A college student omnivore dilemma

I don’t think I have the courage to do what Michael Pollan does.

Pollan, who came here for ArtsWeek 2010, is a journalist devoted to opening America’s eyes to the current food industries and our diets. I have always admired his work, and am rereading “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” for a comparative food literature course.

However, all of his information still seems fresh and new to me, as the facts I read shock me while conveniently helping me lose my appetite.

My class assignment was to read about his experiences trying to eat foods that only he had grown, hunted and gathered himself. Pollan grew his own vegetables, gathered his own herbs and fungi and hunted his own sources of protein.

As a constant gardener, the growing portion of his mission was simple. Hunting and gathering was a learning experience, especially hunting. Over time, Pollan learned how to identify nontoxic fungi to eat and acquired a license to hunt his own food.

While I wasn’t exactly thrilled to imagine him firing at wild quail, it was more comforting than the visions he brought back to my memory of how most proteins — beef, pork, and poultry — are produced now.

Where do I begin with how disgusted I am with the industry? Cattle raised for beef production graze ankle deep in their own manure, eating what isn’t even clean grain. God forbid we take the time to feed the cattle grass; consumers, as well as corporations, are too impatient and cheap.

Chickens have their own mess as well, living in dark, cramped spaces with little fresh air. Since they are bred and raised to be used for their meat, the weight of the chickens makes it difficult to walk, let alone move.

But this isn’t nearly as bad as chickens used solely for their eggs. Egg-bearing chickens, according to Pollan, live six to a cage no bigger than three square feet, being forced against the wire fence that contains them. If they survive the brutal conditions, they are kept to lay eggs until their end.

It’s enough to make me consider veganism. But why don’t I? And why don’t more people at least think about it?

As humans, we are born omnivores. Our bodies cater to eating pretty much anything that won’t kill us.

And I love my medium rare steak so much as it is. So, it’s hard for me to get upset when I think of Pollan out killing his dinner. This sounds grim, but it seems a lot more morally pleasing.

Hunting for the sake of providing a meal is practically a forgotten idea of the past. Because industries have taken over the entire food business, it’s nearly impossible to bring home any wild protein.

This isn’t a matter like Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” which opened eyes to the terrible conditions of the meatpacking industry. While the methods used to raise and slaughter your hamburger are questionable, disease and contamination aren’t our biggest worries.

What we need to worry about is what the food industry has turned into — a fat, money-munching monster, determined to do anything to make a buck — and how we can improve it.

It certainly seems like we the consumers can’t do much to help, but we have a lot of influence. After all, it’s because of our eating habits the industry was able to perfectly target us and give us exactly what we wanted.

Remember Pollan’s words and purpose when eating on and off campus. Ask your favorite restaurants how many of their ingredients are cage-free or free-range.

Challenge your daily dining centers to find more ethical ways of purchasing foods.
You don’t need to change what you eat, just listen to your inner food conscience.