Radoslov Dimitrov, Michael Pollan, and Living in Nebraska

I should have initially prefaced this blog with a bit of background on my choice of ingredients, which is largely influenced by 3 completely individual, but inseparable, factors:

Radoslov Dimitrov – a professor from my college days who is both one of the reasons I ended up majoring in Political Science as well as the cause of my obsession with environmental politics and sustainability. He got me hooked with his Intro to International Relations class and opened my eyes with Environmental Politics. If he had a fan club, I would be its president.

Michael Pollan – author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. One of the unusual benefits of living in a town so small that the only bookstore was the size of my bedroom is the ability to quickly spot new arrivals. Using my $25.00 gift certificate from the local Chamber of Commerce, (perhaps for completing the Wellness Program? I can’t remember.), I purchased The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and couldn’t put it down for the next three days. Not everyone can make it through a chapter devoted completely to corn, but this book spoke to my core as I could see first-hand the sad consequences of agribusiness in the Midwest, primarily the lack of affordable and fresh produce, despite the never ending fields of corn, wheat, and soybeans that covered the land. The chapter on feed lots was also quite influential when coupled with the all too realistic stench of rotting flesh from the feedlots that existed on the outskirts of the town. I’ll take my meat free range and grass fed, thank you very much. I’ve smelled the alternative.

Living in Nebraska – self explanatory at this point. Ironically, the farmer’s market was a complete joke and about half of the vegetables I was used to cooking with were not sold in the local grocery stores. The people are amazingly friendly, I’m just not a fan of the smell of burning sugar beets and rotting animal flesh. Not my scene.

I completely admit to having a bias, and don’t enjoy getting in arguments about my food choices. I know that I am far from perfect, but I love good food and I love the earth, so I try to be a conscious consumer. Long live community supported agriculture.

That’s my soapbox in a nutshell.