Entry #7 - Fresh

     Most people get all their groceries from the grocery store, Fry's, Safeway, and even Target. It is extremely convenient to be able to go to a grocery store and get whatever you need for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Most of the items being premade and only needed to be warmed up in the microwave, oven, or on the stove. Super quick and easy and it didn't take much effort. But why does an unopened can of chicken last two to five years on the shelf? Even better, how does all this food get to the public so fast? Shelf life and quick "farm to table" is all thanks to added preservatives along with other additives we have no knowledge of. The film, Fresh, aids in bringing to light some of the events that happen on industrialized farms. Most animals are grown in warehouse like 'farms' crowded with hundreds of other animals. Being in such a tight space makes room for diseases and other illnesses to fester and animals to contract them. The 'farmers' are aware of this and add antibiotics into the feed they give their animals. These animals aren't even eating actual nutrients, they are eating chemical nutrients, which in turn humans eat as well. If you have a chicken that has been fed a random feed, with hundreds of ingredients most people can't even pronounce or have no knowledge of what it is, and you eat said chicken, you consume all the random ingredients as well. Just like all the junk food people eat as snacks, it's what is being fed to lots of animals. Other farms have acres of land that their animals grow freely on and eating food that comes straight from the Earth. None of the animals are crowded and confined to one space, they have free range. The convenience of getting naturally grown meats may be a little harder, but it is so much better for the overall health of the population. The same goes for plants, fruits, and vegetables. Pesticides are commonly used to keep bugs off of crops, but the plant and soil soaks it up and is grown into the food. Leaving consumers eating chemicals when all they wanted was to enjoy some corn. Thinking about the food we eat and what goes into it should be more widely practiced. Shopping for organic fruit, meat, poultry, and vegetables would be extremely beneficial to the health of our society. Going to local farmers markets is even better.