Why Did I Make This Blog?

My idea to start this blog came from a project I was assigned in a class at Champlain College. I was in a class called "integrative thinking" and we spent a semester looking into how food incorporates multiple facets of identity and community, historic significance, symbolic meanings, biological implications, global economic realities, and cultural norms. At the end of the semester every student had to design an integrative project exploring these broad multidisciplinary concepts of food.

I choose to do this by researching the way our modern society consumes food. I originally thought I was going to do a research paper on what was wrong with our food system. The current food system we have created is ruining our earth as well as our own bodies. It is completely unsustainable! After an insane amount of research and documentaries on food systems I started interviewing people about their food patterns. I wanted to know how they got their food, why they shopped where they shopped, and what they thought about when they purchased food. I interviewed my family and friends,but also reached out to people who I knew were already aware of the faults in our food system. I wanted to compare the average concept of food to the ideas of people who were already very passionate about the environment. What I noticed is the most people are blinded by convenience. The majority of people told me they have never really thought about where the food in the grocery store comes from. The only thing they know is that is cheap, and readily available at their local grocery stores. "Where was this grown?", and "How was this grown?" are not questions that pop into the average person's mind. The people I interviewed who were aware of the food system knew the value of food they ate. Average people do not really know the true value of food. They rather buy the cheaper food created by industrialized farming. It's easy. It's convenient. This is the mindset we need to change. WE NEED TO CARE. People need to know what farmers go through to get you your food. No one buys their own farm with the intention of ruining the land. However, to keep up with the crazy demand for food we now have they sometimes give in and use chemicals (which go into your body) to grow more food faster . More abundant food means cheaper food. That is why food directly from farmers, who use sustainable practices, is more expensive. You get what you pay for. We changed the way we eat and get food, and we need to change again before we ruin everything that we have.

During one of my interviews I was beginning to explain some of the problems (that will be talked about in the upcoming blog posts) in the food system to the interviewee. They had me pause and said "ignorance is bliss." That is when I knew I was not going to write a research paper. I wanted to make this blog so that people could educate themselves. I did the hard part of gathering all the information and putting it together in an organized way. All I want is for people to read it. The more people who are aware that change needs to happen, the faster it will come. Every post will be about specific problems, how we can change, misconceptions, and noteworthy events.

You have the choice to make change

xoxo

Bridget