Farmed and Dangerous

I suppose it all started back in Genesis when God told Adam that because of the curse man would have to toil for his food. (Gen. 3:17-19) In rebellion mankind has been in constant search for ways to ease our burdens. Less work for more product or what have you. With the increase of technology we find a decrease in labor but as a result we find the repercussions skyrocketing; some immediate and others that have yet to be made manifest.

In the history of every great civilization from the beginning of time we can find the ups and downs of technology, progress and the pragmatics thereof. Looking just at the United States of America it has only been in the last century or more specifically in the last 50 years that technology really took a dramatic leap, changing the ways in which we work and live.

At a glance one might think we have come a long way in the US, in terms of living long and healthy lives, but the negative statistics are starting to stack up. One major area we can see this happening in is the food we produce and consume.  Processed foods cut down on the amount of time people spend growing, raising and cooking their food and this shortcut has left us at a dead end of striking health issues.

Having grown up on a farm and investing a large portion of my time in the "occupation of hope", as some would call it, I am quite interested in what sort of fruits my labor produces. As a farmer I am looking to see how I am affecting the world around me and how the world affects what I do. A lot of things play into this business. Things like agricultural sciences, GMO's, conventional vs. organic farming, the general view of farming held by the American public, the government's involvement, how farming matters are portrayed by media, among other things. The list is unending....

So I come to my point:
Chipotle, a 'mexican grill', has jumped ahead of the game by switching to serving food that customers can feel good about eating AND promoting the awareness of what's really going on in the food industry in a humorous, but quite serious, parody/mini-series called, "Farmed and Dangerous".

I recently watched it with my clan and we liked it so much that we emailed Chipotle to tell them we appreciate what they're doing. There has been a lot of conversation created by this show, some in favor of it and some against it... but that was exactly what Chipotle is aiming for. They want to raise awareness of these complex and pressing issues and get people to start discussing what is really going on in the food industry and what they can do about it. (Dr. Mercola wrote a good article about the show)

I'll warn you that it is not exactly a "family friendly" show, in that there are a number of innuendos and worldly implications, but all around it was witty, well written, well produced and performed, and it was incredibly provoking. It's also short (each of the four episodes are little over 20 minutes long). Those in my household greatly enjoyed watching the series and are looking forward to the next installment.

It really is true: You are what you eat. 
Be informed.