I'm glad to see you tackling this subject, Bob. I am not as educated about the issue as I could be; I hope to correct that over the months to come.

One thing I do know is that it's next to impossible to purchase any kind of prepared meal that isn't unhealthy, as far as I can tell. I'm talking about something that benefits a family where both parents work and there's a need to get a meal on the table, at the end of the day, quickly.

My biggest gripe is the amount of sodium in what's available. It's horrendous - I've seen side dishes where the sodium in a single serving is routinely 600-700 milligrams. I don't know why this is done - it doesn't taste good, it tastes salty. All I can figure is that sodium at these levels increases the shelf life of the product, hence the company's profitability (and to be fair, that probably keeps the retail price lower).

Then there's fat content, etc., etc. What got me was when you said, the other day, that Progresso soup was, essentially, chemical sludge.

Dang. I really do enjoy their chicken noodle.

You want a real food revolution? It ain't difficult.
You know that green thing you mow once every two weeks (running a gas belching two-stroke Briggs & Stratton engine to keep shorn...or plugging in to coal fired electric Black & Decker...)
RIP IT UP.
Put in some green and yellow beans. Tomatoes, a coupla rows of corn, some carrots and potatoes. Some rhubarb and cucumbers. Green peppers.
If the small square footage that gets mowed every fucking Sunday were devoted to fresh, organic produce, there would be a few MILLION ACRES of GOOD food feeding people for pennies on the dollars that now go to Monsanto et al.
So long as people insist on jamming their heads up their ass over LAWNS, you got nowhere to go. You want change? Use YOUR OWN land better.

BTW...and just cuz...today is my Pop's birthday. He woulda been 75.

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Happy Birthday, Ellis. Miss you.

Yeah, my dad was a farmer, too. When I was a little kid, he belonged to the National Farmers Organization or NFO. Essentially, they were trying to be a union, except small farmers are a cussedly independent lot, and just when you'd think they were organized, someone would break ranks and undercut the group. So the NFO gradually went under.

They've been replaced out here (Southwest Iowa) by the Farm Bureau. Except as Dad liked to point out, Farm Bureau is an insurance company. You talk about succesful niche marketing -- they're it.

Farm Bureau has these guys convinced they represent ag interests, while they're selling 'em products and getting farmers to lobby against their own best interests.

Sometimes I think Michele Bachmann has something with her re-education idea. We could use some out here.

cousinavi, good point.

It's not always easy, though, to plant in your yard as we now have powerful groups called "neighborhood associations" that can make their own laws which are more powerful than any other.

Great film. I love how they tie it in to a poor family with diabetes. They were eating at McDonalds because it was cheaper than buying broccoli at the supermarket.

They had some good tips at the end for fighting the system. Every American should see it.

I'm an apartment dweller so I can't plant a garden, but I do try to get as much produce as I can from the local farmers market. Or course, it helps to live in California, where we can grow almost year 'round. I grew up in Iowa and can remember when farms were farms, with multiple crops and animals. Now it's just miles of Monsanto corn.... Evil bastards.

@cousinavi

Thanks for that. It's spot on. As for the neighborhood associations madash, I bet none of them can tell you what to do with your backyard! And besides, you probably don't want kids pissing in it although that would excellent, no?

Good point, Cousinavi! And can someone tell me why we're STILL being told high fructose corn syrup is good for us?

I vowed when I saw the movie that when the DVD came out I would buy multiple copies and spread them out among family members and elsewhere. Now it's out and hey, whattaya know, Christmas is coming!

If you'd like to spread the word, it's easy. Buy 5 copies. If you can't afford 5, buy 3. Donate one to a local library or school. Pass them around to family and friends, especially to the conservative ones. You may have to strongarm them into sitting down and watching it, meaning you may have to do it with them, but I don't think this movie can be seen enough times by anyone.

Go! Be a strongarming asshole for your country! Say what you want about the teabaggers, they certainly get attention!

Here's something I just had to share.

Go to Amazon and look for another DVD called 'Top Ten Fun Food Factories.'

Switch your 'Food Inc.' BS filter to ON and read the product description.

If you're like me, you will laugh and laugh until you throw up in your mouth.