Class Over All

This class was not what i was expecting out of an english class because of the local foods thing being twisted in and at first i did not like the idea of having an entire class being formulated around one topic but in the end i found this beneficial because every assignment played into one another and made each less work.

Extra Credit

I personally appreciated having the opportunity the extra credit for the portfolio and also having to do the assignment because i liked looking over the work i have had to do for this class because it was not only an english class but it was focused on locally grown foods not something most of normally think about on an everyday basis.

Position Statement

I thought the position statement was a good paper for us to write because we had to pick sides to issues related to topics we don't generally even thing about and we had to have a strong opinion about whether or not we liked it or not This can be proven a challenge but it was a good one because it is something we do every day argue but we had to do it constructively and have it well thought out.

Panels

The second day of panels went well also but it was more controversial and brought up more opposing points then the first day and i think this made it more interesting to watch and closer to an actual debate to watch and you could tell they all felt strongly about there topics and did a very good job of presenting there topics in a professional way.

Panels

I thought the panels on the first day brought less arguments forward but went well it was fun to hear other people opinions on what they thought about things. I also thought it was interesting how everyone on the CAFO panel was against CAFO's but never really thought about how they would change there everyday behaviors to fit with sides they chose.

AOC

i absolutely loved All Over Creation! this story totally drew me in and enthralled me. i loved how realistic the whole story was. i felt like i knew all the characters (partially because we could see their thoughts) and i could feel their frustration, pain, and anger. this story really made the GM debate more real, even if the characters were fictional.

DNGC

i thought that while Dinner at the New Gene Cafe was verrrry boring and drawn out it was a very informative and really helped me to understand the issues of GM foods. i think that it helped that i could alternate reading DNGC with AOC for a break from reality. i think that if i hadn't taken this class i never would have thought too much about the issues with GM vs non-GM, even if i don't personally participate or agree with the debate

"going green"

i think the "green" movement is an interesting phenomenon. it seems to be a fad. as more and more celebrities do it, the general public also tries to decrease their ecological footprint and do things to decrease thier consumption. if it does last, it can really help our planet in the long run but it needs to be something that everyone does all the time - not just some people some of the time.

how DNGC and AOC complemented each other

I thought that DNGC complemented each other very well. DNGC is more objective and informative-- it helps readers of AOC inderstand more about the back story of the debate between GM and non-GM foods. Readers can learn and understand more by understanding the issues of the debate and then apply them to the fictional story of AOC to make the story more real. AOC helps bring DNGC into focus - personalizing the story makes readers feel closer to the debate and shows how this issue can affect every aspect of the lives of real people. The two books kind of complete one another - reading both of them helps the reader understand both stories even more.

panels

I thought that the panels were a good way for the whole class to learn about each topic area without each individual having to create a seperate presentation. it worked much better and showed the knowledge of each individual on the panel because answering questions showed how the students understood of their topic area and that they learned more than just the specifics of their paper.

I thought panel went well today. I was really interested in the Ethanol discussion. I didn't know much about this topic and the students did well in explaining it.

Panels Today

I thought that the panels went well today and the ethanol panel especially was very interactive and interesting. These panels were a very interesting and educational class project, something different from the everyday class schedule.
On another note I wish you all the best with your finals and final papers. Hope that you have a fun summer and good luck in all that you do. It's been a fun semester and I have really enjoyed the class. OK well see you around campus. :)

Panel day 2

I thought today's panel was quite interesting, and the ethanol panel seemed to be the most informative and free-flowing out of all of the panels. There were a lot more follow up questions and very inquisitive minds in the class. I felt I got to put in my two cents worth, and I think everybody on the panel gave very valuable information and made valid points.

today 5-1

The panels werent nearly as nerv racking as I thought they were going to be. I thought that the Ethanol panel did really well today I learned alot that I did not know before. Good luck to everyone on their finals, the rest of college, and your future career. Now I have to go make a bunch of changes to my position statement. Have a Great Summer!

Post 05/01

I thought that today's lesson was very informative. I was on the ethanol panel, and prior to writing my position statement on ethanol the only thing that I knew about ethanol was that it was basically gasoline made form corn. The panel discussion was informative, and it allowed us to present some information on ethanol that is not well known. The GMO panel also did a great job, especially since they only had two people on their panel. Overall I would have to say that the panel discussion were very informative and a good experience. It allowed us to become temporary experts in our fields of study (in my case ethanol). We were able to take a position and then defend it in front of an audience. This will wind up being a valuable skill if any of us ever have to defend a position statement pertaining to oir careers. Good luck with the rest of your college education everyone.


Later
Garrett B.

Panels

I thought Tuesday's panel was quite interesting between the Organic and Conventional Farming panel. I was a little surprised that nobody could really give a decent answer to Dr. Sullivan's question and comments though, and that everybody was one-sided on the issue completely. I'm looking forward to the next panel on ethanol. I am opposed to the use of it, especially corn-based ethanol, and feel it is somewhat of a scam. I think that there is just too much time, money, and effort thrown into ethanol, and it just doesn't live up to the hype. I am sure a lot will be said on the topic in the panel.

I thought the first panel day went well. I didn't really know what to expect when going up there. I think each student did well in answering questions and i look forward to hearing what the next panel has to day. see you thursday!

Panels

I agree with the previous entry. The conventional vs. organic farming panel was very intense. There was a little moment of the awkward silence going on when Dr. Sullivan added some points. But I thought panel day was really good. I guess, I was expecting way more for the position statement but they were straight forward. I'm not as nervous as I thought I was going to be. But I'm glad that my group goes the second day. Panel (day 1) you all did a great job!

First Panel Day and stuff

I thought that our first panel day went quite well and was very informative and interesting. Although it got a bit tense in the room during the organic vs. conventional panel, other than that I found it interesting and am looking forward to Thursday's panel day. It's a nice change from just sitting in class or working on projects. Gives us a little break to engage in our work I believe.
Also I have been working on my position statement and have found it somewhat of a challenge, which is silly because this paper is more personal opinion than anything yet I think because it is my last paper to write for the semester it's become harder to compose. Anyways Just some thoughts. See you all in class.

Panels

I thought panels today were very, thats say interesting. I learned alot about the two topics that we discussed (Animal Confinement & Organic vs. Conventional Farming). Its pretty much about opinion. Some of the stuff is pretty far fetched. Not to pick on Animal confinement panel or anything but when you said that we need to go back to having more farms and stuff, theres just no way that can every or will happen because all those farmers quit because it costs some much to farm. And then you want the to build building that give animals enough room to move while the farm has like 5000 pigs or 10000 chickens. By the time the get the building built it will come to over 2 Million dollars. You have to think about cost and all that other stuff.
I dont know thats just what I was thinking. Hope everyone has a wonderful evening and a good day tomorrow.
See you in class on Thursday!

Post 04/29

I thought that today's class was interesting. It was nice to have these panel discussions because panel discussions are so important in politics, for example a presidential debate is like a panel discussion. The other thing I liked about these panel discussions is that I don't have to go until thursday, and now I have the benefit of being able to better prepare myself for the panel. The next benefit of this discussion is that since our position statements are not due until next week, we are able to better predict counter arguments that we would come across in our position statement, which could help us make our arguments stronger in our postition statements.

Position Statement

Writing this position statement is kind of hard. It's hard to summarize a lot of this information into something smaller. There's so many things about ethanol that can be said these days. I just wanted to also say good luck to the people on panel today. You'll do just fine. The year is comin to an end. It has been fun getting to know everyone. Hope your next years to come are great. English 120 with Dr. Sullivan taught me a lot about environmental concerns. Sometimes it makes you think what is to come if we didn't do anything.

Good morning

Hello everyone,

So I'm still up. I'm trying to pump out a few more pages of my position statement. I've already gotten my portfolio collected. It didn't take much extra work really. I encourage everyone to get it done by Thursday.

Well... I just wanted to make a quick post before I go back to my paper.

And yay!.... I'm excited for breakfast in the dining center in 45 minutes.

:D

See you guys for class in about.... eight hours.

I hope everyone is prepared for panel!

Portfolio

I started working on my portfolio, and I just keep coming back to the fact that I am so glad that Dr. Sullivan allowed us to put extra credit on it. It may be easy enough for us to whip together but any chance at extra credit is something you cant pass up. I also finished my position statement and for some reason it was tougher to write than i thought it was going to be. I also wonder if i did it the way Dr. Sullivan wanted it to be done and suff like that.
Good Luck to everyone with panels tomorrow.

I also am glad we are getting extra credit for our portfolio it will help a lot. After class last Thursday i thought it would be a lot to do but really it has not been that bad and i do not feel very overwhelmed yet. Also agree with the how putting our position statements on Fargo Local Foods was a good opportunity for us. It gave us an extra incentive to work harder and want to receive a better grade on it.
Ashley

position statement & portfolio

I am almost done writing my position statement. I feel that it went ok, but I guess I still have alot to do to it to make it as good as I want it. I am really glad like most of the rest of you are, that Dr. Sullivan allowed us to get extra credit on our portfolio. The extra credit will really come in handy. I showed some of my family and some of the people I know from back home the fargo local foods website, and they are glad that Dr. Sullivan publishes some of our work on the website. They think that not enough kids get the chance to get recognized for all their hardwork, even if it is only a school assignment.

I am very glad Dr. Sullivan has given us the opportunity to earn more extra credit points for doing a portfolio. It's a helpful way to gain more points easily. Just like others, I have been working hard at my position statement. I have found that it is very easy to research information on conventional farming. I can't wait to hear others students side on the issue.

Class discussion today and Portfolio

Once again I am like 10 min into the next day, but then again i never have been good at deadlines i guess.
Today's class was very informative and it was good to have a review of MLA style because even though it is basic information, everyone can use a little memory refreshing now and then. I also thought that it was nice of Dr. Sullivan to let us vote on the Portfolio assignment. Although from our squabbling and debating today I can see that debates next week are going to be interesting and perhaps even fun with so many individual minds and ideas floating around the class room. See you all in class on Tuesday. Good luck on your position statements, I know I haven't even started writing it yet so am sure there are a few others who haven't as well. :)

Class Today

I am also really glad that Dr. Sullivan went over the guidelines for citation and some examples. It made me remember some of the things that i have forgotten. I cant say that i am looking forward to panels next week, but i think that it will be interesting to hear whatever has to say about their different topics. I am not one for talking in front of people but i guess you got to do what you got to do. Anyway I am really glad on what we decided as a class today about the portfolios. The extra credit will come in really handy, considering I get any. Well have a great weekend and see you in class on Tuesday.

Panel

I'm becoming a little excited about panel next week. It seems like a really great idea to make us become informed on our topics. We don't just have to write it out, we actually have to understand it and be able to explain ourselves. I don't mean to sound like I'm jumping up and down about it but it isn't the worst thing in the world, right?

I'm looking forward to listening to everyone's sides on the issues.

See you all in class on Tuesday.

Post 04/24

I thought that today's class period was interesting. I liked how Dr. Sullivan let us vote on whether or not we wanted to do the last assignment or not. That was pretty cool. I think that the last assignment will be well worth doing because it is 100 points that are fairly easy to earn, so why not just do it? I thought that it was helpful that he went over some of the citation guidelines for our position statements because I know that I had a lot of citations in the position statement that I wrote, and It's good to know how to properly cite your sources. The only thing that I forgot to ask about was how to do a citation with an Internet source when page numbers are not readily available for some of these documents. The last thing I wanted to comment on is I hope the panel discussions go well next week. It should be a good time and hopefully we will get some good conversation and debate out of it.

Position Statement

I am writing my position statement on ethanol. It is very hard to choose a side to be on because there are good things and bad things about the fact of having ethanol. This is kind of a difficult assignment because you just dont know how the world would actually turn out if we were to go all ethanol. Would it be a positive impact or a negative one? I guess right now i'm more against it just becuase I know how the world was when we didnt deal with ethanol in our gas but its really hard to say.

ethanol

I'm writing my position statement on pro-ethanol. It's a little odd, however, because I don't really feel that way. I've found it easier to consider the opposition though because that's how I feel. Now I'm trying my hardest to prove myself wrong. I want to see what's really good about ethanol.

Anyway, I just wanted to add something about that.

And if anyone doesn't know where the non-ethanol gas is in town... it's conveniently available the loaf n jug near the campus.

positions

I am really excited to do these position statements. I really hope to learn a lot more about the four topics next week! I am glad we got to see the examples of how they should look, it really helped me a lot. Hopefully it won't be to hard to write!

Going Green projects, postion statement, and other odds and ends

So once again, I post the day after class, hope this still will work, I always forget until the next day, so anyways. I write for the spectrum and with our class talking about the going green project and organic and such I found it interesting that I was assigned to write an article for the spectrum about the AIAS group and their recycle receptacles that they designed and will build over the summer to replace the 'wishing wells' around campus to recycle glass, plastic, paper and much more. I hadn't really thought that this "Green Movement" was taking off but with local food, organic farming, recycling, and all these projects and organizations working to help the environment I realize how important it is that we keep sustaining our natural resources and help to preserve this world for future generations. This English class has really opened my eyes to issues such as GMOs and Organic Farming.
Also, I am doing my position statement on CAFOSand seem to be having some trouble finding any positive articles about the issue. If anyone knows of a good pro-CAFOS site I would greatly appreciate the info. Thanks :)
Another thing that I just wanted to jot down was that this week is Earth Week in case you didn't know which I am sure everyone does by now, anyways I found it interesting that we had the no tray day yesterday. I mean yes we didn't use as much water but yet we used water that we don't usually use to was the tubs that the excess food and each different utensil was put into and for the wiping down of the tables due to the excess mess caused by the absence of the trays. Just a thought. See you all in class.

4/23

I am glad that Dr. Sullivan had us go through those position statement that he found on the internet yesterday because it gave me an idea on how the paper should be written. Like Garrett i believe that the panels are a great way to show the good and the bad about the topics that we will be debating. It will give everyone a better idea of what the topics consist of and if it is the way to go. We arent all going to agree with each other and thats what is going to make it intersting.

Post 04/22

I liked the fact that we will have a panel discussion in this class. I think that this is a good idea because it will allow us to debate topics that are important in the world today. That is the nice thing about these position statements, they allow us to pick a somewhat narrowed topic and explain why that topic is good or bad. I think that out of all of the papers that we have had to write, the proposal and the position statement are my two favorite because they apply to the real world. I don't believe that I will ever write a profile on anyone (its still a good thing to know) which is why I like using these papers to learn sound rhetoric. Overall I have to say that I am satisfied with this English class because I think I have learned a lot more in this class than I have in most other English courses. The other thing I wanted to comment on is how I set up my position statement. I basically used a five paragraph format essay, except each one of my main points can be split up into more than one paragraph, because I feel it will allow me to express my thoughts more clearly.

Just like Alyssa, I have to question why everyone isn't "Going Green." I noticed today the MSNBC is hosting a "Go Green" week, but I also believe that it's just like a diet or fashion fad. It doesn't last long in most households. If it were, we might actually start seeing some effects from it.

Local Food Movements

I'm all for buying local food when possible and practical. But what if I want local pineapple and local guava? I like lettuce for salads and for putting on a burger, but it's pretty hard for lettuce to grow here in December with short days, and lettuce sure doesn't freeze very well. Pineapple and other tropical fruits don't grow here, unless one builds a rather large facility to do so. The simple fact is that we grow what we can here with the growing season we have to work with, and we have centered our production on the things we grow best, and trade for the other things we can't grow or don't grow well. Southern Texas's Valleys don't want to waste their land and other resources growing things like wheat when other things are far more efficient and profitable, notably fresh produce and vegetables that we like in the winter time. The ideas of growing the crops suited best to our area was described best in Adam Smith's (considered the father of modern economics) Wealth of Nations book. Our system of production is far from perfect but it's the most reasonable we have given the conditions we have to work with.

campus

I was just noticing around campus all of the things we are trying to do to recycle this spring. And also all of the things we are doing to clean up campus. They had a special day for anyone who wanted to help could make the campus a better looking place. Also in the lunch room they are trying not to use trays for a day to recycle. I think it good that our campus is trying to move forward and put recycling into everyday life.

youtube video

Hello everyone.... So, I was youtubing and found this amusing video about local food.

It's like one of those old short films about how things work.

"Hey there Timmy..."

Anyway, I just wanted to post it for fun.

:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPct1usF8oA

Profile

I really enjoyed doing this assignment. I learned a lot more about how people support local foods. I never knew there were so many local foods groups. i am glad that we did interviewed people that we didn't know and not our class mates. It was a better experience and a lot more informational about local foods!

Profile Assignment

So... I seem to be posting quite a bit tonight but I wanted to write one more post on the profile assignment we did.

Truthfully, when I found out that I would have to find someone to interview in the community, I was very discouraged. Some of my friends, who took English 120 last semester, only had to write a profile on a fellow classmate.

After completing the assignment, however, I believe it was a really great experience.

I interviewed Dean Hornbacher, a relative of mine I have never met before. It gave me the opportunity to learn more about my family history. It also forced me out of my comfort zone a little bit. And... it seemed a lot more legit I guess? I don't know... that's not really the word I want to use. It just seemed important I suppose. Although I was a little intimidated, I know it was a good experience.

I think this was a lot better than simply writing the profile on a classmate.

Going green

It seems that everyone seems to be jumping on the Go Green bandwagon. I have been watching HGTV this evening and they keep having shows about having an eco-friendly house. Also, Wal-Mart is having a lot of commercials about buying green. Even my dorm newsletter is filled with suggestions about helping the planet. These newsletters are posted all over the bathroom walls with top ten ways to go green.

Number seven on the top ten go green list was buy local food.

This seems like such an obvious solution that more people should consider. The cut down on gas used to transport the food across the country would be an enormous change.

But my point is... Why does everyone seem so obsessed about "Going Green" but not many people seem to be in on it?

SARC Film

Today, I attended the second week of the SARC film festival. The movie "Broken Limbs" was shown. It depicted the lives of many farmers in the Washington State area. The small apple farms there are having a lot of hardships. It was narrated by Guy Evans and also included personal interviews with numerous members of the farming community.

The event was surprisingly interesting. I admit that I wasn't very excited about it before I went but I actually enjoyed the film. It was probably something I might have stopped to watch if I was channel surfing. I encourage you guys to check it out next Sunday.

I don't think it was advertised to the campus at all though. I suggest hanging fliers on some of the bulletin boards around here. Also, I thought Dean Holtz was an interesting speaker but it seemed to drag on a bit. I found it hard to concentrate when he went off on so many tangents as well.

animal confinement

Just to get this out there and I guess to give youo an idea of why animals such as pigs, chickens, and even some times dairy cows are in confinement situations. Pigs pretty much have to be, 100%, confined. I dont agree with this really either because they never see the outside world during their entire being, but their in confinement for a big reason. If you eat pork this would concern you more than if you dont. Pigs are very suceptible to disease which is why they are in confinement where the chance of them getting a disease is not that likely. People do not want to eat pork from a diseased animal in fact animals that have diseases cant be butchered. Chickens have to be confined, I mean how else is there a way to keep track of 15,000 chickens or more. Its not totally the right thing to due but right now in this day and age there is no other way. If there is please tell me. Dairy cows can spend alot of time in a barn or no time except when milking. Dairy cows are extremely pampered. They get all the feed and water they want, they live in some of the cleanest barns and its all for one reason, Sanitation. They may tie their tails up but it is so that they dont get manure on the udders which could possibly get into the milk that you drink. Everything is for a reason, even though we may not agree with it. But if you extremely disagree to the point where you are protesting and being an activist then i suggest that you quit protesting and come up with a better way that animals should be raised. When you think about it and you think about the sanitation, and disease. its hard to come up with a better way to keep these animals. Sure Pigs could have way bigger pens, but when you raise over 2000 pigs plus the offspring it would cost to much to make pens like that. There is some much to consider when righting about animal confinement. But i wish both Ashley and Amanda the best of luck with it.

Profile person

I also thought it was beneficial for us to meet someone in the community. It was interesting to learn from others perspective what farming in this community is like. It makes it easier for us to have a first hand look on the impact they have on the community and it's members. It was also good for us to have to do an actual interveiw because it gave us first hand experience, instead of doing someone in out class, even though that would have been easier and more convenient.

postion statement and random thoughts

I decided to switch to Animal Confinement Feeding Operations for my position statement topic as I feel that it is a topic that I can write more personally about than bio fuels because of my love for animals. I haven't really started looking for sources all that much yet but from what I have found it seems that these confinement plants or operations are extremely cruel to their livestock, I mean what animals wants to stand 24-7 on a cement floor with not a lick of daylight available. Not many or any at that matter. This topic I feel will be both disturbing and interesting topic to write about and I feel that my position statement paper will develop quite rapidly after all the research is obtained.
On another note I was intrigued by how many people from the class will be writing about ethanol, and organic vs conventional and surprised that those were my first two ideas as well. It's funny how certain topics tend to stick out in classes. Personally I feel that these were the main topics due to the books and their topics that we read for this class. Both books focused on organic vs conventional and a little on bio fuels although i believe that all the topics were in some way or another connected to the book topics for the class.
One other thing before I get back to writing my literature essay is that I agree with those who say that the profile assignment in a way gave you, well not so much a friend, but another acquaintance or person that you feel you know. After doing my profile on Lynn Brakke I feel that I somehow have known him for some time, which isn't true, but the fact that we gain so much knowledge from one person in a small amount of time really plays with your mind is a sense that you have this persons whole life story that you have familiarized yourself with and now know perhaps by heart a few life facts. Anyways the assignment really broadens a persons horizons and perspectives on things.

Post 04/17

I thought todays class was pretty interesting. It sounds like the majority of the class has picked to write on one of two issues, either ethanol or farming techniques. I think this is a good thing because it should make our panel discussion a lot more in depth. The one thing I keep thinking about is how some people say that Ethanol uses more energy than it can produce. When researching this I found that some articles said that ethanol can actually produce more energy than it uses in its production. This was from a relatively new study, but then again I have also found data that indicates that Ethanol does not produce more energy than it uses in its production. The other thing I liked was the "idea field" that was inroduced. He used concepts from physics that I understand, this combined with the diagram that he drew helped me to understand stasis a little better. I though it was good way to inroduce the idea.

Position Statement

I have decided to use organic vs. conventional farming as my topic for our position statements. After spending my whole life on a farm in Southwestern North Dakota, I feel that I can relate well to this topic. I have learned a lot throughout my research and find some of the things I read very interesting. It's kind of a funny thing too. If I see something in my reading that catches my eye, I will call up my dad and ask, is that how you do it? or do you use this? So, its really brought some important facts to my attention that I hope to share with all of you.

Profile and Position Statement

Working on this profile project was actually really interesting. Its almost like you make a new friend because you learn so much about them even if its not part of your information. I wrote about Marte Stensli from Doyon, ND. She was really interesting to write about. She came from Norway so it was really hard to understand her with her hard accent. But then I got to hear about her history and learned that her mom was the first woman to own a farm in Norway (not a man). She was just a really interesting person to write about.

For my position statement paper, I thought about writing on ethanol, knowing there's so much information on it these days. I thought it would be a very diverse subject to go with because there are various important pros and cons to the subject. The harder part is focusing on kind of a main area of ethanol, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Monsanto Video

I watched half of the video that Dr. Sullivan sent out to all of our emails. And I just keep thinking that everyone keeps putting Monsanto down and sometimes it is rightfully so. But I also think that they are not the only company that has done thing wrong or the only company to do something that might be harmful to the enviroment. Its just that most countries dont get caught doing that stuff. It took 50 years before they found out that monsanto was doing things wrong. I think that Monsanto has done a lot of things wrong, but everyone does. And they have done a lot of good things to. Especially for the farmers.

profile and position statement comments

I met with Dr. Sullivan last Friday and like everyone else we discussed my profile on Lynn Brakke and my position statement idea. I found Lynn's life to be very interesting and got a little carried away with the writing as you know if you were in class last Tuesday.
I was thinking about what to write my position statement on and have come down to two topic choices, either Bio fuels (biodiesel in particular) or Conventional farming vs organic farming. I find that the bio fuels industry is taking off and is very interesting as well as an important figure in keeping our natural resources available for future generations. As of now I am still not entirely sure on where I stand when it comes to organic vs conventional but perhaps I can come to a decision and draw my position statement from that. As I have been doing my research I have noticed that there are several myths that go along with both organic and conventional farming as far as yields are concerned. I have yet to find a whole lot on biodiesel but haven't really look too hard so I am sure the info is out there cause now a days you can find anything on Google.
I also just wanted to say that this class links assignments to everyday life and not just textbooks which is a very interesting way of teaching.
I was talking to my boyfriend this past weekend about my final assignment (position statement) in my English 120 class and noticed as we were talking that he was wearing a bio fuels had so I asked him where he got it and he said from a place that he had to deliver soil samples for work to. Then we got to talking about how big the bio fuels industry was becoming and how the biodiesel industry was taking off and all that good stuff. It got me thinking about how relevant our English assignments really were to everyday life.
OK well before I write a complete novel just wanted to share that little story with you. See you on Thursday everyone.

ND organic grains/livestock

I did my profile on Terry & Janet Jacobson in Wales, ND, which is closer to where I'm from. They are quite a few miles west and out of the valley, but they have been raising "organic" grains for many years now. They also have a small cattle operation and direct market their processed beef locally and already serve the Fargo area. They also have quite a few lambs that they sell at about a year, and also sell that locally. If any one has an interest in purchasing grass-fed meat, you can contact Jacobson's directly at 701.283.5195 or noutback@utma.com. I'm not sure they direct market their grains, but it is possible that they would sell small amounts to anyone interested. Most of their production is sold to various companies to be milled.

I met with Dr. Sullivan today about my profile and about what I want to write my position statement on. I have decided to go with GMO Crops. There is such a wide variety of information and I dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. There are so many things to consider: how it affects the enviroment, are GMO crops safe to eat, does it actually benefit the farmer??? All these things came up. Hopefully they work in my favor for my position statement. I hope that you all found your conferences with Dr. Sullivan as beneficial to you as I did.

Post 04/15

I know we are supposed to be writing a post about something we discussed or did in class, but we didn't have class today. I had my conference with Dr. Sullivan the other day and I thought that it was really helpful to have his input on our profiles. Now I am starting to write my position statement for the class. I am writing about the benefits of Ethanol production and I am having a hard time finding sources that are 100% in support of Ethanol. I suppose this is a good thing because a lot of this information is non biased, so I can arrive at my conclusion easier. Also, I noticed that some information pertaining to the production of Ethanol can also be found in DNGC. For example, I found an article that talked about how scientists at MIT are genetically engineering corn plants that have a higher yield for Ethanol production. The same type of information can be found in both books, which makes me trust my sources a little more.

Ardith Brunt

I got the chance to meet with my profile subject last week, Ardith Brunt. She's a wonderful woman who teaches health and nutrition classes at NDSU. I have the opportunity of being her student. I chose her not only because she is a great teacher, but I also wanted to know more about her life. She informed me about her history and her education. I learned a lot from this woman and I am happy we got the opportunity to do this assignment. I had fun with it.

Thor Selland

For my profile person I interview Thor Selland, he is a local grower who lives between Fargo and Grand Forks. If any of you had people who were interested in buying local foods I think he would be interested in having new customers His contact info is:
Thor Selland
Red Goose Gardens
PO Box 157 Shelly, MN 56581
218.886.6281

Blog Post 04/13

I was able to interview Mark Askegaard last weekend for our profile assignments. To be honest, I know that many of the other english classes only interview their classmates and then write a profile on them, but I was actually kind of glad that we were able to interview someone from the Fargo/Moorhead community. It was interesting to hear Mark talk about his life and how he got involved in farming. I think that it is a good thing that NDSU students get to know their community a little better, and assignments like these seem to help get the students our there. I was glad I had the opportunity to get to know one of Fargo/Moorheads best organic wheat, flax, and soy beans farmer. It was a positive experience and I think I will be able to write a better profile because of it.

Noreen Thomas

I had the pleasure of interviewing Noreen Thomas for my Profile assignment. She is a very interesting person and deals with local food and food production all over the world. Her and her Husband Lee have a far just outside of Moorhead where they give classes on many things ranging from GPS classes to cooking classes. They also give tours of the farm to show you how they run the organinc operation. On my farm back home we use chemicals on our crops and our beef isnt organic either, but I have a lot of respect for the people that make organic farming work. I also think that everyone has a riht to plant how they want to wether conventional or organinc, we are in the land of the free!
Anyway i encourage you all if you have time this spring, summer, or fall to take a trip out to Noreen and Lee's farm. I promise that you will walk away with great knowledge as to how organic farm are ran.

DNGC

I agree with some readers about DNGC. I personally found it a boring book to read, but that goes to show that the topic doesn't interest me much. I will say, that it was very informational, I learned a lot about GMOs and the companies, and it made me question some things about it. I think it is a very good book for a reader interested in learning more about the topic.

Final thoughts on AOC

Like most of us, I also enjoyed All Over Creation. I liked the storyline and most of all the characters. It was easy for me to connect to each character throughout the book. The author developed each character very well, and it made the reader able to develop their picture of the story. I really enjoyed Lloyd's character. He seemed like a tough, yet sentimental man. Yummy on the other hand, was not one of my favorite characters. She was a poor mother to her children and seemed to always think of herself before others, especially her children. Although it wouldn't have been a book that I would pick up and read on my own, I am glad we read it. It was very enjoyable.

DNGC

After contemplating the spread of GMO's for a while it seems to me that the US government is partially to blame. The government has halted gene splicing in animals, why would they not be just as cautious with plants, and institute a very extensive approval process, or even consult with the general population through a vote?

DNGC Final Chapters

Maybe it's just the way I was raised, but I have a hard time when people resort to riots and destruction as they did in Seattle. Aren't there more productive ways to getting publicity and to spread their cause rather than restort to destroying things? Somebody has to clean their messes up. From where I came from, most people are turned off by rioters and ending up opposing the rioters' cause--simply because they destroyed a lot in their cause. I'm personally not a big fan of "globalization" either, but I think there are better ways to oppose it. Although it isn't always the case, free trade can sometimes be a double edged sword.

End of AOC

Phoenix, Yumi's 15 year old son, wanted to join the rioters in Seattle, and he wanted to run away with the Seeds of Destruction. When he informed his mom he wanted to leave with them, Yumi actually did her son a parental favor by not treating him as a child, and instead as his own individual. I was impressed by that. She actually did something parentally constructive as a parent, by talking with her son, and letting him decide for himself which path he was going to take. It's not uncommon for adults to try to force their children into submission, and ultimately the child rebels and goes against his parents wishes. Yumi did the right thing by treating her son as an individual.

DNGC-Chapter 19

Like quite a few others have pointed out, I find this book much harder to read than AOC. In AOC I can connect with the characters and the story playing out, whereas in DNGC I have a hard time paying attention. However, I think it's been good to learn more about the issues presented in this book, especially because I grew up on a farm and didn't know as much about these issues as I should. One thing I appreciate in DNGC is all the research Lambrech has done. He's traveled all over the world to learn more about the subject by interview people first hand and attend meetings. This helps me realize the vastness of this subject.

Ending of AOC

I enjoyed reading this book, especially because each character was unique. I was very happy with Frankie's decision to let Will and Cass adopt Tibet, not only because Will and Cass wanted a baby so much, but because Frankie did what was best for Tibet. It'd be so hard to give up your baby, but I was impressed with his thought put into this decision. It seems like Frankie has grown up alot over the course of the book, unlike Yumi. Another person who I thought has grown up over the book was Phoenix. I liked how he thought about his decision on whether to join the Seeds or stay with his mom. I have a hard time trying to understand Yumi and Elliot, however. I wish Yumi would be there for her kids more, and Elliot it just so uncompassionate. Does he understand the pain he's caused, not to mention Lloyd's heart attack? All in all, though, it was a great book.

AOC complete

Wow.
I've just finished All Over Creation, and Frankie's letter from Seattle makes me think that when I briefly moved there, I should have gone earlier; I could have involved myself in the demonstrations there. I went the following June, and by then it was nearly-forgotten history in the minds of those I met. I suppose, though, that it wouldn't have really been fruitful for me to have been there during that time, since I've never been particularly political. Now, however, I'm inspired to try to learn more about the events of that time and place.
That was an excellent story, and after reading the acknowledgements after the end, I'm glad to know that the author's parents were quite different from those she wrote for Yumi.

DNGC 19

I have to admit, I have been struggling through Dinner at the New Gene Cafe this whole semester. Sometimes, I even find that I have to read outloud so I can process it. I find myself drifting from the words as I read and then I stop and have no idea what I just "read". Anyway, I thought I had a point when I started to ramble. I was just making a note that I relate to the narrative story so much more. I feel connected to the characters in All Over Creation, therefore, I want to read more and more. I know DNGC is necessary though because it gives a wordlier perspective on the issues.

Oh, and I should write about the chapter too I suppose? The positive, I really enjoyed the pictures (I know, I sound like a little kid. But I actually look forward to the pics because it helps me stay interested.) And also the different perspectives were interesting.

AOC

I was just thinking about the symbolism in All Over Creation. Specifically, I was remembering how the Fuller's seeds seemed to have represented Yumi.

When I read the scene where Llloyd was in the hospital having hallucinations about the terminator, I immediately connected that with Yumi. The Terminator, Elliot, was after his precious seeds, Yumi.

Throughout the entire book Elliot helped bring Yumi down. She did a lot of that on her own but Elliot was responsible as well.

As a whole, the book had many deeper meanings. I really enjoyed it.

And I so almot cried when Charmey died!!! :((((((((

DNGC Chap 21

I also think this was a good chapter to end with, but it also does not really change my opinion when shopping. I think it would take a lot to change something like that and I would really would have had to start caring a while ago. It might have an impact on me later when I am trying to shop for a family or something..

DNGC Chap 20

I thought this chapter was good because it shows people actually do care. It's hard to see people coming together for common causes sometimes but this issue it growing and it proving to be a bigger and bigger deal every time. Its nice to see people come together for a cause that actually will matter some day.

DNGC Chap 19

I would agree with the long and drawn out part sometimes its hard to read this book and comprehend it because you forget right away and it could be because GMO's was not a big thing for me and not something I even thought about before I came into this class. This chapter is interesting to read because of all the different political views and the solutions they came up with, and it's nice to see different sides of the story.

DNGC Chap 21

I felt that this chapter was a good pick for the last chapter of the book as it got the reader thinkign and left us with ideas and questions about GMOs.
Throughout this book we were introduced to Monsanto and the other large and fairly monstrous companies of pesticides and GMO products that we can now become more aware of and ponder upon.
Personally I will still shop and buy the products that I purchased before learning about these companies and about GMOs but for others that like to have all organic I feel that it would be nice and considerate for the products to have labels that indicate if they are organic or Genetically modified.

DNGC Chap 20

We see how much of a mess GMO's can make when protestors take to the streets. The incident in Seattle was very much a mess and jumble of things.
I also found some symbolism and irony when the global organization presented it's "Earth Wrecker" award to Monsanto. I'm not sure if that was a joke award or a real one but the irony and symbolism with the awards name was very interesting to me. The definition of a wrecker is essentially to demolish or destroy something so an award with the name 'Earth Wrecker' just dosnt seem appealing to me and when given to a large company like monsanto you would think that that would send some sort of message to them.
Also I just wanted to say that the last sentence in Chapter 20 is very true, food does bring people together and unifys them. Just think of Christmas or Thanksgiving or any of the holidays for that matter which are one of the few times that families will join together and share a meal and converse during the year.

DNGC Chap 19

This chapter was interesting in the sense that it gave a more worldly/governmental view of GMOs and such. It was interesting to see how the different deligates viewed GMOs and how the issues were resolved or were attempted to be resolved by the groups and state representatives. DNGC has been an interesting and yet somewhat boring and drawn out book. It may be that I am not so much interested in the GMO issues addressed in the book or that it just isnt fiction not sure. However there were several chapters that were very interesting to read and think about.

Monsanto the Monster

I had never heard of Monsanto before this semester, and after reading about them, I'm horrified and appalled at their business practices. How could someone possibly think that messing around with the building blocks of life would not be controversial? Why is it that when a company reaches a certain size, they start to do evil things, and mutate into an abominable corporation? Is our money lust so great that we are willing to sacrifice, or even attack the wellbeing of others? I blame the parents.

End of AOC

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I really like how much detail they put into the stories. It made them seem like you were almost there. I really enjoyed the ending and I am also happy that Cass and Will got Frankie's daughter. I also thought it was interesting how in the end Phenoix became more of the grown up towards his mother.

last post

I have no idea why 'decisions in life' is highlighted in my last post it's not something I intended so dosnt mean any like emphasis or anything. Ok well just wanted to let you all know.

The end of AOC

I enjoyed reading this book and found that a lot of life's troubles were brought up and examined in this book which made it interesting and enjoyable to read. I finished reading the book yesterday and had some theories about a few relationships from the book that I thought would be interesting to bring up.
First there is Geek and Yumi, it's sad how Yumi didn't see how geek felt towards the middle of the book. Their relationship is a very interesting one when you see how they are always there for each other but neither one really knows how to comfort or relate to the other one in that perfect manner. It appears that they will become or stay good friends with very different views of the world and life but that's what makes life interesting right, friends who are different and who still care no matter what.
Then there is Phoenix and Yumi, a mother and son relationship that has a very strange twist to it. Here the son seems to be taking care of the mother more so than the other way around. When Phoenix gets the idea to leave and go "runaway" with the seeds I was sure he was going to do it. But when he actually talked with his mom and thought about it he saw how much he meant to her and how she needed him. As he stated when Lilth asked him if we was going with them. Yumi seems to have a hard time concealing her grief when Phoenix confronts her about leaving but it very grateful that she has raised a son who can actually think through his decisions in life unlike she could at the age of 15. This shows just how strong a relationship children have with their parents no matter the circumstances.
Frank and Tibet or Betty as Cass calls her at the end of the book have another interesting and very touching relationship. Neither one is old enough to realize the importance of this relationship to its full extent but they both seem to have a certain feeling for it. Frank sends a letter to Tibet (Betty) at the end of the book and from the way he writes it you can tell how he loves and cherishes his daughter but how he also writes as if she were a close friend. I am sure that if there was a sequel to AOC that this relationship would be a very interesting and beautiful one to read about as the years passed by. I also thought it very symbolic how Cass changed Tibet's name and talked about her father changing the world. It just seems like it would lead up to some big event or future adventure that we have no way of knowing about but can only imagine.
These were just a few ideas that popped into my head and so I thought I would share them with you.

Ending of AOC

I was reading Perry's comment about people with real problems. And I really liked this about book because the real problems make the characters seem more real and makes the book easier to read because it brought the problems of the world in. This book was good and I liked how it brought everyday realities in and made it easy to relate to.

Ending of AOC

I really enjoyed the book, but did Charmey have to die so suddenly? Why couldn't they have found the guy who did it instead of letting the murderer off the hook? All in all, a good book, with some people with real problems, but I feel that the only person who made a dramatic change in their life was Frankie, perhaps she could have had Yumi make a more significant change in her life. That's just my opinion.

Finished AOC

After having read some of the posts on the blog, I would have to agree with Ashley about Elliot. It was odd how he kept showing up throughout the book at the Fuller's farm to talk to Yumi even though he had caused them so much pain. Again I would like to reiterate that I thought this was a good book. I did appreciate the ending, especially how Frankie decided to give up his daughter to Cass and Will. I thought this was a really grown up decision for a 17 year old father to make. Even at such a young age he was still more mature than Yumi seemed to be throughout the whole book. As I mentioned in my previous post, I liked how the author took the time to research much of the information for her book.

AOC

I also finished AOC today, and over all I liked the book and appreciated everything it incorporated at different levels. Throughout the book one of the issues we have to overcome as a reader and Will and Cass have to over come as characters is their inability to have children and it was resolved by Frankie. I was surprised when Frankie gave up his daughter to them and relieved that he made a good decision. This issue seemed to have an effect on Cass’s attitude towards every situation, good or bad, but I was excited that they have the chance to be parents. I found this book easy to read and was never board while reading because there was always another surprise.

Elliot

When reading the previous post about Elliot I was wondering the same things. Throughout the book I was not a huge fan of Elliot, and I think it’s because of the way he was introduced to us and his previous actions. I was surprised when he was at the funeral because in a way he caused the most pain and he was the root of all the families’ problems. Maybe it was to show remorse? Or to show that he actually knew that he did things wrong? Or maybe it was to show he knows that the things he did in the past were wrong but it was in the past and he has gotten over and so should everyone else?

March 25

I decided to go ahead and finish All Over Creation today and I thought I might as well write a post about it, so here goes. I did find it interesting that towards the end of the book the fake company Cynaco decides to stop selling its seeds with terminator technology, just like the company Monsanto also agreed not to sell its seeds that contain the terminator technology. That is one thing that I liked about this book, you can clearly see that the author is trying to make a point about current real life issues in a fictional story. I appreciate the fact that she goes on to research parts of her own story, because I felt that this makes her fictional story more relevant. The other shocker is that towards the end of the story Frankie decides to give his own daughter, Tibet, to Will and Cass. Frankie realizes that raising a child on the road is not the wy a child should be raised, so out of love he gives up his only child. Overall I thought the book was good, and it is a great example of good writing.

Garrett

Elliot

I want to eleaborate more on what JMorrison said. Elliot did cause a lot of drama and heartache between Yumi and Lloyd. I wonder if he, himself feels guilty for this or if he just passes it off as he hasn't done anything. I also wonder if before Lloyd died, had he wanted to "have a little talk" with Elliot. Also, if he did, what would have happened beyond?

AOC

I wonder what was going on in Eliot Rhodes mind when he went to Lloyd's burial. I wonder if he felt any remorse over causing the poor man so much heartache and grief over his daughter. Was he so callous that he didn't think of any of this? Didn't he know that Lloyd had another heart attack after seeing Rhodes on TV? Rhodes must have been pretty brazen. Then he asks Yumi to marry him later that day. Strange fella. Did he have any idea of how much damage he had caused Lloyd and Yumi?

more on Lloyd as cake

I am a bit reluctant to venture this interpretation of Lloyd as cake on his death bed, but here goes. I believe this is part of Ozeki's Christian symbolism in the book. I'm convinced she puts a lot of it in the book, but I'm also sure she puts in other symbolism I don't fully understand, some associated with pagan mythology, some with eastern mysticism.

Lloyd, however, is, at one level, a symbol of the Father and Creator. After all he puts the stars on the ceiling of Yumi's bedroom (see page 26) and he stands as the one who drives Yumi from the garden after her fall (consider the gardens in this book, and I think you will see a number of myths at work, including the story of the Garden of Eden).

At another level, Lloyd is a symbol of God the Son. In the first hospital scene (pages 28 ff), he is reciting Psalm 22, a psalm that in Christian tradition is associated with Jesus's suffering on the cross. Now, the cake scene, page 354, is like a party in palliative care and Lloyd is the big white cake, covering, as it were the table, around which his disciples (remember he is the "prophet of the revolution") are gathered. I think Ozeki is depicting Lloyd as the Eucharistic Host, the bread of the communion rite. The communion service in Christianity is tied to Jesus' last meal, the last supper, on earth, during which he told his disciples to eat the bread which "is my body given for you."

AOC reactions

I just finished reading our assignment in AOC and was completely shocked by the horrific accident that occurred involving the Spudnik and Charmey. Who would do such a thing, that is if it was intentional, did Geed really mess the wiring up that much. SO many questions. Like what is to become of that baby Tibet now? Will Frankie raise a child all by himself while he himself is still a child? Personally I think that Frankie could give the baby to Cass and Will to raise until he can get back on his feet and such. I know it was terrible for Charmey to die but in a way this could turn out to be a blessing for Cass. Also I thought that Elliot purposing to Yumi was just sort of a last resort for him as he basically has nowhere else to turn so figured he would try to marry Yumi and much off of her for a while or something. I was glad when Yumi turned him down, I mean who proposes to you the day your dad dies when your drunk, he really didn't think that one out. Anyways the end of the book should be interesting can't wait to get there.

Lloyd as a cake

I was thinking some more about the implications of envisioning Lloyd as a cake. In addition to those discussed in class, another possible interpretation is that he is a birthday cake. Since a birthday party celebrates the anniversary of one's birth, and birth and death are just two sides of the same coin, the cake could be another life-cycle reference.

Post 03/20

Hey I just finished reading the assigned section for tuesday and I thought I'd write a post about it. This section of the book is definately where the climax has to be. For starters, Lloyd finally dies and at his funeral Charmey is killed when the Spudnik somehow explodes. After all that has happened Elliot wants to meet with Yumi to apologize for what he has done to her. Yumi winds up getting drunk and she meets Elliot at the liberty falls motel where Elliot then proposes to Yumi. Yumi says no, which is one of the few times in the book where I believe she actually makes the correct decision. While Yumi is at the motel, her son gets sick from eating dirt at the funeral and Cass is forced to drive him to the hospital. After Cass returns from the hospital she tells Yumi about what happened. Yumi doesn't seem to even care about what happened to her son, so Cass yells at Yumi, saying that she is careless. As I mentioned, this has to be where the climax of the book is. One question I would like to ask is why does Yumi seem to make all the wrong decisions? I believe that the reason she is such a bad mother is because of her relationship with Elliot when she was a teenager.

Reaction to AOC

Although Yumi did seem to come from a normal family, some of the events in her child hood were quite disturbing and could possible contribute to how she is raising her own children. She was neighbors with a abusive family and had a mother and father who never really disciplined her. She ran away at the age of fourtteen and was forced to raise three children on her own. Pheonix is almost a mirror image of Yumi. Adventorous and thrill seeking just as Yumi was when she crawled into the cave. Ocean wants to be just like her brother and looks up to him for guidance. Moving to a new town, especially one that your not welcome in can be very difficult for a young child. This could also be a reason that Phoenix is acting out. He doesn't want to see his mother get hurt anymore and would rather just go back to Hawaii.

All Over Creation

I also agree with Kelsey, that Yumi is a rather childish character and a terrible mother to her children. I'm not sure who acts more like the adult, Yumi or her son (they are both very immature). This book has been terribly painful to read through. It is almost pornographic and it quite disturbing to me how some people choose to live. Those who sow destruction often reap the effects of their own destruction. Eliot Rhodes is a prime example of someone who has sown to the wind and is reaping the whirlwind--they end up with nothing in the end. Yumi's children have no father figure (as Will seems to be) and Charmey/Frankie's baby will no doubt grow up empty. This is a very sad book to read.

local or organic article

My first reaction after reading the article is that for a lot of people, local food is simply not feasable. Personally, I find myself unable to spend the money needed to buy local/organic food. That combined with the hoops a person must jump through to find the food hinders the movement.

Reaction to AOC reading

After reading this past chapter in All Over Creation, I would have to say I partly agree with each of the last few posts . Yumi did grow up with somewhat of a scarred childhood, and there were quite a few traumatic events that happened along the way in her life which would in some respect explain why she acts the way she does today, and it sort of justifies her behavior to a certain extent. But when you bring a newborn child into the world all that has to change. You have to be responsible and caregiving at all times during the early stages of the child's life, and you must always be there for them. You must force yourself to coincide and throw out all vices and bad habits, and live by example and be a role model for your kids.

AOC reactions to readings

Ok first of all I would like to say that Yumi's actions are not all her fault, as you have all stated and the book has stated many times, her childhood and overall life was not exactly anything golden or spectacular. I mean she isn't even married and has to take care of three kids, her parents, and try to manage to keep her job and maintain a somewhat normal home for her mother as well as make decisions concerning her father and then has Elliot coming around and scrambling her brain on top of it all. Yumi is under a lot of stress.
Throughout the readings, ex specially for today, we see how stressed out and frustrated and confused Yumi is. We also see how strong of a friendship and bond Cass and Yumi have, even if Cass had a split second thought of hoping that Yumi was dead their friendship still has deep roots. That's another thing I have noticed throughout the book is how obsessed Cass is with babies and children, I mean seriously why doesn't she just adopt one and get it over with or at least stop being so obsessed and like creepy about the whole thing. I am sure that it is hard for Cass not being able to have children and all but does she really need to go to extremes of trying to steal someone Else's kids or wish that her best friend had died to obtain children to call her own?
I also noticed all the symbolism with Elliot and the terminator thing like when he got fired and was told that he got terminated and such.
Just a few thoughts about the reading.

AOC

I also have to agree with Kelsey. Yumi may have had a less than perfect childhood, but that doesn't give her an excuse to keep behaving the way she does. Lots of people have gone through worse situations than her, but still manage to grow up and actually raise their kids. I not only feel sorry for her children; they obviously need their mom, and shouldn't have to keep tabs on her like Phoenix does, but also Cass and Will. Cass shouldn't be wishing Yumi were dead, but she and Will would be better and more deserving parents.

I would definately have to agree with Kelsey on this part of the reading. I know Yumi is in a great deal of emotional pain dealing with the fact that her father is dying, but she still isn't acting like an adult. She is very irresponsible around her children, and she sets a poor example of what a mother should be. If these characters were real, Yumi's children would all grow up to be in need of psychiatric help. I did want to comment on some of the other characters in the book. I did like the fact that Will and Geek were able to talk and work together to put the Momoko's seed website up on the web. To be honest, I think Will is my favorite character in the book because he always tends to be the voice of reason and compassion. The other thing I wanted to say is how even though Yumi wants her life back in Hawaii, she did authorize a feeding tube because she knew her father wasn't ready to die yet, I think this sheds a little light on her character.

Garrett B.

Frustration with AOC

While reading the past few sections of AOC, I have found myself getting very frustrated with Yumi. She is a grown adult with three young children, but yet she can't get herself put together enough to raise them. I understand that her father is dying and that they haven't had the greatest past, but make amends and get your act together. She swears, drinks, and smokes around her children. I agree with what Cass said to her, that maybe she doesn't deserve to have her children. Then, in this section we read for Thursday, she abruptly leaves the hospital, checks into a hotel, and gets drunk... all without telling anybody where she is going. She has absolutely no thought about who's going to take care of her children. If Yumi was a real person, I would probably tell her to grown up.

I just finished the reading assignment for All Over Creation. I think that it kind of suck that Yumi and Lloyd didn't talk thing through and Forgive each other about all the things that they did wrong in the past. I think that they were both just to scared to tell each other how they felt about what happened back then. I mean sure they were getting along better, but they never really understood each other about the whole thing.
I can't believe that Cass wished that Yumi was dead when Cass saw her laying there on the bed in the hotel. I mean sure I know that she wants kids and all, but I don't think thats the way to have kids. Cass and Will could always adopt kids if they want them that badly. Cass doesn't need to go around wishing she could have everyone else's kids.

AOC

Two things really stood out to me in this last section that we read in the AOC. First that Yummy just found out that Lloyd never saw the letters that Yummy wrote to him and Momoko. She didnt really seem to mad a Momoko for hiding them from Lloyd.
The second thing that I thought was interesting, and Garrett commented on this, is that Will was so against the Seeds, but in the end he decides not to press charges. I think Will decided that there is more to life, like family and friends, than the law.

I just read the last section out of AOC and I thought I write a post about it. The one thing I really thought stood out in this section is how Will agreed to drop his lawsuit against the Seeds all because he and his wife were able to hold Charmey's baby. I know Will was really against what the Seeds did to his potato patch, and he really wanted to take legal action. All that changed in a moment when he was able to see Charmey's baby. When he dropped his lawsuit, this of course led to Elliot getting fired from his job. I thought this was a little ironic because he has spent the majority of his career trying to protect the public image of companies like Cynaco, and then he is fired by the company he was representing for something he didn't cause. I suppose the articles Jillian wrote also contributed to the weakening of Elliot's image as a PR rep.

Garrett

Dinner at the New Gene Cafe

Tuesday's reading from Dinner at the New Gene Cafe made me think about the effect of the internet in our lives. Like Allison pointed out, many people no longer have to watch the news or read newspapers; the internet has replaced the need. The internet has made so much more information available to the world. It's important to be informed; however, I think all articles should be examined critically. Like we discussed in class, it's important to consider who is writing the acticle and what his/her bias may be.

Local or Organic is online

You can find Abby Gold's article at http://fargolocalfoods.net/news/gold_local_organic.htm.

Article in High Plains Reader this week

I am not sure how many of you have had the chance to read Abby Gold's "Local or Organic" article in the High Plains Reader Febuary 28th 2008, but it is quite intersting and eye opening. I thought of our english 120 class as soon as I saw the title. I tried to find a link to the article but it was an older article so the High Plains Reader website dosent have it up anymore. I am sure that you could find an old paper laying around somewhere on campus though. If not I will have the article with me in my binder for class if anyone is interested.
The article was broken into several columes: the intro, our industrialized food, industrialized organic food, and a local food economy.
The intorduction for the article simply talked about farmers and how hard it is to sell their products, in this case beef, locally. It also touched on how obtaining an organic liscence was lenghtly but worthwile as Lynn Brakke, a Moorhead beef producer pointed out. I bet that most people in the F-M area didnt even realize that a local organic beef farmer was so close to home and yet he has to ship his beef 250 miles southeast to sell it. How depressing is that.
The 'Our Industrialized Food' section of the article explained how most people today have lost touch with where their food comes from and even though we may live in one of the richest soil areas of the world, many of our foods are shipped from many miles away. This section also talked about the different food selections and costs when it came to poverty vs none poverty regions of cities and communities.
The 'Industrialized Organic Food' section talked about the incredible distances that food travels today and what that does to the value and overall nutritional value of our food. This section also examined the large food corporations taking over the small local mom and pops places and who ownes who today.
The end of the article was the 'A Local Food Economy' section with basically summed the article up and stated that here in the Red River Valley we need to start to use our local food system and allow our local farmers the opportunity to sell local and save fossil fuels and other resources by not having to ship their products to opposite ends of the country or world.
We have the resources right at our finger tips, its up to us to do something and make a difference.
This article was very interesting and thought provoking. I just thought that it would be a good conversation piece to go along with our classes organic and local food topics.

After reading Dinner at the New Gene Cafe, I thought about the Internet and its benefits to the world. The Internet is so huge, that billions of people worldwide use it as a source for anything imaginable. After the Internet, many stopped watching the news or reading newspapers and magazines. They went to the Internet as their source. If it wasn't for the Internet many people may not even know what genetic engineering is. Although you may find some mislead information. It is a good place to go to research GM foods, read one anothers side, and be able to form your own opinion.

Cloning and Labeling

I agree with the 89% of americans that would like labels on cloned food. (in previous post by alyssa) If there is going to be such an argument about it then we should put it up for a vote to the people. I don't understand the big controversy anyways. You cloned our food. Just let us know you did it so we can choose to eat it or not. The world may not work that way but its so simple.

Food labeling...

I really don't have a really big problem with GM crops that we currently have--Bt corn or Roundup tolerant plants. But I personally draw a clear distinction between the plant world and animal world. This controversy regarding GM crops should be decided in the market place via labeling and let the consumers decide which one they want. However, I happen to think that we shouldn't be cloning animals, and that this practice should probably be banned. Each individual state has a right to decide its own laws via the democratic process.

Cloned food labeling

According to an article published on msnbc.com entitiled "States Move to Label Cloned Food", the labeling of cloned animal food is becoming just as controversial as GM food labeling. In the article, it is stressed that many states oppose the nation's decision to not label the cloned food. The article even gives stagoring statistics stating 89% of American's want cloned foods labeled. Currently, thirteen states have introduced bills requiring labels on cloned food. However, many believe these labeling requirements will not make it because the want for GM food labeling was also ignored.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23465310/

MSN talks about investing in seed companies

Noreen Thomas from My Sister's Farm sent out the following link to a story in MSN Money: Could We Run Out of Food?. It is a story about the shortages of food that create an opportunity for investment. The summary line says, "Biofuel production, poor harvests and emerging nations' growing appetites are emptying the world's pantry, sending prices soaring. It's a good time to invest in agricultural stocks." I find the story interesting because it recommends putting money into the big seed companies like Monsanto, a move that, in my opinion, will further consolidate the control of food worldwide by a handful of companies. There is a video in the story too in which a consultant talks about why he thinks investing in these companies is a good idea.

The recommendations in this story are in stark contrast to Fifty Million Farmers, by Richard Heinberg (originally published Published on Friday, November 17, 2006 by Energy Bulletin). About halfway through this essay, Heinberg says, "Is it possible, then, that a solution lies in another direction altogether—perhaps in deliberately de-industrializing production, but doing so intelligently, using information we have gained from the science of ecology, as well as from traditional and indigenous farming methods, in order to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining total yields at a level high enough to avert widespread famine?" About three quarters of the way through, he suggests that we redefine farmers: "We should perhaps start thinking of a farmer as someone with 3 to 50 acres, who uses mostly hand labor and twice a year borrows a small tractor that she or he fuels with ethanol or biodiesel produced on-site."

It would seem that there is a growing consensus that a worldwide food crisis, caused ultimately by a shortage of petroleum, is on the horizon. These two articles suggest alternatives, the first being to make investments and ride the crisis to increased wealth, the second suggesting that everyone start taking a more active role in producing their own food. Personally, I favor the second.

After watching the video on YouTube about the organic farmer, I feel really sorry for him. Him and his wife had to switch to planting organic foods because they could make a better living that way. Now that there are GMOs being blown onto his fields and planting themselves, many of his crops are no longer going to be considered organic. He has to put more money into planting more organic plants to replace those that have been damaged/ contaminated by GMOs. I am personally for GMOs but I feel sorry that his lifestyle is being compromised by something he cannot control.

Video Reaction

The organic farmer makes a very good point in the video. He switched from non-organic crops to organic crops to save his farm which is now being threatened by GMO canola. GMO are a threat to organic farmers because the seeds can plant themselves unintentionally in different fields. The second valid point that is made by a farmer who goes to court against mansanto. Mansanto's seeds like the canola can also transfer farms or crops unintentionally. Mansanto feels that they have the right to go after the farmers that has the seed illegally planted on their land. After hearing these two stories I'm beginning to think more and more that GMO crops are a threat to others and sometimes unnecessary.

DNGC Chapter 16

I just finished reading chapter 16 out of "Dinner At The New Gene Cafe," and I thought this chapter made a really interesting point about how the internet is like a double edged sword for the issue of biotechnology. I read about how Charles Benbrook's analysis of the bleak future of genetically modified food was leaked through the internet, and this had a profound effect on the way people viewed GMOs. Prior to the internet, acquiring information was a much more drawn out process than it is today. Before the internet, companies had the advantage of making information about their products relativley well known, without much room for argument; however, the internet has revolutionized the way people communicate, and information sharing is now much easier than it was in the past.

Thanks
Garrett

AOC

I like AOC, but I'm not a big fan of hippies. I don't mind when the seeds do nonviolent actions to educate the masses but destroying the property of a farmer they know is just trying to get by crosses the line in my book. If they want to make an impact why wouldn't they concentrate their efforts on the corporation instead of the farmer who has little or no choice these days? And they probably smell too.

Video Reaction

I am on the side of Percy Schmeiser. It is too bad that the concept of GM foods was created by corporations and is being used for profit. I think that GM foods are a tool of the future, a future where there is more people than our current means of food production can feed. But that day is in the very distant future. Right now we have more than enough food to feed the people of the world. You would think that people would think things through a little bit more thoroughly when it comes to something as powerful as the building blocks of life, especially in the times we live in.

While reading these two books, I've learned some things about GM foods. I took note on something that Elliot, from All Over Creation, said. He stated that, "GE foods should have been labeled from the get-go." He is certainly right. Everyone has a right to know what is being put in to their foods whether people think they are good or bad.

AOC Characters

The individuals actions in All Over Creation are a little absurd. Throwing pies in ones face seems a little immature. They have some outrageous point of views and actions themselves, but are not accepting of other people's ways. I like the idea that they are there to help the elders and I also like that they are taking a stand for what they believe, but some of their actions are quite extreme.
I guess I just wouldn't be one of these individuals that go to such extreme, but then again I don't feel that I have a strong enough concern for their issue.

DNGC

I'm sorry. Although this book gives a lot of good information for papers and such, I really just get bored reading it. I really don't like this book as much as AOC. I don't exactly know what I don't like about it either. It's just not a book I would recommend to people for "fun" reading.

AOC

I really like the All Over Creation book. It's a story but still has information. It's hard to read something when it's boring, but this book is definately not boring. A reader can pertain some of the incidents in this book to their own life. The characters were well thought out. Although, I don't exactly like when it switches from scene to scene. It gets confusing sometimes and you have to go back and think about what happened with that character before. I would like it to be just a straight forward book.

AOC

I agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion about genetically-modified food. I thought it was fine when the seeds were handing out brochures. However, destroying other people's property is not. I don't think this is a very effective way to demostrate their opinion; it's not even respectable.

Watching this video was interesting because it showed another farmer's perspective. I grew up on a farm in central North Dakota and seeing GM fields are very, very common. I also haven't been very exposed to organic farming until recently. While it is unfair that the organic farmer shown in the video had to suffer because of GM seeds blowing on his field, I don't think the neighboring farmer should be blamed.

AOC

When reading other blogs I agree with their opinions mostly on the seeds. The seeds are imposing their views in the wrong way. Everyone has a right to think what they want and try to get their views out for people to understand, but they cant destroy things to do it. When they were ripping up the persons field it makes you dislike them. Just because those people do not believe in the same values does not mean you can impose on them and ruin what they have worked for. The seeds were okay when they were first introduced but now I don't like them and they are a hassle.

Video Reaction

I am also for GM crops. I grew up in Southwest MN where it was not uncommon to see a field of GM crops and until this class I never really thought about other possibilities. I don't know if i grew up in a different place if i would be more aware of other things or if i would think GMs where more of a problem. Even with thinking GMs foods are okay I do not think it is right for organic farmers to suffer for things they can not control. It's not there fault that the wind carries product onto their fields they can not help it and should not be punished for it.

AOC

I am all for GM crops. However I think that everyone has a right to his/her own opinion. They can do what they want including protesting. However I dont think that protesters should go as far as the Seeds did by ripping up some guys field. That's illegal and they are not setting a very good example. Protesters need to obey the law like everyone else. If the law says that farmers can plant GM crops, then let those farmers plant them.
Reading Alyssa's post made me think about what she said about opinions and if they are truly ours or someone elses. I would like to think that what I think about something is all my opinion, but is it?. It makes me wonder if I amfor GM crops just because my dad raises them. Or if I would be against GM crops if someone close to me was? I'm not sure of the answer to these questions. Thats kind of scary.

All Over Creation--Reaction to the Reading

As I became more engrossed in the book, I found myself growering more attached to the characters. I almost felt like I had a personal connection with each of them. Ozeki made me feel like a part of the world she created.

For example, when I was first introduced to the Seeds of Resistance, I understood their causes a little. But soon, I started to change my opinion of them.

It seems that too many people let themselves be influenced by the opinions of others. When the Seeds started trying to impose their views on Llloyd, I drew back a little. To me, it seemed like they were almost brainwashing him. They took one extreme belief of Lloyd's and intertwined it with their causes.

It makes me wonder what opinions I really hold. I want to know which opinions are really mine and which ones are simply those imposed on me by others. Sometimes, I find myself repeating the words of someone when I become engaged in an argument. This causes me to wonder if I really believe what I'm saying or if I simply am passing on the information given to me by others.

All Over Creation

The events in All Over Creation build and play out rather quickly; everything is in order for the potato party and goes accordingly except for the sudden appearance of the cops and then turmoil breaks out among the crowd. There seems to be a lot of hidden emotions going on between Elliot and Yummy as well as between Cass and Will, we start to see how complicated relationships can be and how something as small as a ‘seed’ can cause a sudden change in a relationship, be it family, job related, friendship, neighbor, or lover. This book has a little bit of everything and says a lot about human nature and life in general. All Over Creation has a completely different writing style from Dinner at the New Gene Café however, it lets us view GMOs and farming with a creative twist and almost seems more realistic at times.

Reaction to Video

I am not yet sure of how I stand when it comes to GMOs and Organics, although after watching the video posted on our website, I have become a little suspicious towards the GMO’s but still do not entirely or by any means at all really, believe that GMOs are terrible and should never have been invented. It is true that large GM companies should not have the right to do whatever with anyone’s land due to Mother Nature’s natural effects, however laws are laws and perhaps organic farmers should choose their field locations more carefully. Then again, maybe GMOs should not plant right next to an organic field. All of these questions and problems will take years perhaps decades to overcome. I find these issues, the video very interesting, and though invoking.

Having grown up and worked on a farm for most of my life, I can’t help but poke a few questions at the books and this video. The background music in this video was just about enough to make me want to hang myself. Monsanto should not have been using strong arm tactics against small individual farmers. That was a huge mistake on their part. Sadly it went all the way to the Canadian Supreme Court. The case always was a sham, and Monsanto is now feeling the wrath of an incensed public. Monsanto mishandled every aspect of GM crops. What “biotechnology” represents is power. Power can either be used for good or for harm. The knife blade can either help heal someone (via surgical procedures) when in a skilled doctor’s hands, or that same blade can be used to wantonly destroy. This biotechnology debate is over the application of how to use this ability. Monsanto has historically been a chemical company, but has recently changed the corporate direction into a life sciences company. Their shift has been towards plant breeding—notably resistance of Roundup herbicide. Before we had Roundup, there was no way to control quackgrass or other invasive weeds. The roots of it went underground and spread shoots through the soil to multiply. The only way to control it was to cultivate it out, which meant the entire piece of ground would sit idle for an entire year while a farmer spent half the summer cultivating very deep into the ground to bring up the roots, which were later burned. Roundup has made our lives so much easier controlling quackgrass and other pervasive weeds. I could go on and on about milkweed as well, but I’ll refrain today. FYI, the patent is off Roundup. Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) is now available under many generic brands and for a fraction of the cost. It’s cheap, it’s safe, and it works. It is a systemic herbicide, which means that even if only a little chemical contacts the plant, the chemical will get into the entire plant and kill it. Liberty was another chemical used, but it was only a contact killer. Roundup kills the entire plant. However, there are some species of plants that it is weak on, and some that it doesn’t kill at all—namely buckwheat. For the rest, it is much safer and much easier to apply than any conventional chemical ever will be. Harmony can drift ¼ mile in the wind and destroy nearby crops. Other chemicals are much more prone to drift. Roundup is pathetically easy to apply and very safe. This demonizing of Monsanto is really not helpful. Patenting varieties is nothing new. That’s how we ended up with rust resistant wheat, after the rust years in the 50s and 60s ruined a lot of wheat crops. Plant breeders are always trying to breed resistance into crops. Without the specially developed varieties, we would be SOL. I have no idea how a crop could become resistant to Roundup. I suppose it is theoretically possible, but if it is possible it will probably take years, maybe even decades. Roundup is not like the sulfunylurea chemicals, like Glean, that the weeds became easily resistant to (ala kochia). We now have resistant kochia to some chemicals, and also resistant wild oats to other chemicals. I suppose that if something showed signs of developing resistance to glyphosate, research would be done into finding a solution for that. However, I don't think the apocalyptic rhetoric is really necessary.