I have not read the book, but I am aware of the issues of big factory farms. My grandparents were small family farmers in the Midwest, my grandfather was very progressive in the management of his small dairy farm and was not a big believer in chemicals use. We are in the process of localizing our food chain here at home. We are getting chickens in this year for the eggs and the meat, we already raise some of our own vegetables and will have fruit and nuts in the next couple of years. Goats maybe a possibility for the dairy side of things. Unfortunately the way the laws/regulations are written they are huge stumbling block to the smaller farmer when it comes to selling products to the public. A lot of them are misdirected in the guise of public safety. We are seeing just how safe our food supply really is with the recent outbreaks of E.coli. If those had even occurred 50-60 years ago they would have been extremely localized and probably could have been traced back to the farm they originated at. One thing that we might see change in an oil short future would be a more seasonal rotation of foods, fresh vegetables may not be a available during all seasons and if they are they are going to be a lot more expensive in the off season due to transportation costs if they are available at all. I know Roody has discovered the joys of buying fresh fruits and vegetable right from the source, it is a step in the right direction. Another item that gripes me while we are on the subject of sustainability is the amount of crap that is overpackaged in plastic. Plastic is only downward recyclable, all food products that are packaged in plastic are in virgin plastics. I try to buy things that are unwrapped (fruit, veggies) or in steel cans, glass jars or aluminum (all of which are 100% recycleable)
Aaron
