If you live in a larger city where this movie might come to theaters, I would recommend that everyone see “Food, Inc.“! If you don’t live in a large enough city, put it in your NetFlix queue!

I know what you are thinking “Jenny, I know the food industry is messed up, and isn’t this just more of your crazy vegetarian hippie propaganda?”. I acknowledge the reticence, allow me to just say a few things. When I went to the movie on Sunday, I had just finished The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which, in my review I did admit was quite a beating to slog through, even though ultimately worth it. So when going to this movie I did think to myself: oh great, now I am going to be paranoid some more. And while yes, it is depressing to see the truth about how are food is made (including soy beans – which I probably consume as much of as a meat-eater consumes meat. And eggs, which I also eat), I think it is important to know the facts.

That is part of the reason for this blog – I believe that I have a responsibility to 1) find out the truth about how the things I buy, use, eat, and wear are made, and 2) make decisions about how to spend my time, energy, and money based on how those things are consistent with what I believe is right. Not to live life mindlessly, just taking what is in front of me and never questioning. 1984, anyone? Fahrenheit 451?

This movie tells the truth about how our food is made, and pulls back the veil regarding how 3-4 large corporations actually produce most, if not all, of the food we eat in the United States. And a bonus – if you see this movie, you have basically just read The Way We Eat, Fast Food Nation, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Most of the main points from those books are in this movie, as well as all the authors – Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, and even Joel Salatin from PolyFace Farms (whose farm food we ate while in DC). So you save yourself a lot of time in the 90-something minutes of the film!

The film does not end with despair – it simply reiterates the idea I want to continue to promote: that the things we buy and the way we eat, are all a “vote” to the companies out there as to what they should produce. So, here’s the trailer, now go see this movie!