Omnivore’s Dilemma Chapter Review

Omnivore’s Dilemma Chapter Review In almost every culture, one of the most cherished pass times is food. We eat to sustain or health, to celebrate, to morn, and sometimes just to do it. Yet, how often do we question were that food comes from? Most everyone purchases their meals from the grocery store or at a restaurant but have you ever wondered where that juicy steak grazed? How about how those crisp vegetables? Where were those grown? The Omnivore 's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan, analyzes the eating habits and food chains of modern America in an attempt to bring readers closer to the origin of their foods. Not only where it comes from, but where it all begins, as well as what it takes to keep all of those plants and animals in production. In part two of the Omnivore’s Dilemma: Pastoral: Grass, Pollan gives background on what all produce and livestock need to be the best it can be. As simple as it may sound, it starts with the grass. Yet, Pollan makes it very clear it’s not always as simple as it sounds. After starting The Omnivore’s Dilemma I had a few expectations. Firstly, I enjoy a blend of humor and philosophy; I want what I read to make me think, for the words to flow nicely from one completely thought to the next, and for the overall of the chapters to hold my attention. Chapter 8 All flesh is grass begins with a visit to Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm. Which, Pollan describes as a grass farm in Virginia. Pollan notes this is an alternative farm, dedicated to the old agrarian pastoral ideals, and that grass is the underlying foundation for the entire farm. Salatin raises chicken, beef, turkeys, eggs, rabbits, and pigs for public consumption, plus tomatoes, sweet corn, and berried on 100 acres of pasture patch worked into another 450 acres of forest; technically not organic farm. In this chapter Pollen paints a picture for his readers, which I love. I actually felt as though I was there with him staring out onto the grassy 100 acres of pasture. “The meadows