There was a large section of Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" devoted to his week long visit to Polyface and his experiences there. I have to say, from what I have read and heard, that this is one hell of an operation. Not because Joel came up with something new, but because he bucks the trend to go back to something old and remain profitable. Polyface Inc. (video section)
I, too, was deeply impressed by Pollan's recounting of his stay at Polyface. "The Omnivore's Dilemma" is an important book and unlike many important books it's highly readable also. It would be an exaggeration to say that the book changed my life, but it did cause a big change in the foods I purchase and consume. I recommend it and would encourage any PriusChatters who read it to revisit chogan's threads about the energy savings of grass-fed beef, which are not really touched on in the book but are particularly meaningful to our Prius-driving community here. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Feb 22 2007, 02:53 AM) [snapback]394418[/snapback]</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Feb 22 2007, 02:53 AM) [snapback]394418[/snapback]</div> Looking on the bright side, at current rates of population growth, we need not worry about global warming because a) the majority of the US population will be reduced to starvation long before the effects of global warming enter full-force, and b) the only places with any topsoil left will be places like polyface farm. http://dieoff.org/page40.htm Economics is termed "the dismal science" because one Rev. Malthus pointed out that for any positive rate of growth, the geometric rate of growth in population would overwhelm the available arable land. The above study, by two serious agricultural scientists, says that at current rates of population growth, that will happen in the US well before 2050. Utimately, I guess this is why I am negative on ethanol and other biofuels. I'd rather keep the topsoil, so that it's available for growing food 40 years from now. Rather than erode it that much faster so that we can have cheaper fuel now.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chogan @ Feb 22 2007, 09:23 AM) [snapback]394450[/snapback]</div> This is along the lines of my thinking. My belief is that if we continue to alter the globe to a degree that it comes so far off balance, natural corrections will be made that will affect human population numbers. Severe weather events (such as tsunami and hurricane) as well as the spread of disease that we are now witnessing (such as the spread of West Nile Virus) will hopefully correct this imbalance. It's just a shame that inequities will exist, meaning people who actually have decreased consumption will be affected as much as those that haven't.
i too was impressed by the "grass-fed" cow and how much carbon was sequestered by a managed pasture lands. the better taste, quality, lower fat, greatly reduced chance of e coli and the elimination of mad cow diease possiblities led me to purchase grass fed beef locally.
We bought some grass fed (yay!) new zeeland beef from whole foods th other week and what a difference in texture and taste! I still remember the taste! and on top of that it happens to be a lot better and greener (for us meat eaters). We plan to start buying all out meat locally and grass fed as well.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chogan @ Feb 22 2007, 07:23 AM) [snapback]394450[/snapback]</div> Chogan, There's good evidence to support an different account of "the dismal science". Check out this theory.
