How much corn is too much???

Posted by Chris Kerston

January 25, 2007

Professor Sean Booth at Sierra College suggested I go onto NPR’s website and look up an interview about ranching alternatives and ultimately how much corn Americans are consuming. Corn is in nearly everything we eat. Author Michael Pollan, author of the Omnivores Dilemma speaks about problems in the system of agriculture as well as possible solutions.

One of a human beings most basic needs is locating and consuming food. I would say modern man and Americans in particular are very poor animals in this regard. The general public could not forage for or produce their own food if they had to. Therefore most people are at the mercy of the system to provide them with all of their nutritional needs. Pollan brings up the point that maybe we are not getting what we need. He visits a small farm in Virginia where the Salatin family is working towards making affordable, environmental, sustainable, profitable foods on about 600 acres http://www.polyfacefarms.com/index.html . I believe there are real solutions out there, but they get little media attention and many people working towards sustainable options get bogged down by regulations that were intended to regulate bigger businesses with different goals.

These are some of the items Pollan lists as corn derived:

Soda, Coffee Creamer, Cheeze whiz, Frozen Yogurt, Margerine, Salad Dressing, Cake mix, Gravy, Frozen Waffles, Bologna, Syrup, Canned fruit, Ketchup, Hot Sauce, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Hot Dogs, and even Vitamins.