Food Inc

Ann Arbor Free Skool screened Food, Inc last night and we took the chance to see it since we'd wanted to for some time.

I was wary.

So many people told me how horrifying that movie is and how shocking, and how I'd "never look at food the same way again" that I was expecting it to be pretty horrible.

I'll admit, there were some really revolting scenes, but there was nothing particularly new to me in there. Nothing I hadn't heard or seen before.

I guess, though, that if people are finding Food, Inc. to be shocking and revolting, it's a very, very good thing. It means that it's reaching people who didn't already know what our industrial food really is and Mr. Kenner, the producer/director of Food, Inc, isn't just preaching to the choir.

The discussion afterward was interesting, too, as

the conversation went back and forth from "only the government can do something" to "if we wait for the government it will never change".

But really? Participation in the industrial food chain is a choice. No, really.

If you're in a hurry and 'have to" stop for fast food, you have made two choices:

• You have made the choice to be too busy, and
• You have made the choice not to plan ahead.

Yes, we do it, too. But we acknowledge that it is our choices that got us into that pickle.

Since grabbing a quick bite has proven to be even more obviously toxic to us, we have learned to make other choices. We plan ahead, we pack ahead, and when there was no time to do either, we have discovered that it's almost always possible to duck into a grocery store to pick up some organic fruit and a little raw milk cheese.

No, it's not ideal, but it is more nourishing than fast food and we can limit how much industrial food we eat.

And we've recently discovered a fast-food chain, Chipotle, which we find we can eat without getting sick, and which advertises its use of pastured beef and all organic ingredients. It tastes like food, too. And even better, they can feed our whole crew -- vegan for John, and grain free for me, without batting an eye. They use who foods, so they know what to leave out when they prepare a tray.

So, Food, Inc. If you haven't seen it, you would probably benefit by it. But eat dinner first because if you don't know this stuff, you're going to find it hard to eat for a while afterward.