Read 'n' Seed 5: 4th quarter & Final Review of "Harvest for Hope"

1. I read chapters 15-19, pages 218-286
2. Some of the topics it covered was obesity/fast food chains, wasting of water
3. I learned a new term "hotel families,"which was more of a made-up slang term rather than an actual definition. However, it refers to families that live in the same home but rarely talk, spend time or eat a meal together. This has to do with the fact that making time to eat healthy meals together has decreased significantly, which has contributed to fast food and unhealthy meals. Kids are also being deprived of being offered nutritious meals at schools, with fast food being offered in its place. Luckily, some schools in California created a program called Edible Schoolyard, which gives credit to students for taking a class that teaches them how to prepared nutritious meals, and how and where the food initially comes from. Surprisingly there is a HIGH rate of kids that do not even know that vegetables are grown in the ground. 
The epidemic of obesity has traces back in history. In medieval days, wealthy Monks stuffed themselves to the point of obesity. Even animals are programmed to overindulge in food if given the opportunity. It is instinct to fill up on food, since many may not be eating for a few days depending on the food availability. Now, advertising larger and larger portions have been directed at humans at cheap prices. 
Along with over-consumption, we also deal with the issue of wasting what we have. According to the World Resources Institute, "a person living in an industrialized country consumes, on average, twice as much grain, three times as much meat, 9 times as much paper, and 11 times as much gasoline as someone in a developing country." Water is also a resource that we waste. We use large quantities to crop corn and soy, which in turn feed the cattle in factory farms. We deplete our aquifers, and the number of dams and reservoirs have decreased. 
4. What we CAN do to stop this wastefulness is to start asking for smaller portions, or compost the excess food that we do not eat. Some use vermiculture , which is using worms to compost for you. We can stop our over-usage of water by watering gardens after the hottest part of the day, and by making sure the use of ice is not abused. Overall, there are many things we can do to stop this unhealthy revolution and waste.


SUMMARY
1. Overall, this book covered a vast range of topics. From organic farming, genetically modified crops and use of hormones in animal products, to the obesity epidemic, water waste and use of fossil fuels.
2. The 3 most significant things that I learned from reading this book, probably would have to be: 

• every organic product that you purchase makes a difference--it is one more step towards our markets selling more locally.
• we need to significantly reduce the amount of resources that we use. Rainforests and other natural land is being destroyed at a rapid pace
• the food that is normally sold in markets has traveled many miles and wasted fossil fuel getting there.

3. All of which was mentioned in this book pertains to me. Everything that goes on, regardless of how close, affects other parts of the world. By becoming more informed on these issues, I can start to do my part in trying to change them. Knowledge and voice are the key, and in order for change to occur i need to start thinking of the outcomes and how I am apart of it.
4. Yes, I would recommend this book. Though it touched topics that many already have heard about, it goes into detail and stories that make you think of the issues in different ways. It is easy to read and understand, and gives recommendations of how you can do your part.

read 'n' Seed 4: 3rd Quarter of "Harvest for Hope"

1. I read pages 158-217, chapters 10 thru 14
2. Most of the chapters I read had to do with organic farming, and how it can help our economy and environment. It explains the corruption of multinational corporate giants, and how their use of "organic" is misleading. Towards the end, it briefly goes into how damage to other parts of the world, affects every OTHER part of the world.
3. I learned that whatever consumers demand, is what we get! By going to the grocery stores and purchasing organic products, we are voicing what we prefer, which in turn will lower the price as more and more of organic is offered. If businesses start noticing that certain products are not selling, they will stop selling them and give the consumers what the want. 
By organically farming, we can actually help the global warming issue, by reducing fossil fuel use. Organic farming uses 30% less fossil fuels than industrial and monoculture agriculture. An issue that has risen from a new motive to organically farm, is the multinational corporate giants, also known as organic factory farms. Though they are MUCH better than the industrial corporations, they are still forgetting about crop diversity, are taking over farmlands and burning many fossil fuels. These large-scale industrial organic farms and the small-scale sustainable farms are compared like shallow organic and deep organic are. Shallow organic is familiarity, limited selection, and sameness, while deep organic is committed to biodiversity, rotation of animals and plants, and replenished/respected water sources. 
With our increasingly growing population, it is hard to keep up with the food demands. Forests and traditional farmlands are being destroyed to make room for more crops. This is the wrong way to go at this, because the soil needed to grow the food is being ruined and washed away. We are decreasing the amount of land able to grow, and the food that we do grow is not even being distributed properly. While some are suffering from starvation, others are dealing with obesity. This is an ongoing chain that will lead us nowhere.
4. We need to stop supporting these huge corporations that are only worsening our chances survival. We are ruining our nutrient-rich soil for growing crops, and in the doing we are consuming more than our earth can provide. Organic farming needs to be taken very seriously, because it will soon effect every single one of us, as it already has begun to do so. 

Read 'n' Seed 3: Second Quarter of "Harvest for Hope"

1. I read chapters 6-10, pages 82-158

2. The beginning chapters continued to cover topics of animal factories, or what some call "animal feeding operations." It describes the diets of cattle and what kind of diseases are spread through poor sanitation techniques. Growth hormones are linked to certain abnormalities in animals and humans. It then tells stories of the Niman Ranch, which has provided foods to chain stories such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. A few topics briefly cover the fish farms and the damage to the ocean and sea wildlife. It ends with describing what a vegetarian can do, and how we can reduce our into of animal products.

3. There were many new, interesting things that I learned, as well as some topics that I have already learned much about. I described earlier that animal factories are also known as "animal feeding operations." What is so wrong, because they are not even called FARMS! It just goes to show that animals that are raised in these factories are not being treated as a farm animal whatsoever, but as objects of profit. Not too long ago, cattle were fed ground up animal parts.. even of their own species!! Luckily this practice has been banned, but the thought of forcing animals to cannibalize so that they gain weight is so wrong. Also, cattle are fed genetically modified corn and soy, which eventually get into our own digestive systems. The dangerous bacterium, E.Coli and other food borne illnesses are spread through excessive amounts of cattle waste and sloppy slaughtering, in which the USDA does little to prevent.
     The growth hormones that they feed farm animals have been linked to buildup in estrogen,  in which some scientists believe explains the reason for early maturation in women, and sperm count reduction in males.
      I learned the new term Bushmeat, which refers to the meat of a terrestrial wild animal killed for commercial uses of subsistence. Some of these animals being chimpanzees, gorillas, guans and songbirds. Many species are becoming extinct because of trade worldwide and mass killings. Other aquatic animals are being killed by vast drift nets, trawling for shrimp, and lines that tear up the ocean reefs and the ocean floor. Aquaculture, or the farming of fish, has also almost wiped out the population of wild salmon. Just like farm animals, they are fed absurd diets and when dead, leak the toxins into the waters that kill off other natural breeds of salmon.

4. All of this affects us directly. The food that we buy from grocery stores that we eventually eat, the mass killings of species that some cultures are so dependent on, the waste that these factory raised animals produce that eventually spread dangerous bacteria and illnesses to humans. Jane Goodall suggests that if some are unwilling to become vegetarians, that they at least do something to stop this ongoing crisis "one thread at a time." By simply telling your local grocer to offer more organic foods, or to put a "genetically modified" label on their products, you are making progress. 

Read 'n' Seed 2: First Quarter of "Harvest for Hope"

1. I have read through chapter 5, pages 1-82.
2. There have been many topics covered throughout each chapter. Some of them being: Genetically modified crops and the use of pesticides, the inhumanities of animal factories, the celebration/rituals of certain cultures, the evolutionary characteristics of animals and the necessity of food for survival.
3. I found the topic particularly on Agribusiness to be very interesting. Agribusiness is just a generic term that is used in agriculture, that has to do with the businesses in food production. From the beginning days of farming, farmers would delicately tend to their crops, by allowing great variety and time for the soil to replenish so that each plant received enough nutrients. Now days, this important technique rarely exists, depleting our soil and vegetation from its nutrition in order to grow mass quantities as fast as can be grown.  Also, GM crops have been introduced, with the United States being their top producer. Genetically modified foods have coding that enables crops to become resistant to specific herbicides and pests. But the issue is, is that although there aren't many short term effects-- it is the long term cumulative effect that is of concern!!
4. This is a huge problem for society. GM crops are being spread globally, and it is hard to say how "organic" crops really can be these days. How are we supposed to stop seeds from catching wind and planting in organic fields? Or water run-offs? It is important that we find more data on this issue before releasing it to the world the way it has been-- specially for children, with them being more prone to such changes in diet. It is obviously difficult to know where ALL of your products from a grocery store are coming from, but that is why we need to start addressing this issue out loud. Ask your local grocery store if your produce is GM... if they do not have an adequate answer, you can request that this be done. Everyone can and should have an impact on this issue. 

Read 'n' Seed 1: Harvest for Hope

1. Harvest for Hope
2. Animals to us -- A celebration of cultures -- How we lost commonsense farming -- Seeds of discontent -- Animal factories : farms of misery -- Farming animals : hazards to our health -- Helping farm animals live better lives -- Ravaging the oceans and seas -- Becoming a vegetarian -- Global supermarkets -- Taking back our food -- Protecting our family farmers -- Eat local, eat seasonal -- An organic wave worldwide -- At home and at school : feeding our children -- Obesity, fast food, and waste -- The looming water crisis -- The story of Nebraska -- Harvest for hope.
3. I chose this book because it covers many topics that I don't necessarily know very much about, which in turn intrigues me to read into them. It seems to mention a lot about organically eating, and growing... which I support. I am also against our increasingly obese nation, and our lack of motivation to conserve resources. 
4. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101098.Harvest_for_Hope
http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Hope-Guide-Mindful-Eating/product-reviews/0446698210
http://www.janegoodall.org/product/harvest-hope-hardcover
5. 19 chapters, 286 pages.
Quarter 1: Chap. 1-5
Quarter 2: Chap. 6-10
Quarter 3: Chap. 10-14
Quarter 4: Chap. 14-19

Welcome to Elly Dreams Green!!!

My name is Elly Sturm, currently attending UMD as a Junior. My blog reflects what I've learned throughout my Environmental Health course.

There are 6 possible types of posts on my blog. They include:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Eco-chic Lifestyle Change 
5. Read 'n' Seed
6. Share and Voice

The members of my web group are:

1. brier@lovinnaturewithbrier
2. Kristy@kristysfuninthesunspot
3. Jamie@jamiesaysjump
4. Lauren@laurenspouringrain
5. Mary@blueskiesformary
6. Sarah@takeahikewithsarah

Now you have learned a few basic things about what I plan on accomplishing this semester, and invite you to continue to check out my blog page for new updates!