Blog Post 1-Omnivores Dilemma

Michael Pollan goes into Iowa to gain a first hand experience in the farming industry and what it entails. Learning all about the types of tractors used, the types of crops, even the days and weeks of the year that harvesting and planting takes place. I found the first chapter fairly interesting and a strong introductory into the rest of the book. I particularly enjoyed the part about how he found that Iowa has some of the richest soil in the world, created from a glacier from present day Wisconsin over ten thousand years ago. I am not a history buff but it is interesting to read as to why certain parts of the country have more fertile soil than others, and how said soil was influenced.

Pollan goes on to describe how farmers like Naylor, are the most productive people who have ever lived. After all is said and done the amount of corn produced in ratio to the amount that is used, each farmer produces enough corn for 129 people. We don't give enough appreciation for the farmers of our country and the work they do. Also another part that grabbed my attention is that Pollan travels around the country to learn more about the farming industry giving you that "paint a picture" writing which is amazing compared to some writers who merely Google there topics and right mediocre passages about things people may already now. I grew up on a ranch and there are still a lot of things I don't know about ranching or farming, and Pollan isn't an expert on farming, however he uses the information he learned to show the amount of work that goes into that drive through meal or that TV dinner.