June:
-There is a scene in this chapter when the deli man helping out Alisa gets frusterated because she keeps asking if specific items are local or not. The deli man also did not get what local means, because he specified some beef being local that was delivered from over 600 miles away. This showed the readers that people who are pressed for information who are paid to provide exactly that service tend to get annoyed if they are not their average customer. This showed me how America is becoming-that the best answer comes the fastest.
-The couple narratoring this book have been vegetarians for 15 years, so they wanted to highlight how hard it was to find alternative foods that would give them protein that weren't of meat within their 100 mile radius. They realized that their vegetarian lifestyle was greatly dependent upton the distance food system.
-Near the end of this chapter Alisa states "The exercise had begun to feel pointless." on page 75. She had the feeling that there was no point in living the 100 mile diet anymore because she was getting sick and tired of the limited amounts of what they had to eat. She also thought about how this 100 mile diet would be if they lived in Spain, instead of Vancouver. Alisa said that they would probably have to make fewer changes and have lots of different choices in they were in Spain, which goes to show how America's agriculture is very industrialized.
July:
-I just realized that I have forgotten to tell you guys that at the beginning of every new chapter of this book is listed a recipe that have some sentimental importance to the authors.
-During this month the couple decided to post a article about their 100 mile diet on the web. They got more than imagined feedback that showed interest about their diet, and the repeated question of, "is your new diet boring?"
-This chapter also gives great detail on how the countries of the world started to swap foods with each other, which in reality was not even needed. They believe the countries started doing so, to feel as if they were getting more variety in their diets, which in reality variety was available to them already in their own lands.
-It highlights the sadness that many family farms are getting shut down because of big farming organizations. Family farms will ask other farms to keep their a few of their crops growing and give them seeds, because it's been in their family for several generations.
-This chapter also brings up the idea that the varities of food are slimming. The authors give the example of radish, that there used to be 436 different kinds, while now the grocery stores seldom carry more than a couple different types.
-On page 99 it states, "The daily food supply in America now contains enough calories to feed almost double the U.S. population, without reducing food exports by one itoa. People spend 7% of their disposable income on food, down from 22% in 1950."
August:
-In this chapter the couple takes a 16 hour road trip to vacation at a cabin they rent out for a month each summer. This chapter basically explains their new territory they have to deal with and goes into depth about their visits at some local farmers' markets. Alisa goes on to tell about what the couple usually does for fun while staying out there for a few weeks and says that the place has a very naturalistic feel to it. While getting comfortable in their cabin, they meet a man named Roy and they end up having a fire together. They sit around the fire all night and listen to Roy's stories about the woods they rest in.
-Alisa points out that everyday she and her husband would search for berries of such in the woods and that would usually be their breakfast. There was a cherry orchard near by so they would visit there often, too. There were many apple trees near by, so nearing the end of the month they picked apples and made many apple pies.
-This chapter was more of a "story telling" chapter, rather than having much informational aspect to it.
*I feel that by putting in the scene of the deli man becoming frusterated with Alisa when she was asking if certain products were local was showing the readers that America is becoming greatly industrialized and that the best answer comes the fastest.
*I also believe that it is important to highlight the fact that the variety of foods are lessing due to the big farming cooperations that are taking over. They are only producing large quantities of specific types of food, causing customers to loose their once many options of a food choice.
*These chapters also highlight that some people don't even know what "local" means. I mean, one worker in this story said a certain type of meat was "local" when really it was sent to that location from 600 miles away.
*It also brings up the fact that the calories in the American diet could feed double the population of the US right now. That is showing us that people in the United States are eating double than what they actually should be eating. That is crazy to me!
*I liked how Alisa brought up the idea that this 100 mile diet would be extremely easier if she lived in Spain, rather than Vancouver. It goes to show that countries all over the world are still living mainly locally, and that America's agriculture is becoming industrialized and that most people rely on far distance food shipping more than ever.
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