Recently I've been listening to the book The Omnivore's Dilemma on CD. In it, the author offers a somewhat disturbing description of the industrial form of agriculture our society depends upon these days. I never knew how dependent our food supply is upon corn and soy beans, and I had no idea how dependent these two crops are upon large amounts of petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers. Between the oil that is used to create the fertilizers and to transport foods to destinations around the planet, one fifth of the oil imported into the US is used for agricultural purposes. Pretty incredible!

The author also provides a review of the business of organic farming in the U.S. Suffice it to say that organic farming as it was understood in the 1970s isn't the same as it is in the current day. Many synthetic preservatives used in non-organic foods are also now used with organically grown foods. However, organic farming still doesn't use pesticides or as many of them as in mainstream farming.

If you'd like to learn more about organic farming and related topics, here are a few books to consider. I'll also list some electronic resources as well. Happy eating!

Library Books
Organic baby : simple steps for healthy living / by Kimberly Rider ; photograpghs by Thaya Allyson Gowdy. (Children's Room)
Grub : ideas for an urban organic kitchen / Anna Lappé and Bryant Terry.
The way we eat : why our food choices matter / Peter Singer, Jim Mason.
The organic cook's bible : how to select and cook the best ingredients on the market / Jeff Cox.

Articles Available in the EBSCO Database
"Organic Farming Can Feed the World… Can Conventional Farming?" Natural Life, Sep/Oct2007
"Flamboyant Farming" E Magazine: The Environmental Magazine, Jul/Aug2007
"Organic farming movement catching fire in Mississippi" by John J. Woods in Mississippi Business Journal, 6/4/2007