Elijah's Blog Journal

 Topics In Food Chipotle - Back To the Start      Chipotle advertised the moving short film "Back to the Start" by Johnny Kelly. It's a heartfelt visual trip that shows how a traditional pig farm turns into an industrial animal factory and back to the start again. The movie starts on a family farm in the country, where animals are free to roam and the farmer works with the land in a way that doesn't hurt it. The story takes a dramatic turn, though, when the farm becomes more industrialized because of pressure to make more. This shows quiet sadness that says a lot about what these kinds of changes in our food systems mean for society as a whole.      As the movie goes on, the harsh truths about machine farms become clear. The big difference between how the farm used to be and how it is now with machines is meant to shock and make you think. As part of their commitment to ecological farming, Chipotle chose to back this short film. The message is clear: t...

     Family, food, and more food! Thanksgiving was a blur last week! This is one of those holidays when the love of family really comes through, and I felt the same way this year. We celebrated at not one but two different family houses, which made the day a fun run of house-hopping. Of course, the tables were groaning under the weight of standard Thanksgiving food.      My aunt's house was the first place we went. There was the delicious smell of roasted turkey and the sweet smell of pumpkin pie when we walked in. There were a lot of cousins, uncles, and aunts in the house, telling stories and getting up. There was turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and many pies at dinner, which was a very fancy affair. However, my aunt's famous green bean stew was the best part. It always makes me think of my youth. A few hours of food and family time later, we went to my in-laws' house, which was our next stop. The mood was just as happy here, and the food was a little ...

   Fresh      "Fresh" is an eye opening video that makes us think deeply about where our food comes from. It shows the harsh facts of corporate farming next to the more environmentally friendly ways of small-scale farming. The movie is meant to speak to a lot of people, not just those who care about health or the world. Its tone successfully mixes scary facts about food production with inspiring stories of change, making people think about how the foods they eat affect others.      The movie shows corporate animal farming in a very negative light, while smaller farms do things in a much more positive way. Scenes that show how monocultures hurt the environment and how medicines are used too much are especially eye-opening. However, not everything is bad; the film also shows people making good changes in sustainable farming, which gives us hope and a sense of possibility.      Overall, "Fresh" is an urge to do something. It shows how ...