Our world is fully connected
Heaven sent and never regretted
We are all connected
The mother in Afghanistan
Still deserves an equal hand
Don’t you understand?
The butterflies in the skies
Don’t have time to fly
If we just stand by and watch them die
If we take care of each other
We do not have to discover yet another child crying with desperate hunger
If we take stand there will be
No mistreated land
Are we neglected?
Or are we just misdirected
Into forgettin we are all connected
After reading the articles we were given on volunteerism and activism I wondered how different they actually were. To find out what the similarities and differences were I turned to a trusty dictionary. A small disclaimer at this point, the following definitions are taken directly from the Encarta Dictionary on Microsoft Word, they are not my words.
The definition of volunteerism is the practice of using volunteer workers, especially in community service or educational organizations and programs.
Activism is vigorous and sometimes aggressive action in pursuing a political or social end. Volunteerism is more passive, while even the definition of activism includes action.
They both are a means to an end though; activism gets the causes going and volunteerism helps support the groups that are then founded. Activism is more of a commitment to a certain cause, because the people who are being the activists for it are in a sense giving themselves up to the public eye for the cause.
Examples of this in our culture are historical figureheads such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Jane Addams. The article uses the examples of Rosa Parks and Pete Knutson. Volunteerism is more temporary as the hope is to eventually change the social wrongs that caused the need for the volunteers. A real life example actually relates to the one in the article. In the article they talk about a college student saying that he had learned a lot from his volunteering experience. He stated that he hoped his grandchildren would be able to help at a homeless shelter, not thinking that hopefully in time there would be no need for homeless shelters. A personal example for me is the service projects; my group was working in the food bank garden building a shed and doing some basic maintenance on the paths between the plant beds. I enjoyed the work and I learned a lot from it, but I the thing is I hope they never need us again. As horrible as that may sound there is logic behind that statement. The only reason we where needed was because the food bank had added a garden. Their reason for doing so was because people were not getting enough fresh healthy foods. If the world improves, as it hopefully will people will have affordable access to healthy food and food banks will not be needed anymore. Though some may disagree with the following statement, I can say in an optimistic tone that I hope my grandchildren never have to have the experience of volunteering at a food bank.
As a part of my intern duties, every two weeks I prepare and spray compost tea on our entire garden. The "tea," prepared using a giant tea bag filled with 9 pounds of our own compost, among other things, is designed to harness the yummy bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms living in our compost and distribute them to our fruits and veggies to aid in root growth, nutrient intake, and fruit production.
What I didn't realize when I signed up for this position is exactly how literal Malaika, our fearless garden manager, was when she said I had to spray the *entire* garden. Although our ~1 acre of food and flowers doesn't seem much at first glance, it turns out there's much more area to cover than I might have originally thought.
The first time I sprayed compost tea, it was peak harvest season and all of our vegetables were growing in full force. It took me almost 5 hours of slowly walking with a heavy backpack sprayer to cover 80% of the foliage and ground cover around the garden. Though I had prepared for the worst, I found as I walked that I saw the garden in a whole new light. Plots I had never seen before came into view - one covered in corn, squash, and beans in a "three sisters" planting in the Old Garden, which looked like autumn in early September; a patch of raspberries that was hidden from the rest of the garden that needed immediate care; a patch of lettuce that we had seeded upon my arrival now nearly ready for harvest. Even better were the non-plant garden residents I had never seen before - a large number of bright green frogs on the huge leaves of cucurbits (squash, melons, and cukes), tiny garden snakes among the potatoes, and cats that even in the 5 weeks I had lived here I had never encountered. It seemed the garden was larger not just in physical size, but in its population.
Some argue the merits of compost tea, especially compared to the amount of effort and labor put into it. Opponents claim that the microorganisms in solution are so dilute and widely sprayed that they would never make it to the roots and truly impact the growth of our plants. I would argue that simply the act of giving time and attention - really, loving kindness - to all of our plants is enough to justify the practice, and love them I do. After each batch, there is a little tea left over that can be given to my favorite crops as an extra snack - during my first batch, I gave it all to the tomatoes, which were producing heavily and in need of all the nutrients they could get. Now that a frost has cut back tomato production significantly, I give big sips to our raspberries in the lower garden, the soybeans that I can't wait to steam as edamame, and the late planting of potatoes that need all the love they can get.
I am grateful for the opportunity to witness the garden's evolution over these weeks, and to orchestrate the growth and happiness of the Tea itself. Every batch we've prepared this year has tested with the highest levels of bacteria, yeast, and fungi possible - meaning that we are getting those lovely critters to all of our plants just when they need it. In this photo, you can see a cross-generational collaboration for compost tea - Althea, our resident scientist at 2 years of age, *loves* the sprayer almost as much as she loves eating fresh veggies out of the garden! It really is an awesome opportunity for *everyone* (and everything!) that lives in and loves the garden to work together. :-)
There is no way to gain all the knowledge and every possible side to an issue, so many people don’t even try. We rely on what “specialists” tell us, rather then look into things ourselves. We tell ourselves that we aren’t smart or brave enough to truly understand. We tell ourselves we can’t and so we can’t. No one is born a hero. Everyone has the same opportunity to speak up and make a difference. In a sense, you could also argue that everyone is born a hero. Some just don’t get the proper training.
I also think that facts and numbers can be helpful to support your point but if all you are using to state your point are facts--and not stories with a true voice behind the words-- then I lose not only interest, but faith. If the person I’m listening to doesn’t care, then why should I?
As I was talking about before, humans aren’t born heroes. They don’t take their first breath of air and save the world. This brings up for me the question of fate and destiny. I have struggled, as a lot of you have, with the idea of predetermined fate. I don’t like the idea that my whole life has been planned out for me. At the same time I like the idea that someone or something is watching out for me. How do you balance that? How do you fit that into changing injustice? I feel that change really starts with the individual, but how can you change the thoughts that feed the story of helplessness people all over the world are telling themselves? We are all born with the ability to choose what to do with ourselves, but what do with do with it? How can we change something when everyone around us, including ourselves, is telling us we can’t? We chose to put people who have set about great change as heroes or saints. When really they are people just like us who made a choice and then acted upon it. They chose not to sit there and wait until the “perfect” moment because it wasn’t ever going to come. Any moment you chose to stand up for something you believe in is the perfect moment.
I have been aware for a while about the fact that everything is connected, but for the last month I’ve really gotten the chance to examine this idea. Learning about all these different issues and how they relate to each other has added a lot to my image of the world. Also thinking about the topics of nature, food and sustainability, human rights issues, peace, and violence in terms of the iceberg model has helped me to analyze these issues in more depth. What I’ve come to believe is that all the issues that we have been looking at and discussing are the result of widespread mindset. This worldview and belief is that we are separate or distinct from each other, and from our environment. This kind of assumption is obviously pretty inaccurate, and it’s hard to believe that if asked, anyone would say that’s what they think. Maybe it’s because I’ve already internalized this idea of interconnection. Either way the actions that result from this mindset imply that it is prevalent in our culture. This assumption that we are separate from each other and our environment has some really serious consequences. I’m pretty sure that any of the large scale problems we are facing today and most of the smaller scale ones can be traced back to this assumption. If they can’t than they can at least traced back to a lack of consideration, or disregard of our interconnectedness. For example with the problem of feeding everybody in the world, it’s overpopulation that makes it such a dilemma. The things that made overpopulation possible were mostly agricultural innovations, or ‘conventional farming” which consists of oil dependant machinery, synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and GMO’s. The use of these “achievements” didn’t take into consideration any implications of the imbalances in nature that they would cause, the fact that they are unsustainable, or the question of how food production would be able to keep up with the quickly growing population. This lack of consideration was because of the assumption that we wouldn’t be affected by the damage inflicted on our environment, or the consequences of producing that much food. That’s just one example but I believe that any of the issues we’ve looked at can be linked somehow to this disregard of the interconnectedness of everything
Volunteerism vs. Activism. We must ask ourselves “What is the difference?” Is helping at a soup kitchen an act of volunteerism or is it activism against hunger? There are no real answers, only ideas. As we well know, ideas vary from person to person.
Who comes to mind when you think of an activist? For most people it is someone heroic with saint-like qualities. They are perfect people who fight for a perfect cause, they way it should be fought for. But you see, in reality that entire idea falls apart the moment you mention people. There is no such thing as a “perfect person”, we humans are all beautifully imperfect. As was said in “Soul of a Citizen” active citizens, or ‘activists” are “persons of imperfect character, acting on the basis of imperfect knowledge, for causes that may be imperfect as well.” In addition, activism is viewed as a full time life style that consumes the activist.
Volunteerism on the other hand is something done by us “imperfect” citizens in an attempt to make ourselves feel like we are making a difference while devoting as little time as we can. I, however, believe that in some ways volunteerism can inspire change, even on a small level. For example, the shed I helped build for the food bank during Service Week will not end World Hunger, but it may make it possible for the garden to expand and help more people locally. I support volunteers, they are a good start to fixing a problem, but to truly change the people must go deeper.
I really love using the iceberg model as much as possible, because it fits so well with many issues. It is my understanding that volunteering is only addressing the issues we see at the surface, for example people are hungry. But activism goes to the roots of a problem and notices the injustice in the workplace that is creating these peoples hunger. Volunteers are very important, but to really resolve an issue we must have much more going on than simply volunteer work.
Dear Editor,
In the articles, “Volunteers Can’t Solve Our Problems” and “ Soul of a Citizen,” it is interesting and challenging to see the differences between volunteerism and activism. As I read them both, I tried to spot the “pros” and “cons” of each. I have never thought of volunteerism and activism as being separate entities. I have always believed they work hand in hand, and I still do. From the Volunteer article, I quoted him when he said, “Social change and more personal acts of compassion can feed each other,” because I agree that they do indeed walk hand in hand. (page 1, Volunteerism article) When we speak of choosing wether or not volunteer work can solve the world’s problems, I agree with the author when he says, “Of course we must address the immediate crisis, and try to rescue the children. But we also need to find out WHY they’re falling into the river--because no matter how hard we try, we lack the resources, strength, and stamina to save them all. So we must go upstream to fix the broken bridge, stop the people who are pushing the children in, or do whatever else will address the problem at its source.” (page 2, Volunteer article) I agree completely with that statement. I think it is hard to know how to go about fixing our world’s problems. Do we start by solving what is happening in the moment, or do we let those issues “hang tight” until we find the overall solutions?
Even though throughout my life I have always been interested in going out into the world and being apart of the volunteerism movements, I still contemplate the idea that perhaps while volunteerism can solve the “surface” issues, it may not go any farther or deeper than that. A question that Loeb proposed in his volunteerism article was, “How do we proceed if we’re inclined to act on a more personal level but also want our individual actions to have an impact on a larger scale?” (page 2, Volunteerism article)
I agree that we don’t have to be saints and have super knowledge in an issue and be “perfect” in how we express our views to the world in order to make a difference. I think it’s not so much that those activists thought of themselves as saints, but instead that we the people saw them as saints or “heroes.” This view of activists as heroes gives the idea that if you aren’t already perfect in all ways, and if you don’t have much knowledge and have powerful things to say from the very beginning, you can’t and won’t choose to make a difference. I can understand that feeling personally. In Loeb’s “Soul of a Citizen” article, he states, “We often think of social involvement as noble but impractical.” (page 2) I still to this day, am not sure if helping to build affordable houses for families was sustainable, but our contribution would only be apart of “the tip of the iceberg”, so only what we can see as the surface crisis. I don’t know how long those families will be living in those houses, but I know at least for now they will have shelter. I think the majority of us can understand the feeling of not being able to solve every problem, therefore we start wondering if we should bother to be socially active at all?
Everyone has a feeling of how deeply they would like to get involved in our society’s economic problems, but the way I see it is that each can be powerful, whether its simply a bandaid and will only last for a moment, at least it was an outcome of active hope. No matter whether its on a big world scale, the hearts of people have been opened and have showed their compassion and concern. For me, I feel that compassion is the start, and that is sometimes all that people feel they can give. Sometimes all we can do is live in the moment, and if in that moment, someone needs shelter for themselves and their children, then I shall be there to help. I’m no hero, and neither are any of our past proclaimed “heroes.” They found their calling and gave their best for the world.
Paul Rogat Loeb uses a classic situation to describe the tension between volunteerism and activism: the Stanford student who says that he hopes one day "'my grandchildren will get to have the same experience working in the same homeless shelter that I did,'" (1). The problem with this statement is that the existence of a homeless shelter means that a system that allows people to become homeless still exists. There is nothing wrong with volunteering, but "pure volunteerism has its limits as a way to change society," (1).
On our service trip, we worked to build a shed in the garden of the Grass Valley food bank. On one occasion during the trip, we analyzed the existence of the Food Bank using the Iceberg Model. The food bank services a number of people who are unable to provide food for themselves. These people are at the tip of the iceberg, and near the bottom lies the system that does not pay them an adequate living wage. And below that, perhaps, lies a mindset of greed and competition. Can a few hours of volunteerism combat such a mindset?
Loeb writes, "Greg Ricks [...] compared the situation of community service volunteers to people trying to pull an endless sequence of drowning children out of a river. Of course we must address the immediate crisis, and try to rescue the children. But we also need to find out why they're falling into the river--because no matter how hard we try, we lack the resources, strength, and stamina to save them all," (2). So yes, we should volunteer, but we should also be active in changing policies.
One of the hurdles potential activists must overcome is something Loeb calls the "perfect standard," or the idea that an activist must have all the facts, be articulate, saint-like, and only take on the most important issues. Loeb says that "enshrining our heroes makes it hard for mere mortals to measure up," (4). In fact, the heroes of activism so often worshiped entered the realm of activism knowing that they were imperfect and would encounter much failure before achieving any real change. Also, activists are not "people who by sole virtue of superior genetic traits become activists. There are only individuals whose voices and visions through happenstance or habit have been sufficiently encouraged," (5). Loeb might suggest that the Stanford student mentioned in the introduction should not only volunteer at the homeless shelter, but lead a campaign to reform our system of economic thought.
Is Human Nature naturally violent?
It is my belief that Human Nature is not naturally violent in the sense that we go to war or take out physical aggression instinctively because of our fierce human nature. Rather that the presence of great violence in our culture makes many humans behave that way. As was said in the “Seville Statement”, “The fact that warfare has changed so radically over time indicates that it is a product of culture”.
As you go through our history there is a pattern of animalistic violence, which has been a common argument for why humans are naturally violent. What I mean by this is that we have always killed, but out of survival, for food. However, when our society changed hundreds of years ago humans, as a race, were known to be violent creatures who could, when provoked or for desire of power, commit an act of hateful aggression towards our fellow human beings. Are humans violent? Yes. Are they born with the natural instinct to be so? Absolutely not. We are shaped by our society, the good news is that we can change our society to ensure more peaceful generations in the future.
This week the Woolman Semester visited various food production companies and farms in order to gain more knowledge on how our food is made. The part of this trip which influenced me most was when we visited the Jelly Belly jelly bean factory.
Before we started the tour, we took a group picture with a giant, plush, anthropomorphic jelly bean. My roommate and I jokingly kissed the cheeks of the jelly bean for one photo. I didn't even think about how unsettling it was that I was putting my lips next to a mascot for the idea that processed sugar and cornstarch is okay.
As the tour began, I happily breathed in puffs of sugar and crowded next to the other tour members to watch a tiny TV screen showing a pear peeling away to reveal a pear flavored jelly bean. The implication was that the jelly bean was whole and pure, tasting just like a pear. (They even said at one point during the tour that every Jelly Belly jelly bean tastes "exactly like you think it would".) The screen then showed us a video telling the history of Jelly Belly, weaving a charming family tale. I didn't even stop to think about how this quaint little family was now producing modified cornstarch in multiple factories across the nation. We then moved on the elevated ramp to the next station and viewed the factory in motion, the workers looking like ants below us. At the time, nothing seemed wrong with watching these little white ants pile sugar, corn syrup and flavoring into various machines which pushed and pulled and turned them until they popped out as jelly beans. Some of the ants even smiled at us as we walked by. The tour guide nonchalantly mentioned that all jelly beans which were dropped on the factory floor were donated to local farmers who fed them to their pigs. The entire process seemed satisfying, pure, and safe from the beginning to our free samples at the end.
After leaving the factory, I started to leave the fantasy world which was displayed to me by the tour guide. I started wondering what exactly this "flavoring" was made of and how exactly these machines pushed and pulled this sugar, corn syrup, and the ever mysterious "flavoring" into the right shape every time. Rapidly the charming fairytale of wholesome jelly beans fell apart.
It becomes very easy as a society to accept this story of quaint families, happy little white ants, and dollops of sugar cased in flavoring. We pretend that the things we like are the things that are good. As uncomfortable as it is, we must delve deeper into where our food comes from, how it is made, and how every being which comes into contact with it is affected. Are the workers paid fairly? Does this quaint little family realize that they hold an almost-monopoly? Are the pigs who are fed jelly beans negatively affected by them? I don't know, because I was willing to accept the pleasant fantasies of the tour. However, I plan to learn more about it here at Woolman, and I hope that you will join me in finding out more than the cover story on where our food comes from.
I left for the food intensive a vegetarian and came back having eaten more meat then I used to in a month. In one week I had my views put onto a merry-go-round and spun so much that they no longer knew right from left and top from bottom. Our first stop brought me close to something very familiar, the smell of manure and the soft low of cows. The conditions that shocked some of the other people seemed normal to me. The perfume of the manure pile brought tears to my eyes, because of home and the pungent odor. I know that scary looking instruments used in the cows care are safe and humane and it took the edge off the feedlot.
That day we also visited a slaughterhouse. My only knowledge of slaughterhouses came from horror flicks and TV shows. I was surprised at how clean the whole operation appeared. The efficiency reached by the gleaming metal machinery was fascinating. The whole process was a lot more sanitary and humane than I thought it would be. While there I realized that if I knew an animal had been slaughtered in such a manner I could eat it. My new found perception on meat got a chance to show itself during that tour when the tour guide gave us bags of beef jerky and other pre-cooked meats. I was able to eat the jerky without seeing the old images of horror movie slaughterhouses and with the ability to respect the unknown cow it had come from.
My views were flipped in more ways than meat though, as I found myself turned off by the polarized sides of food. Where I once thought that organic equaled good and GMO was bad, I started to re-evaluate. I started to wonder if, in the struggle for a more sustainable future, a mixture of both practices was what was needed. Genetic Modification can be more than just adding pesticides to the plants, it can also mean making plants able to grow in inhospitable areas or add nutrients back to the ground while growing. The “good” organics on the other hand became too biased, with people picking and choosing data just as much as the “other side”. I felt alienated because I wanted to find a bridge between the two sides were I could comfortably try to understand and combine the points of view. In a way, I wanted my revelation about eating meat to be true for organic and GMO crops, where you can have it as long as you take knowledge with you.
The building looks like any other around. The only difference is the feeling that comes with looking at the large doors. My knuckles grow white as my finger nails dig into the palm of my hand to keep myself from running back to the safety of the Suburban. I glance wearily around at the faces of those closest to me and see their concern. I must look like I’ve seen a ghost. I have in some aspects of the word. Standing outside the building makes me feel like I'm staring at a sleeping monster. One false move could wake the beast from its slumber.
Let the tour begin.
The man in front of us says his name but all I can see is his t-shirt. The slogan reads “bacon is meat candy”, a harmless enough shirt if we weren’t standing outside a university slaughterhouse which happens to be this man’s chosen profession. The man talks about the treatment of the animals. “It’s the most humane way of killing them” I try to tell myself. Even the voice in the back of my head shakes. He brings us around to where they keep the animals. All I see in the currently empty stalls are the faces of those animals that once stood there. I hear their feet walking along the same path that we walk now. They don’t know where they are going, but we do. I feel lightheaded as the man talks about stunning the animal and bleeding it out until there is nothing left. The heavy door opens and we are told to walk inside. My nose is assaulted by the smell of too much bleach and stale metal. It’s too bright, the florescent lights glow and bounce off the stainless steel room, in an unnatural way. The man describes the next steps of butchering the animal, and my mind sees it all. I see the blood pooling and slipping down the drain. The animal died with the last beat of its heart. I feel dizzy, lightheaded and my hands start to shake. Tears spring to my eyes as I try to shake the images from my head. I walk out the same way that we came in, muttering something about needing air to the teacher closest to the door. I feel the sadness and death emanating from the building like an ice cream cone melting in the bright California sun. I can hardly see where I am walking with my vision blurred and obscured by the image of pooling blood.
The rest of the group came out of the deadly building carrying bags of beef jerky and sausage links. I wanted to vomit. How could they? The very thought of eating meat, particularly after that, made me sick. Yet, there they were, eating away as if nothing had happened. We climbed into the Suburban and I pray that I never see that place again.
Looking back I think that, as scary as it was, I’m glad that I went inside. I had been so convinced that I wouldn’t even be able to do that. It took a lot courage to even go. I have never been very good at dealing with the sight of blood. I knew that it would be difficult. At the time it felt worse than it does looking back. The needless mass killing of animals is something that I feel very strongly about. I don’t think that we have to give up meat entirely, but I do think that we, as humans, eat more than our fair and healthy share of animals. Just like with everything moderation is key.
After a picnic lunch at Full Belly Farm our tour guide, Hallie, came and greeted us enthusiastically. She told us about how her parents had started the farm with another family, painting this beautiful picture of a old fashioned family farm. Lots of questions were asked about who certified Full Belly as organic and what kind of organic pesticides they used. It was so uplifting after a day of feedlots and slaughter houses to see a farm that has not compromised its core beliefs. We began our tour by looking at some fields where experimental planting was taking place. Hallie always said that they liked to keep farming fun and really liked having such diverse crops for that purpose. We continued to walk around the farm and sampled tomatoes and grapes.
Eventually, our group was taken to see the cows. There were 2 dairy cows in a pasture looking radiant and happy. Quite a contrast to the cows we had seen the day before in a feedlot where they were up to their ankles in their own feces. Even at other organic farms where there were more cows they were never in such disturbing conditions. The tour continued to a chicken pen where energetic chickens pecked around the ground in search of seed. Workers called the chicken trailer the Chicken Cabana, once again keeping the theme of fun that was encouraged earlier. We continued to walk and learn more about the wild pig problem farmers in that area were having and about how much of the energy used on the farm is solar powered. Next came what was perhaps my favorite portion of the tour, we got to examine their dried fruit process and taste some of the fruits of that labor. The sun dried peaches were absolutely incredible providing wonderful texture and sweetness! At this point the sun was getting to us and it was time for a water break. When we were hydrated our Woolman group proceeded to the boxing room where we saw the specially designed CSA boxes and a few of the workers. It was apparent that those higher up on the chain of command at Full Belly really tried to create a friendly, fun, and respectful working relationship with their many employees.
It was really touching to see members of the founding family all doing their part in someway to improve Full Belly even more. I really enjoyed Full Belly Farm because they were living proof that it is possible to be a corporation and respectable. The entire trip was very eye opening because I saw that those who had farming practices that I may disagree with were not these evil creatures, but rather real human beings who honestly thought they were doing the right thing.
This past week we set off to explore multiple farms and labs to learn more about different stand-points concerning food; but mainly to confuse us so that we have no idea what to think about food anymore. Throughout the week we visited organic farms, berry farms, a feedlot, a GMO seed lab,and a meat lab/slaughterhouse. I found that before I left for this food intensive I was just starting to fully form my own thoughts about our society's food system, but now I am left with a wealth of information and no idea what to do with it.
Although my mind is overwhelmed with all of this new information, I found many of the farms that we visited to be very inspiring and they really put my dream of becoming an organic farmer into perspective. On Wednesday we visited Full Belly Farm, a certified organic farm that has been growing since 1985. I found Full Belly to be an amazing place because they seem to have such an efficient system for running their farm, and are very open to sharing their methods and practices. One of the most memorable things that I took away from Full Belly was the fact that they provide their workers with health care, which is such a rare thing to find when you are a field worker. On Thursday we continued our journey and went up to New Family Farm, a certified organic farm that runs on horse power. I thought that this farm was so moving because unlike most organic farms, it does not rely on modern day machinery. I also found it interesting to learn that it takes three years to certify farm land as organic , even if you are growing your vegetables under the specific organic guidelines. The question that keeps coming up in my head is, “Is organic sustainable?” after visiting these organic farms.
On the first day of the Food Intensive we visited both a genetic engineering seed lab, and a meat lab at UC Davis. The seed lab was especially intriguing because the geneticist, Kent, talked about how he used to be really into organic farming but when he found out that you could engineer seeds to create a specific product then,”Why not?”. Having Kent share his thoughts on organic farming and seed engineering really upset me because I don't necessarily agree with his opinions about changing the natural development of seeds. Later that day we got a tour of UC Davis' Meat Lab which was a totally new experience for me. Although I have taken the initiative to educate myself about the meat and dairy industry, being in a slaughterhouse was very real. I was surprised at how much they strived to keep everything flowing smoothly so that the killing of the animals wasn't a major ordeal.
This food intensive has been such an amazing experience, where we explored hands-on the different food practices in our local county. I am now back here on the Woolman Campus more perplexed than ever with the origins and culture of our food system.
Trying to remember everything that happened in the Food Intensive was difficult. I want to go back to three sites in particular which had spurred an internal conflict concerning two major facets of food systems.
Full Belly, Swanton, and New Family were all examples of where ethics are entwined in the decisions surrounding worker's wages, health care benefits, pesticides, and sustainability. How can their farms stay afloat and promote all of these seemingly unpragmatic viewpoints of how to grow food? This is especially hard to answer when one considers the other side of the spectrum, big conventional farming. These farmers use pesticides to kill the soil so that the proper petrochemical derived fertilizer mix can take fruit, a process in opposition to the organic method, which involves putting compost into the ground to enliven the soil.
Swanton, who is entirely organic can offer work year long with seasonal variations, paying a minimum of $16-22/hour, along with health and dental care for all of its workers. Full Belly can claim all of these statements as well. New Family Farm can boast sustainability and organic. These farms are doing amazing things, but how are they able to do it while other, more conventional farms are outproducing them and cutting costs by neglecting worker's rights?
The problem with conventional farming is present in two major ways. The first is the ability to afford an input derived industry that requires more than sustainable amounts of energy. The second being the environmental impact of unnatural cyclic processes; killing the soil, filling it with NPK (chemical fertilizers), new “GMO's” (genetically modified organisms) to combat stronger pests, all of this being done on a basis defined by the profiteers. What it can boast is high yields. Although unparalleled yields do feed people, this process only works in the short term and has negative consequences on the health of people and the environment.
Small organic farms, going back to the above question, are constantly striving to stay afloat financially This is the primary problem that organic farmers face. If they want to keep their farm ethics intact, in terms of liberal wages and retirement funds, they must design sustainably and intelligently.
All in all, the Food Intensive left me with a lot of questions. It was a neat experience in addition to the farms we visited. The students at the Woolman Semester are constantly growing together and coming up with better ways to shape our collective futures, both as human beings and as friends.
Food. Intensive. Trip. All I could think about was that it would be a road trip, it would be intense, and it would be about food. After it all, I can definitely say that these were fully accomplished. Fierce, overwhelming feelings of complication, disorganization and self conflicting thoughts would be the way I experienced my “intensity.”
It seemed quite evident as the trip went on that there was an ongoing and confused war between the mind and the heart, and I was quickly being challenged. I was well on my journey to discovering what my own beliefs and thoughts were on potentially becoming a serious vegetarian. I figured, “Yeah, of course I would want to be vegetarian, I love animals and I love them alive.” Well, that initial thought was definitely challenged to its highest degree.
When we arrived at the slaughter house, my first thought was, “Holy crap! Tell me they don’t kill the horses too.” Oh. the irony of having horses grazing so perfectly stable and content as groups of pigs and lambs get hauled in to be slaughtered a couple feet away! As we dawdled closer alongside where they shoot the animals in the head to kill them, my mind flooded with instantaneous and rapid conflicting thoughts. “Oh my sweet goodness, how can this be happening in our world today? These animals can feel can’t they? Physically and emotionally? I’m sure they are scared. Gosh, I just want to save them all!”
In addition to that whirlwind of a thought, my mind guided me back to my past. I grew up eating meat, and it was always the central part of the meal. I thought, “How could I have possibly been eating these animals all my life when this has to happen in order for me to have those meals every night!” Here in the vegetarian community of Woolman, I have come to question if it is necessary to consume meat in order for our day to day survival.
As we then entered the area in which they clean and butcher the animals, it became evident that I could not physically handle the energy within the space. Therefore, I walked out along with another student. I didn’t foresee myself walking out, but I surely thought there was a chance that I might. In doing so, it gave me time to come to a true and well thought out conclusion, that I, Chloe Liana Johnson, would forever commit to being vegetarian. There! I had stated it aloud!
Next thing I know, Graeme, a fellow Woolmanite, wandered along half voicing due to his active munching, that the tour guide had given us all free jerky! Can you guess the next train my mind hopped to in that very moment? “Yes! It’s jerky!” Wow. I just remember catching myself and wondering what in the world I was going to do about my passionate vegetarian vow I had just made a minute ago. I was experiencing guilt, the ultimate frustration, and a sense of dishonesty towards myself. What does one do from there? So, in the car rides to our upcoming destinations, I simply gave in. Graeme offered me a piece, and I hesitated, but went with it and chewed away. I have to admit, it was tasty, but I couldn’t stop thinking of a pig, or a lamb, or a cow in my mind’s eye. The perfect and exceptional tasting jerky then turned into a dreadful experience. The next day, I became weak and my mouth began to water to the sight of it lying there. I gave in to that jerky once more, which I now saw as feeding into my war of “heart” and “mind.” Do I give into my childhood established desire for meat, or perhaps do I follow what my heart is telling me and “live what I believe?”
At the end of our trip, I purely existed as an undecided, unsettled, and unsatisfied person regard to being a vegetarian or non-vegetarian. The trip to the slaughter house brought up the desire to protect and respect all animals. So I indeed continue to experience conflicting thoughts as I settle back into Woolman society. I continue to ruminate on if my internal war will ever subside and come to a peace.
Editing Credit : Aaron (Intern), Tess, Lucy
Blog Writing Advice Credit: Cece (Intern)
The misguided loss of common ground in the agricultural world is scaring me as I enter the adult world. Vandana Shiva said during her speech that we are at war with Monsanto, to me implying conventional farming is evil and that we (the local organic farmers and supporters) are righteous and have the right to austricize other practices of farming. The negatives of conventional farming are too great to be able to discuss and the only solution is to destroy all the technological advancements in agriculture in the past sixty five years and revert to traditional agriculture with no chemical fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified crops and major corporations running the market.
Up until this trip and having the opportunity to see farmers on different sides of the same respectable trade, I never made a true connection with the material that I was been learning in school and outside school as an involved citizen. It was all in my head so to speak; I know a lot of important facts, numbers and possible solutions to the issue but didn’t connect it to my own personal life. It seemed as though I knew everything about how awful and evil the agricultural system is. However, when we talked to the men at UC Davis the first day, I felt a familiar connection resurface and a spark of pity for myself. Why was I not pitying them? These fools who did not see the animals and the industry like I did, the young idealist that I am. I realized that the pity for myself was the connection between conventional farming and my interest in farming goes back to when I was growing up with my farming family.
When we talked to the man at the slaughter house, he spoke about his history and sense of place in the building; his dad had worked there when he was a a child and he grew up visiting the facility. Also the man at the feedlot had a story connected to feedlot cattle. His last job was at his own ranch in Nevada, raising beef for slaughter. The memories of my grandfather’s and uncle’s cattle ranches, the extensive land in my family planted in genetically modified corn and soy beans as well as the time I spent there. I thought about how deeply flawed it is that I am focusing on changing the business that my family is invested in, that I just read how the industry is terrible, when I have a thriving family who lives on that system.
It seems easy on paper to have a change of heart and convert your business to an organic and sustainable one, however just like seed, once it is sown it is difficult to transplant. I want to continue being a local and organic advocator, without being an elitist against something that is still on the same issue. I feel it is important for both sides to agree that both are working towards a common goal: to feed and sustain life. Even though Monsanto creates loopholes to take advantage of non-gmo farmers through lawsuits, the man we visited at the seed geneticist lab concluded the reason he was working there was to feed the 2000 children who die every day due to starvation. That is not an evil reason for advocating something that has bad history, but the biases I hear are still very against it. I believe there must be a way for both groups of advocators to work together and make it work. I love living on a healthy earth and want to restore it to its former vigor, but I also love my family who supports a food system that goes against that judgment, There must be a way to mold the two together before its too late, before the war really starts.
Before we left for the Food Intensive, we had a significant amount of reading and discussion of the risks posed by genetically modified organisms. During the Food Intensive, we visited a lot of farms and heard a speaker, Vandana Shiva, who believed that GMOs are, again, terrible. I found this trip to be really perplexing because all of our tour guides held bias towards their beliefs. I wish the ideas presented to us were more balanced and better substantiated.
The visit that struck me the most was the seed laboratory in UC Davis because we had an opposing view on GMOs. Kent, our speaker, believed that genetically modified organisms are beneficial. He thought that GMOs are valuable because they enable us to grow crops that are proven to be successful. He believed that since GMO plants discourage further use of pesticides in agriculture, they should be accepted by the majority. He then mentioned how some countries, who are experiencing famines, had refused to accept genetically modified crops as aid. This shocked me because I did not expect governments to shun GMOs while most of their citizens are starving. If I was in that position, I certainly would not care whether the crop was modified or not, as long as it gave them nutrition to enable them to live. But, as I pondered on this shocking revelation, I realized that if they do agree to take GMOs, they would be dependent on it. For example, in order to get GMO seeds you will most likely sign a contract that will bind you for some years. In most cases, you would have to buy new seeds each season. This soon would turn problematic because most farmers would mire in debt. Whichever side you choose, you will either lose citizens or be in debt.
Another significant place was Full Belly Farm. From the numerous amounts of reading to the abundant amount of farms we visited, almost if not all said that practicing biodiversity and crop rotation should enable us to have a successful farm. Full Belly Farm practiced this method and was considered a “successful farm.” Throughout the trip my mind continually thought, “Why won’t big farm cooperation practice biodiversity and crop rotation?” It seems so simple yet millions of farmers continually use hazardous chemicals and crops that might effects our health in the future. I wonder why they would choose such a risky method. This curiosity led me to thirst for the “other perspective” of pro-GMOs.
All in all the trip was amazing. To see so many farms growing non-GMO crops inspires me to have hope for the future. I do not believe that GMOs are profitable, but I do want to know why “big farms” prefer it.
Even before looking into our food systems in depth, I was relatively aware that it was pretty crooked. But then, along with some context from previous weeks, the food intensive gave me a more accurate image of how we manage our food situation. I don’t know exactly how this has transformed my opinions on the subject, but it has added some structure to them. It was really effective to hear about controversial topics such as GMO’s or the ethics of feedlots and slaughterhouses (now dubbed “meat labs”) from the people who do just those things. Hearing these people’s perspectives really humanized them, and helped me to form a more mindful perspective myself. Then it was nice to go and see more alternative organic farms afterwards.
Learning about how we feed ourselves has been a pretty somber topic, because the way we produce our food isn’t very sustainable. This is a pretty indirect way of saying we are not going to be able to produce the amount of food we are now for much longer. Therefore, once we can’t produce enough we won’t be able to feed our overpopulated selves. It was somewhat reassuring to meet people at places like New Family Farm, Full Belly Farm or Pie Ranch, who realize the flaws in certain kinds of food production and attempt to produce food in ways that are friendlier to the environment. However, even after visiting these organic and more sustainable farms I still can't help but wonder if they will actually be able to work both harmoniously and indefinitely with nature. Many of them still depend on oil, if not for their machinery, than for the complex irrigation, produce transportation, or any other transportation necessary. The book The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan (which we’re reading for Environmental Studies class) very accurately describes our current food situation as what it is: a dilemma.
Now I just have to decide what to do about it. Not immediately, but eventually I’ll have to choose. Should I go and be an activist and try to change the system from within, or make change in a simpler sense by farming mindfully myself? There are so many options, but I guess I’m privileged to be able to say that. I’ll just have to wait and see how my perspective continues to develop before I decide what to do about it. I’m curious to see what’ll happen in this future of ours, and how I will play a part in that.