Eat Here by: Brian Halweil

Wow this book really opened my eyes.  I thought it was a very interesting and educational book that everyone should read if they care about where their food comes from, or if they care about the connection we have with our food.  You should also read this book if you care about local farming and local food and the importance local food has on the environment.  Halweil also talk a lot about history and how things became the way they are and how things have change in only a few years.  

I thought it was very interesting how farmer are getting together and actually selling their produce in a farmer’s shop/grocery store.  These store support local farmers which is one step closer to putting the word out there that it’s better to eat locally.  People today are losing connection with the farmers and even their food, because the people eat/buying food that does not come for that area; don’t really know where it came from and the process it took to ship it here.  “The long-distance transport of food had become such a defining characteristic of the modern food system that most people accept it as the only way for us to be well fed” (pg 12).  I thought that was very sad because that isn’t the only way but because many of us are lazy and don’t have time or just don’t want to grow our own food we rely on “fast food.” It was astonishing to find out that not only does long-distance travel for food increate waste and pollution, but it actually increase a substantial amount of waste.  The food that is shipped to an area will have more waste and the area the sipped it has less fertilizer. Long-distance also contributes to climate change.  I never thought about that, but that is very interesting.  Also the book talks about the history about food storage which I thought was sad yet interesting.  For some reason this quote scared me when I read it, “tinkering with plan biology.”  I think it scared me because a few semesters ago we spoke about genetically modified foods and its impact on us.  However it may be good for something’s, I don’t really think it should be done because you should be changing things that weren’t meant to be changed. These are just a few things that the book touched on and there is a lot of interesting information in that book.

I think people need to start supporting their local farmers and get back somewhat get back to what we used to be.  We are losing touch with our food and with history of what we used to be.  I am so thankful that my father is a gardener and we are able to eat what we grow and not have to rely so heavily on the food market.  We are able to stay connected to the simple things in life and appreciate what we do.  Gardening is hard work but you get a sense of satisfaction because you are doing things with your hand and you get to see Mother Nature doing her work and you get to eat what you grow.  Not many people can say they grow what they eat and I am happy to say I do.  My father also gets a lot of joy by giving extra vegetables to our neighbors which allows us to stay connected.  Also other people in the neighborhood do the same so at least we are able to kind of look out for one another.