Food! We talk about it all the time. What shall we eat? Where can we buy it? What’s healthiest, lowest in fat or carbs, cheapest, or just plain tastiest? But the aspect of food we usually discuss least may just be the most interesting and informative. Where does all this food come from?
Did you know that…
- The average food item travels 1,300 miles and changes hands 6 times before you ever get to see it?
- It takes 127 calories of energy to transport 1 calorie of lettuce across the Atlantic Ocean?
- In just 60 short years, between 1920 and 1980, U.S. corn yields increased by a staggering 333%?
All true! In From Farm To Table, take a comprehensive look at modern agriculture and learn where, why and how. From the Neolithic Revolution and the dawn of farming to the rise of industrial agriculture and the Green Revolution, we look at the whole process of food production and distribution.
Using a simple sausage pizza as a springboard, we delve into the diverse worlds of our most basic foodstuffs, such as vegetables and wheat. Find out where different ingredients come from; how they’re grown and harvested; how they’re stored, shipped, and processed; and how they finally wend their way to your local restaurant or grocery store!
We talk to farmers, see how they do their jobs, and learn what initiatives have made their lives easier and what sort of issues concern them. Environmental problems, migrant workers, and irradiation are a few of the issues we touch on.