3rd Service Learning Reflection

I have had the opportunity to attend to gleaning trips, as well as, an orientation and a tour giving me a total of 13 hours thus far. During the gleaning trips we conjured up almost 6,000 pounds of apples, a large crate of cabbage, and a large crate of pumpkins together weighing in at almost another 1,000 pounds. The morning of the first gleaning trip I was excited and I arrived at the meeting spot about 30 minutes early. The first gleaning trip seemed foreboding because the weather was freezing, but as the day progressed the weather became warmer. Not all of the participants that signed up, showed up, but even with the lack of people we managed to finish an hour early and fill all the boxes available. During the second gleaning trip we had twice as many participants and more boxes to fill. The weather was definitely colder, but many of us kept working and making this a fun experience to get past the idea of working in the cold on a Saturday. It was crazy to pick up apples that weren't being sold in stores because many of the apples seemed in perfect condition and these apples were being sent to food banks in town. These apples were going to families who might not be able to buy apples from the store. I am glad I got to help families who are starving in these hard times. I have been in that situation more than once were my only hope for dinner was stopping by the food bank. I know that service learning is more about others than yourself, but I can't help but feel good helping people whose shoes I have been in. Going in to service learning with this experience has made me want to do it that much more. I will say that it has been hard finding the time to go out and complete my service learning hours, but I am glad that I did managed to attend the two gleaning trips.

The Trouble With Tofu

The Trouble with Tofu, show viewers the debate between townspeople, a debate about a choice whether to have a regular supermarket or to have a more organic based supermarket be the central supermarket for the town. Some think this is an issue between classes, claiming that people of the  lower class can not afford to buy from the Co-op and more privileged middle to upper class people were forcing this idea of expensive organic food upon those who do not want it. I can see the point that both sides are making, because those of the lower class might not have the money to buy from the Co-op or the transportation needed to get to another supermarket. Those in favor of the Co-op are educated enough about the place, to know how it runs and how to get the products they want on the shelf, but yet again, people who are against the Co-op seem to be uneducated about how the place runs and because of the uncertainty they have towards the place, they boldly make false claims about the co-op and are close minded to any solutions the council tries to provide. Many questions are still raised when watching the clip, simply because enough background information was not provided to the audience. Ironically, the Co-op wins the debate and becomes the central supermarket and they also stock ther shelves with 99 cent loaves of white bread.

In Response to Eat Food: Food Defined

I honestly get the point that Pollan's trying to make, I really do, but there will always be that little part of me that knows that Mr. Pollan is talking from a point of privilege. He has the money, time, transportation, and the means to go to farmer's markets and buy fresh whole foods. I have never had these privileges. I am a very poor and very busy college student. I am lucky to get myself to the Caf to even eat, much less go to a supermarket and read every label and prepare meals for myself. I live in a world where you work long hours for cheap money, while you watch the price of living go up. As I have gotten older, it gets harder and harder to eat whole foods all the time. I wish it were as simple as Pollan writes it out to be, but for some of us, it is a stretch. During this course I have learned the practical side of industrial farming and the benefits of Organic farming, each still, and always will have their pros and cons. Whether that be inhumane animal treatment to the inhumane workers' injustice. Each serve a purpose and I still feel like I can't properly pick a side of the argument. Maybe that is irresponsible for me to say as a consumer, but how can a person who knows what it is like to be poor, pick the side of people who don't? How could I pick the more expensive produce, or even think about siding with either one, when both have some serious consequences? If I had the means to buy whole food, I would, but I don't. So for right now the only option I have is to eat food and live happy.