eat today and how it effects the government, food industry, and us. This intricate, world-wide web of food connects us all.

I thought eating was a normal, regular routine in everyday life. Am I wrong! Picking up an organic, honey-glazed ham or farmed shrimp from China means approving organic farms or monoculture farms. I am frugal with my money considering my parents work long hours to earn it. Organic and local food is more expensive, but it tastes better (unlike those sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, which travel down into the ground into lakes or streams and making people living nearby sick.)

What makes me really upset and bitter is our government assists these ruthless, multi-million companies. Subsidies are given to farmers, since they make less than the cost of growing the crop. Companies, like Monsanto and ConAgra Foods, modify seeds by adding genes to the genetic make-up of cells so they can put a patent and own that type of seed. It becomes a mess if farmers unintentionally have the crop in their field because it’s the company’s property, not the farmers and some farmers have had to destroy their entire crop.

The government does not do anything to prevent the actions of these companies. Part of the company’s profits go to the government from owning patents and some top officials in D.C. are either sponsored by them or worked for them as directors, presidents, or executives in the past. The companies have a big influence. However, we can stop them and the organic movement s growing strong.

The Bounty Around Us by Harley Soltes for The Seattle Times wrote about different people eating local and organic. Author Barbara Kingsilver researches on the means of getting local food without it being shipped from far away. Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon bought food within 100 miles of their apartment. Western Washington University students are demanding a healthier alternative of fresh, local foods compared to processed foods and collaborating with Fred Berman, an organic farmer, on possible ways to incorporate it on campus.

It’s exciting to hear students my age want to change their food options at school. The problems they face are the University does not have staff to chop all the vegetables and fruits and a $5 million insurance requirement for all providers, which is a huge sum small farmers don’t have.

I’ve gained invaluable knowledge throughout this course and I have no regrets. My views have changes for the better. I know how pigs, cows, chickens, and other animals we eat are poorly treated and the image of a green, lush landscape with a red farmhouse and animals roaming freely is an ideal in which only a handful of farms achieve. I can assure you that Real California Cheese does not come from happy cows.