I like to eat, eat, eat...APPLES AND BANANAS!

I've had the good fortune to have taken a class very similar to this one in my very first semester here at the U. (And it, too, was a CSCL class!) It strikes me as a little ironic that I would have the opportunity to face the same conundrums again when I am three years older.

To be certain, the study material was certainly different. I learned a great deal about myriad new subjects during the course of this semester, but one that stood out for me personally was the food unit--I find the process behind what's getting crammed down my gullet as I sprint to my next class both interesting and a little scary. Yeah, I know McDonald's isn't good for me, but if I have some fajita veggies from Chipotle I'm getting some good nutrition right? (Aaaaand the answer is no.)

The politics behind our food is a fascinating and unsettling subject, but any knowledge on the matter is good knowledge. It allows me the ability (if not the motivation) to make better decisions about what I chow down. Specifically, I enjoyed the portion of the Omnivore's Dilemma with Joel Salatin and his Polyface farms. I consider the implications of eating 'locally'...Minnesota has a rich variety of possible foodstuffs right in our "backyard"--surely I could live a more environmentally friendly life by eating our stuff and not having to have food shipped in for me from faraway lands. Salatin understands and incorporates the 'local' principle as part of his farmstead practice. His website specifically states: "..We do not ship food. We should all seek food closer to home, in our foodshed, our own bioregion. This means enjoying seasonality and reacquainting ourselves with our home kitchens..."

So unless I find myself in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley at some point in my wanderings, I shall never taste Joel Salatin's delicious turkey. I guess I can live without that. But what about oranges? I like oranges. And figs. Darn it, I like white rice. And bison meat. (If you've never had a bison burger, I HIGHLY recommend it!) And as Robin might say, "And, and, and..."

So I continue my omnivorous diet, fully aware of the potential for havoc I wreak by that decision. Someday, if I decide to go local, I'll have to reconcile that with the idea that I might be helping put some Florida citrus producer out of work. So what I'm taking from the class is the lesson that our most inane actions have real and unintended consequences. We need to make ourselves okay with the decisions we make, or change them. No choice is entirely without potential damage--and we need to be okay with that too.

Have a great semester, omnivores!