I used to dream about food as a boy. We were so poor there was never enough to eat. So while everyone else was seeing images of wealth and fame at night, my reverie was very different. Sides of beef would float above my head followed by a rain of cheddar fries dipped in Wendy’s spicy chili. Chicken breasts wrapped in bacon and covered with hot BBQ sauce marched in formation across the nighttime sky right onto my plate.

This is why the documentary FOOD Inc. was an absolute eye-opener in my future relationship with food. The family featured in the film could have been my own struggling to eat inexpensively. It brought back memories of my childhood watching my mother trying to raise five kids alone with very little to eat at times.

The heavy costs of factory farming...

The movie left me with the searing image of injured cattle being prodded along to slaughter and makes one wonder what our beef went through before it ended up on our plates. Corporate behemoth Monsanto is rightly portrayed as the villain we love to hate, running roughshod over the small American farmer. With the recent news of the huge judgment against the company, it feels as if the tide of awareness is finally turning. I felt great sympathy for those farmers punished for crossing Monsanto, while also seeing the need to feed an ever-growing population.

The twin issues of botulism and other diseases spreading amongst cattle in Australia and the slaughter of over 150,000 of infected cattle in New Zealand bring understanding to those choosing a vegan lifestyle. Frankly, I admire them for choosing to make better choices of what to put in their bodies.

Making a wise choice

The movie made me think there must be a middle ground where we can accomplish the twin goals of feeding the masses while giving more than just a nod to sustainable development. One thing FOOD Inc. taught me is that we as consumers have the power to vote with our wallets.

This film is a must-see for anyone who cares about the health of their family. If you have not seen this important film, please take some time to do so. I plan to increase my support of the producers who provide a healthy alternative so that huge factory-farming giants will see that economic signal if enough of us put our money where our mouth is…