Entry #7- Fresh

Hey! Welcome back!

    Have you ever considered the difference between organic foods and cheaper food in grocery stores? How about grass-fed and regular cheaper meat? Watching Fresh opened my eyes more about the importance of these differences. We all know organic means "healthier," but in what ways? My thoughts were more like no pesticides or chemicals, and that was it. Grass-fed was just a fancy way of saying the animal only ate grass. It's much more and beyond that!

       The film aimed to inform people about where the food comes from, how it's produced, and what is used in the process. Learning that companies come to these farms to sell cheap, fast-growing animals to make money faster, and all the farmer needs to do is feed and grow them while they provide them is an eye-opener. For instance, these companies offer chicks that will be used to sell in the market once they are big and are kept in crowded cages. These chickens are fed chemicals to grow fast to sell fast. These chemicals are in the meat and are consumed by people. These animals, not just chickens, are more likely to get sick and require treatment, which can cost the farmer a lot of money. Antibiotics are also in the meat to help these animals get better after being sick. Just the thought that, at one time, this animal was ill because of the poor quality of where they grew up says a lot.

     Grass-fed or free-range sounds exactly as it sounds. These animals grew up the way they should and are not crowded in a cage or barn, eating chemically enhanced feed. These animals consumed worms, grass, and seeds found in nature. These animals aren't forced to grow fast, and they do not get sick. This is a much better choice, knowing that these animals are all natural and well taken care of.

    Russ Kremer once had a pig farm that grew pigs/ hogs with these big factory farming companies, and he experienced how dangerous it can be. Being attacked and injured, then going through many antibiotics that weren't helping because of the animal being on antibiotics, the bacteria became resistant to antibiotics, nearly losing his life. This made him realize he was feeding this to many people, and the guilt made him change his heart. He returned to doing a more natural way of growing his hogs and hasn't had issues with them becoming sick. He is now proud to say that people want to buy his pigs.

    Another great farmer is Will Allen. He brings his community together and teaches them the importance of naturally growing fruits, vegetables, etc. He explains why and how things work, including how to make great soil/ compost for better, healthy gardens using food scraps and worms. He even offers worms so that his community can begin their own gardens at home and eat fresh, homegrown foods. His education helps his community understand and open their eyes to how easy something like this is. Having only 3 acres to grow his garden also shows that you need to use the space wisely. His vegetables look greener and healthier, which is the type of food people should consume. No chemicals or pesticides are used to grow his gardens, and that's because of what he uses in his soil to protect them—a more natural approach to keeping pests away.

    Overall, this was a great video. Very educational about things we only sometimes think about or wouldn't pay much attention to. Knowing some things behind this and then only learning more about the differences can help anyone understand better. Although organic or grass-fed may cost more, the quality of these types is well worth it. It is much healthier and has more nutrients than the regular cheap stuff in grocery stores. What are your thoughts on this topic? Has it made you think about how you want to shop? With price increases everywhere, sticking with the grown batch is understandable, but this gives you something to consider. Until next time, bye!