This week, I proceeded to read Sand County Almanac, and I observed the same result: sheer boredom and unable to recall what I had read not two seconds before. I guess I can chalk this up to my disinterest in nature, regardless of how important it is to us. I expressed this last week in our discussion section about how what the author was writing wasn’t exactly necessary, and that he should’ve spent the next couple of pages expressing to the reader that they needed to go explore nature. Another student though expressed that I was wrong because “he was explaining the vivacious side of nature to show what we wouldn’t normally see.” He was trying to make us view things that would normally slip past our eyes. So, I went into reading the Almanac again with this different perspective, trying to see the beauty imaginatively in what he was writing. Sadly though, I was still having trouble keeping focus and realizing what he was trying to get through to the reader. I felt like I should be outside reading it, but then I would be able to focus less, and I would just be staring off to the distance. In my mind, it’s a great attempt for some readers, but for others the Sand County Almanac is pure torture. Next, we looked at different food amounts in class that countries consumed and how much money they spend on it. This I believe was the biggest eye opener for me if anything else wasn’t. After seeing that an average Ecuadorian family spends less that $31 on food per week, it really made me reconsider what I was buying at the super market and thinking about what else I could be doing with my money. Lastly, I wanted to comment on something else from discussion. We talked about how we can better recycle and put things back to use instead of back into the dump. A comment came up though that even the recycling companies are in it for a buck, regardless of morals. I had heard before also that sometimes recycling process was terrible for our environment and that it also cost a ton of money. From there though, people ranted and raved about how that was terrible and that we should continue to recycle. I personally thought it was a valid comment and I’m not that strong of a believer in recycling. Joe Trumpey said it himself: “We have plenty of space to store our garbage”. Regardless of whether we reuse what we make, there will always be waste. At the end of the day, it’s similar to the war on terror; there’s no real end to it.
So, I tried very hard to read Almanac this week and I am not going to lie, I absolutely hate this book. I think it is the most boring thing I have ever read in my entire life. I get that this guy loves nature and there are a few things he talks about that I think are pretty cool, like the birds dancing above the trees, but I still do not really understand the point of the book. I would much rather just walk outside and look at some birds than read this. In fact, that’s exactly what I did this weekend. Yesterday I ventured out into the Arb to observe a plant for our observation paper. As I was walking around I thought to myself, this is really nice. Why don’t I do this more? It was really pleasant to just meander the paths, look at chipmunks eating acorns, and even sit on the wet ground and look at a tree for an hour. I felt really good afterward too. I guess Thoreau had the right idea after all. My point is, I did not realize what I was missing until I was actually forced to go out and experience it. Even though A Sand County is trying to inspire, I feel that it is failing miserably in my case. Moving on from nature talk, I’d like to say something about “This Steer’s Life” and the meat industry. I have been a vegetarian for about five years, but I’m not an animal activist at all. I decided to not eat meat because I was simply grossed out by the industry. I was aware of the hormones and antibiotics being pumped into our meat as well as the increasing health risks of eating red meat on a daily basis. Although I also disliked the idea of slaughterhouses, I was not fully aware of how our cows are actually treated prior to slaughter. Pollan’s article really opened my eyes. What disgusted me the most was the hell we put our cows’ digestive systems through just to speed up the process and save some money; “The economic logic behind corn is unassailable, and on a factory farm, there is no other kind. Calories are calories, and corn is the cheapest, most convenient source of calories…Yet it wreaks considerable havoc on bovine digestion…a great many of their health problems can be traced to their diet. ‘They're made to eat forage,’ Metzen said, ‘and we're making them eat grain’” (Pollan). The corn diet causes bloat and possible suffocation, as well as acidosis. In addition to this, in order to counter the health problems we are causing, we are forced to feed these cows antibiotics and all of these things are only contributing to the health problems humans are at risk for as a result of eating beef. It is because of these reasons that I am glad I chose to stop eating meat. Not only am I saving myself from some health problems, but I am one less consumer to contribute to an industry that essentially transforms cows into “fossil-fuel machines”.
This week’s lecture was a lot more intense with information. Reading A Sand County Almanac is very boring. I have to agree that reading someone else’s thoughts and opinions constantly are getting old quick. The author is not even that interesting of a guy. I understand that nature is great and all but we get the point. It’s like reading entries of an obsession; there are other things in the world that are cool. The class so far has defiantly stepped up its game. I never really have ever thought about famers going in to debt or how chickens and cows are living. One thing that made an impression on me was the story of The Jewish scientist whose work was used in the concentration campus to kill Jews and how his wife committed suicide. The whole story was very sad, but it was interesting how a popular known history could be expanded on with the subject of the environment. I did my finished my plant paper recently and was really reluctant of doing it at first. I mean going outside and hunting down a plant took some effort. Especially with all the bugs and squirrels running around and the two huge spiders I saw, I was getting hesitant. But when I found my plant, the assignment got easier and did not seem as silly. I have never taken the time, and I never really have it, to stand in place for about an hour all by myself with out interruption. It was actually quiet relaxing and the plant felt more like a buddy tagging along with me than a thing in the background. I even started to wonder as I walked away whether the plant will be there next year or if I would forget about it. It defiantly changed the way I look at plants now. Another thing I noticed while doing this assignment is how I not only don’t know how to identify a plant, but that I don’t know the name of their parts either. I had to look up the technical name of the fuzzy seed stuff the plant had and the part of plant they where falling out of. I also had no idea what the little purple petal things were called. I felt kind of dumb not knowing what to call what and it was frustrating online trying to find them based strictly on their appearance. I wanted to just scan the picture of my plant on to Google and get results on how to label it. Something else that was annoying me was how my camera would not take pictures of my plant or would just turn off. I figured out a way to get it to work a couple times, but I have never had such a big problem with my camera. I enjoyed the assignment we had and am very curious as to what the next one will be. Being forced to have some time outside and doing something I have never done before was a good experience. I appreciate the outdoors a lot more now because I have always been an indoors kind of person. So far I have learned some pretty interesting things and want to connect some more to it with art.
I have always been an outdoors kind of person, and I think I always will. This is why, after reading the first few seasons of A Sand County Almanac, I put it down for good. There is not grand meaning of life, or new interesting facts that I believe will come from reading this book. Instead, I opted for going on a 3-day hiking/camping trip to Bruce Peninsula National Park with my boyfriend. I don’t see much use in writing or reading about other’s experiences of nature, especially boring one’s like in A Sand County Almanac. Everyone experiences nature in a different way, and everyone has a different opinion of it. For me, my trip this weekend took me to new extremes, both mentally and physically as I exhausted my body to it’s limit and my mind to the possibilities of escaping from society and simply living off the land and traveling for the rest of my days. This however, is not an option I can take lightly, due to the presence of good friends and family that I do not wish to abandon. So, I will continue to seek out a good balance that will allow me to live in nature without leaving the ones I love. At first I thought that our observation assignment was going to be extremely annoying. When I experience nature, I like to envelop my senses in all that is around me, sometimes lingering on the experience of a specific rock or plant, but for the most part experiencing it all as a whole. As I hunkered down outside with my sketchbook and my camera, I discovered new things about nature, as well as about myself. This isn’t something I would have done on my own, but I found myself enjoying the experience of the plant I chose, from my association with it to the feel and aesthetic of the hairs on it’s stem. I have never experienced a plant in such a way, and I am glad that it is something I was forced to do.
I do think that it is important to know where your food comes from and how it got on the shelf at the supper market. However, this doesn’t mean I want to be out in a garden picking weeds or milking cows on a dairy farm. I am perfectly happy with how easy it is to buy food and how cheap I can get it. I happen to think that it’s great that I can get foods from all around the world and get things that are out season almost all year around. I like the fact that it is easy for me to get food I believe that’s how it should. I don’t think that I should have to work all day in the fields just to get a meal. Granted I do wish that more of my food didn’t have pesticides and hormones in it. I think that the organic movement is great and I hope it continues. I like seeing that we are using more whole grains instead of all the refined stuff. I think that the more people learn about what’s going into there food and start going for better options more and more companies will start doing it until it becomes normal and that’s what everyone does. Nothing I read in This Steer’s Life really surprised me. I live in a farming community were there are more cattle then people living in my county. None of these practices really surprised me in fact it is these practices that support my local economy. Being a vegetarian in my county would practically be a sin. I think that farming is a way of life that a lot of people don’t understand or misunderstand. I have had cattle graze in my yard in the spring and summer knowing perfectly well come fall they would be sent to the slaughterhouse where they would become the meat my family and I would eat for next year. I see nothing wrong with this, but maybe that’s just because of the way I’ve been raised and where I grew up.
I really don’t think A Sand County Almanac is that bad. Sure, it’s boring but how often does being in nature keep you on the edge of your seat (you know other than being attacked by a bear or being in a tsunami or something)? Nature is pretty boring because we are so used to constant stimuli and the media trying to find new ways to keep our attention on their channel. Nature doesn’t have those tricks and so it’s easy to ignore. I admit I was bored senseless reading Leopold’s book, but I felt that that was appropriate because he was just reflecting in his writing how mundane and normal nature is. Michael Pollan’s article about This Steer’s Life kind of grossed me out. It reminded me of when I was little and on a vacation on a farm in France. The adults I was with were all super interested in the owner’s description of their award winning foie gras, and all I really noticed were these geese with bellies so big they could barely stand up right. Later I was told that foie gras is made by forcing corn down the geese’s throat (corn is freaking everywhere!) and that was really frightening for a seven year old. Okay, and then mad cow comes around and the same adults explain that the farmer’s have been forcing their cows to eat meat? Yeah, it was disturbing but ultimately I still eat meat. When I see a cheeseburger I don’t think of it as once being a part of a cow, I see a separate thing altogether. Like it came from a cheeseburger plant or something. I remember reading in A Sand County Almanac about how dangerous he thought this way of thinking was. That food doesn’t come from farms but from the grocery store or restaurants, and yet it’s so hard for me to change my way of thinking when they wrap my food in packages and boxes and put labels on it. Anyway what I’m trying to say is yes I think it’s wrong that we do these things to animals like forcing them to eat things they obviously don’t want to eat since they haven’t already, yes we should find a solution so that these animals are treated better, but do I feel bad enough to stop eating meat? Unfortunately no. Oh and that I can’t donate blood for the rest of my life and I get mean looks from the Red Cross because those farmers thought it was a good idea to feed their cows more cows. Yeah, not cool.
Upon reading the next 50 or so pages of the Sand County Almanac, I once again found my concentration on the reading lacking. It’s not that I don’t appreciate what the author is saying - I myself find nature absolutely fascinating – but from a reader’s point of view, the book lacks luster. Instead of getting the audience excited about nature, instead (and I am pretty sure I am not alone on this one), the book acts more like a tranquilizer. This may not even be the author’s fault; it may just be that nature simply cannot be described in words. However, I do not think this is entirely true. Yes, words can degrade and dull the experience of nature - honestly, how can the soft rustle of the blazing autumn leaves or the chirping of crickets on a hot summer night ever really be known unless experienced personally? – but words still can work to turn us toward nature, rather than away from it in agonizing boredom. Perhaps the book would have been more effective in the form of a short piece of prose. Yes, I realize that does undermine the idea of writing a year-round almanac, but that may be the sacrifice needed for this book to make any headway in changing the everyday American’s perspective of nature. Despite the overly stimulating effects of the Sand County Almanac on my excitement meter, I did manage to find peace and kinship with nature this past weekend, and wouldn’t you know it, I found that harmony while actually sitting down and observing nature, in real life. I know that is a difficult concept for many of us to comprehend, but in all seriousness, I really enjoyed my time spent with nature for the first observation paper. Not only did the assignment force me to visit the Arboretum, which is a favorite pastime of mine that I often neglect, but it also allowed me the time to see wonderful details and oddities in the world around me that I would have never taken the time to notice before. As I was sketching I even sighted several rather large bugs that I know I have never seen before in my life. (Unlike the stereotypical girl reaction, I found the bugs fascinating and let them crawl about as they pleased). I noticed subtleties in the shadows of the many leaves of my tree and that its bark seemed to form the shape of human lips at the intersection of a certain branch and its trunk. Sad how, like most modern day Westerners, I would have never taken the time see these beautiful features if not for this assignment. I’d also like to take a moment to comment on how informative the lectures have been recently. I had no idea just how much corn is a consistent part of our food sources, and facts such as these really do have me rethinking my lifestyle choices. I know I will never stop eating meat, but I have found myself eating less meat recently. I notice whether produce has been locally grown or not, and I am making more of a conscious effort to turn off the excessive amount of lamps I have in my dorm room. Hopefully I will continue these habits and develop other beneficial ones long after the constant guilt-inducing information of this semester ceases.
The first reading for the Sand County Almanac went very slow for my taste. It may have been that I just needed to feel out the book to see what kind of read it was, because from pages 53- 92 I really enjoyed Leopold’s writing. I was able to become much more involved with his words and style, and I found myself eager to read the next page. I enjoyed the thoughts on a conservationist, “ … a conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke he is writing his signature on the face of his land.” This analogy of a signature from axe, or pen was influential to me, highlighting the relationship we have with nature and how we interact with it. In this understanding, not only how we physically interact with nature but also our cognitive act with nature becomes important. I also really enjoyed Leopold’s explanation of his land not only being diseased, but how that disease that many would consider weak, turned out to be a “Mighty Fortress.” I like how he noted the ordinary misfortune into a “bombproof shelter for the animals that lived on his land. I hope the rest of this read turns out to be just as encouraging about nature and the cycles that rejuvenate oneself in away that only man can observe in awe, and could only hope to learn from. I was certainly not a fan of this book in the beginning but when writing about my own experience sitting with a tree I began to appreciate the book more, and could relate better to the text. I have found myself equally enlightened by lectures. While I have always lived in an area surrounded by corn, and understood the gravity of importance it was for my community I didn’t realize how much the rest of the world used the same corn I am always near. I see cornfields everyday of my life, and so I knew in that raw sense it was around me, but to hear it is in cardboard, batteries, and in wax on apples threw my head for a loop. I was really affected by seeing the different families around the world with the food that they live on, primarily the meat consumption for a week’s time. It was really eye opening to see what felt like the same family portrait occur over and over but just because of location nutrition was depleted. Going way back, I really enjoyed the hippo water roller because it felt like one of those design ideas that was simple enough to work, practical to produce, and the best part changed lives for the better. I love the idea of simple actions that make a difference.
I made the mistake of attempting to read a few chapters of Collapse. It is such a dense, impersonal book that I have no idea how I will be able to get through it in October. Realizing my mistake and turning back to A Sand County Almanac was refreshing. A Sand County Almanac no longer intrigues me. I personally think our approach to this book is all wrong. The author is fundamentally engaged in nature, while we are a step removed. It’s obvious from skimming others blog posts that they don’t particularly enjoy the book. I think they’re opinions would change if at least one aspect of this class required us to be outside on a regular basis. Doing the observation paper was tranquil and interesting. I did not fall in love with pine trees like Leopold did but I did gain more of a respect for my plant. Another mistake, a more physical one, was eating hamburger right before reading the Steer’s Life. I actually put that at the top of my notes “I ate burger today.” I have no idea why I didn’t make it a proper sentence. Reading the Steer’s Life after was sort of realizing someone had just spit on something you ate. That kind of disgust. What really struck me as interesting though was Hadrick’s relationship with the cows. He called it intimate yet unsentimental. It reminded me of some of my friends in 4H, how they treated their animals. Yes, it is something you are raising but you also have to come to terms with it being sold or slaughtered. There is a barrier you have to keep up to remain sane. That part of the article stuck with me the most.
Last lecture I found quite interesting because I knew several of the problems with factory farming that Joe talked about. Like we talked about in our discussion last week about if some people had a more general perspective of some of the biggest issues with our environment- maybe would think twice about their food and their materials. I’ve dedicated my diet to becoming a vegan and buy 90% organic (and local if that have it organic or pesticide free) to try to mainly create less environmental issues, health problems, and the animals. I hardly buy clothing or excess merchandise if I don’t have to, and yet I still see myself being not good enough. I often revisit some of the environmental issues and many other opinions I fight for, and still learn a whole lot. I have read and heard many times how if we used our fields to grow food for the people and not to farm animals, no one would go hungry. I mean, that is amazing. This argument, among the many, alone is a reason to avoid factory farming. You don’t have to care about the animals or environment or whatever more you could be saving, but just to save our own people in even the U.S, would be just unbelievable. As for the book, I have to agree on what most people are saying about it. It was really nice to read in the beginning, but I’m not too amazed by it now. I think it influenced my observation paper in the same style of thinking about being in nature and appreciating it. However, I also thought perhaps there would be a big change or a dramatic event, but not yet so I’m a little disappointed. So far I find the lectures very interesting and exciting, I feel like there could be a lighter load of reading and more focus on hands-on activities like taking a trip out to a ecology center or an artist demo who uses whatever material to make what he/she does. I like some of the reading, but I can say for me especially it is too much because not only am I not a strong reader it also takes more time for me to read and make sure I understand what is going on. Or even, like my TMP class did, we went out on a canoe trip and were only allowed to truly enjoy the experience of being in nature- then we talked about the experience after. I think this is a more productive and more active way to engage the students in what they are really learning about.
Upon completing the required amount of text for the Sand County Almanac, I placed the book down and hoped that I would not need to read it again. Aside from the obvious bland content, I did not find the message very strong. Whether the author intended for the reader to observe the wildlife and then follow up with activism or just wanted the audience to lie on the grass all day looking at clouds, I lacked support for this style. After leaving lecture, on the other hand, I was almost heartbroken this week. I knew that our meat comes from animals that may be mistreated. What I didn’t know was that this abuse was accepted industry-wide and happens to a very extreme degree. I don’t believe these lectures will prevent me from buying meat or will cause me to raise my animals like Joe, but I am definitely much more aware of my consequences. Overall, this class helps me notice my consequences more. For instance, I had not idea that our runoff in the Lower Mississippi creates a Dead Zone where no life can sustain itself. This area is in the Gulf of Mexico, a place I assume would have vast numbers of fish and sea creatures. I find myself questioning most of everything now. The manner in which Joe teaches these lectures lacks radicalism (not a fan) but instead, focuses on making the mystery behind mankind obvious.
Overall, I’ve been surprised by A Sand County Almanac. I just expected that when we had to read an environmental book it would be like This Moment on Earth. A book that’s much more scientific, and shocking in order to get a point across that our world is in danger. But I love that that’s completely what this book isn’t about. Its more just observations, anecdotes from this man’s every day life, and yet each story gives some reason, proof, information, or incentive to preserve the environment. I loved his description of a conversationalist when he was cutting down the tree. It’s that well thought out decision making and reasoning that everyone should make today. Like you could take that with you and when at the grocery store think about what the benefits and costs would be to buy one thing or brand verses another. I also loved the tree disease description. It shows that there really is a perfect balance in nature and that everything is used. It makes you wonder how we’re disrupting that balance by cutting down trees immediately when they have a disease. The lectures are continuously interesting, but every time I come out I have this sense that no matter what I try and to help the earth, there will be something wrong with my decision. It seems there are no good decisions, but perhaps there are no bad decisions ether. But talking about how corn production and GMO’s and meat production and basically everything we eat is detrimental to the environment it a little depressing. It is becoming ever more apparent to me that the problem doesn’t lie in what we consume, but rather how big our population is. In order to feed everyone in the world things to need to be mass-produced. That is to say that everyone in the world doesn’t have to eat meat and support that method of farming. I think that just being aware of these issues is so important because we can now start thinking of productive ways to help the environment
It took me a while to get used to the style and rhythm of Sand County Almanac. For a time I thought Leopold was setting a detailed scene for the stories action to occur. As I continued to read, I realized that I was correct, however not quite how I expected. This story has no definable plot, protagonist or climax but certainly doesn’t lack passion and Leopold is such a wealth of knowledge simply from his careful studies and observations. His style of writing is completely different from Michael Pollen’s. A Steer’s Life fascinated me. The persuasive approach Pollen took with the piece captivated me from beginning to end. I grew up in an affluent suburb of Detroit and the world or agriculture it foreign to me. The story seemed almost unreal because I have never encountered a slaughter “farm” for myself. It was disconcerting to read about, but also not to totally unexpected because I’ve seen my fair share of documentaries about food. I find the topic of food very interesting, partially because, like most people, I like to eat it and also because I recognize there is still so much about the issue as a whole that I don’t know about. I am lucky enough to have lived with parent who felt that eating healthy food was a crucial component to a healthy life. They bought as much produce as they could from a farmers market near our house, we drank raw, unpasteurized milk, grew various herbs and fruits in my yard and the rest was pretty much organic. When my mom served food for me I never questioned it. Once I came to college, I grew skeptical about the food because it was prepared in such mass quantities. I in no way mean to insult the University’s cafeteria system because for the most part the food tastes great and serving healthy options to the teeming masses of college students is certainly not easy, or cheap. But the experience of being completely in charge of my own eating habits brought many new questions to mind. The recent ADP lectures continue to bring new aspects of the subject matter to my attention, which I appreciate, although it does make eating a more thoughtful task because I can’t un-know the things I’ve learned
The frustrating thing about this book is that it is written in a way that tries to articulate the essence of the of the author’s surroundings in a very personal way. His perspective is fairly uncommon and I feel like you have to really digest what he is saying in order to fully understand it. Because it is written from an emotional perspective, you also have to tap into it with your own emotions. This book will not be very enjoyable if you’re not in the state of mind to do this. Leopold contemplates his role in the environment in which he lives. I get the sense that his primary reason for writing the book is to understand his own feelings about his relationship to his farm. He records his feelings in a way that others might be able to understand if they really wanted to. He reminds me of someone trying to explain why they like a certain type of music or artist. I could try to explain to someone why I enjoy the guitar playing of Django Reinhardt, but everyone listens to music from the perspective of their own ear and I can’t really expect people to get the same emotional impact from his playing that I do. The person who is listening must be genuinely interested in my opinion to begin with if there is any hope of them understanding my fondness for his music. This is especially true if this person has never heard Django before. Although I have had my own experiences in natural environments, I have never been to Sand County and I don’t have a reference in head to go by for many of the plants and animals he writes about. This makes his writing very difficult to relate to. Then again, his main objective isn’t really to entertain the reader than it is to understand his own place in this environment. It is not necessary for others to be familiar with plants and animals he’s talking about for him to do this. People who appreciate this book will might not know very much about the environmental impact/ history of the Bur Oak, but they will probably be familiar with it to the extent that they can create a visual picture of it and the surroundings he is describing. The value of this book comes from its personal and emotional perspective. It is not really meant to be informative for a scientific perspective. Any facts and statistics he might presents to the reader with are just a vehicle for expressing his emotional perspective. When I am in the frame of mind to emotionally tap into the writing, I find this book enjoyable. If it’s a nice day outside and I have time, I’ll take the book down to the Arb, plop down a bench and read it. I tend to enjoy the book in this setting. It’s a great place to reflect on what I have just read.
Andrew Hainen
ReplyDeleteADP III :: James Rotz
Weekly Statement :: Tuesday September 29th, 2009
This week, I proceeded to read Sand County Almanac, and I observed the same result: sheer boredom and unable to recall what I had read not two seconds before. I guess I can chalk this up to my disinterest in nature, regardless of how important it is to us. I expressed this last week in our discussion section about how what the author was writing wasn’t exactly necessary, and that he should’ve spent the next couple of pages expressing to the reader that they needed to go explore nature. Another student though expressed that I was wrong because “he was explaining the vivacious side of nature to show what we wouldn’t normally see.” He was trying to make us view things that would normally slip past our eyes.
So, I went into reading the Almanac again with this different perspective, trying to see the beauty imaginatively in what he was writing. Sadly though, I was still having trouble keeping focus and realizing what he was trying to get through to the reader. I felt like I should be outside reading it, but then I would be able to focus less, and I would just be staring off to the distance. In my mind, it’s a great attempt for some readers, but for others the Sand County Almanac is pure torture.
Next, we looked at different food amounts in class that countries consumed and how much money they spend on it. This I believe was the biggest eye opener for me if anything else wasn’t. After seeing that an average Ecuadorian family spends less that $31 on food per week, it really made me reconsider what I was buying at the super market and thinking about what else I could be doing with my money.
Lastly, I wanted to comment on something else from discussion. We talked about how we can better recycle and put things back to use instead of back into the dump. A comment came up though that even the recycling companies are in it for a buck, regardless of morals. I had heard before also that sometimes recycling process was terrible for our environment and that it also cost a ton of money. From there though, people ranted and raved about how that was terrible and that we should continue to recycle. I personally thought it was a valid comment and I’m not that strong of a believer in recycling. Joe Trumpey said it himself: “We have plenty of space to store our garbage”. Regardless of whether we reuse what we make, there will always be waste. At the end of the day, it’s similar to the war on terror; there’s no real end to it.
Brijit Spencer
ReplyDeleteADP III
James Rotz
So, I tried very hard to read Almanac this week and I am not going to lie, I absolutely hate this book. I think it is the most boring thing I have ever read in my entire life. I get that this guy loves nature and there are a few things he talks about that I think are pretty cool, like the birds dancing above the trees, but I still do not really understand the point of the book. I would much rather just walk outside and look at some birds than read this. In fact, that’s exactly what I did this weekend. Yesterday I ventured out into the Arb to observe a plant for our observation paper. As I was walking around I thought to myself, this is really nice. Why don’t I do this more? It was really pleasant to just meander the paths, look at chipmunks eating acorns, and even sit on the wet ground and look at a tree for an hour. I felt really good afterward too. I guess Thoreau had the right idea after all. My point is, I did not realize what I was missing until I was actually forced to go out and experience it. Even though A Sand County is trying to inspire, I feel that it is failing miserably in my case.
Moving on from nature talk, I’d like to say something about “This Steer’s Life” and the meat industry. I have been a vegetarian for about five years, but I’m not an animal activist at all. I decided to not eat meat because I was simply grossed out by the industry. I was aware of the hormones and antibiotics being pumped into our meat as well as the increasing health risks of eating red meat on a daily basis. Although I also disliked the idea of slaughterhouses, I was not fully aware of how our cows are actually treated prior to slaughter. Pollan’s article really opened my eyes. What disgusted me the most was the hell we put our cows’ digestive systems through just to speed up the process and save some money; “The economic logic behind corn is unassailable, and on a factory farm, there is no other kind. Calories are calories, and corn is the cheapest, most convenient source of calories…Yet it wreaks considerable havoc on bovine digestion…a great many of their health problems can be traced to their diet. ‘They're made to eat forage,’ Metzen said, ‘and we're making them eat grain’” (Pollan). The corn diet causes bloat and possible suffocation, as well as acidosis. In addition to this, in order to counter the health problems we are causing, we are forced to feed these cows antibiotics and all of these things are only contributing to the health problems humans are at risk for as a result of eating beef. It is because of these reasons that I am glad I chose to stop eating meat. Not only am I saving myself from some health problems, but I am one less consumer to contribute to an industry that essentially transforms cows into “fossil-fuel machines”.
Marian Perez
ReplyDeleteADP III
9/26/09
This week’s lecture was a lot more intense with information. Reading A Sand County Almanac is very boring. I have to agree that reading someone else’s thoughts and opinions constantly are getting old quick. The author is not even that interesting of a guy. I understand that nature is great and all but we get the point. It’s like reading entries of an obsession; there are other things in the world that are cool.
The class so far has defiantly stepped up its game. I never really have ever thought about famers going in to debt or how chickens and cows are living. One thing that made an impression on me was the story of The Jewish scientist whose work was used in the concentration campus to kill Jews and how his wife committed suicide. The whole story was very sad, but it was interesting how a popular known history could be expanded on with the subject of the environment.
I did my finished my plant paper recently and was really reluctant of doing it at first. I mean going outside and hunting down a plant took some effort. Especially with all the bugs and squirrels running around and the two huge spiders I saw, I was getting hesitant. But when I found my plant, the assignment got easier and did not seem as silly. I have never taken the time, and I never really have it, to stand in place for about an hour all by myself with out interruption. It was actually quiet relaxing and the plant felt more like a buddy tagging along with me than a thing in the background. I even started to wonder as I walked away whether the plant will be there next year or if I would forget about it. It defiantly changed the way I look at plants now.
Another thing I noticed while doing this assignment is how I not only don’t know how to identify a plant, but that I don’t know the name of their parts either. I had to look up the technical name of the fuzzy seed stuff the plant had and the part of plant they where falling out of. I also had no idea what the little purple petal things were called. I felt kind of dumb not knowing what to call what and it was frustrating online trying to find them based strictly on their appearance. I wanted to just scan the picture of my plant on to Google and get results on how to label it. Something else that was annoying me was how my camera would not take pictures of my plant or would just turn off. I figured out a way to get it to work a couple times, but I have never had such a big problem with my camera.
I enjoyed the assignment we had and am very curious as to what the next one will be. Being forced to have some time outside and doing something I have never done before was a good experience. I appreciate the outdoors a lot more now because I have always been an indoors kind of person. So far I have learned some pretty interesting things and want to connect some more to it with art.
Shelby Roback
ReplyDeleteADP III
I have always been an outdoors kind of person, and I think I always will. This is why, after reading the first few seasons of A Sand County Almanac, I put it down for good. There is not grand meaning of life, or new interesting facts that I believe will come from reading this book. Instead, I opted for going on a 3-day hiking/camping trip to Bruce Peninsula National Park with my boyfriend. I don’t see much use in writing or reading about other’s experiences of nature, especially boring one’s like in A Sand County Almanac. Everyone experiences nature in a different way, and everyone has a different opinion of it. For me, my trip this weekend took me to new extremes, both mentally and physically as I exhausted my body to it’s limit and my mind to the possibilities of escaping from society and simply living off the land and traveling for the rest of my days. This however, is not an option I can take lightly, due to the presence of good friends and family that I do not wish to abandon. So, I will continue to seek out a good balance that will allow me to live in nature without leaving the ones I love.
At first I thought that our observation assignment was going to be extremely annoying. When I experience nature, I like to envelop my senses in all that is around me, sometimes lingering on the experience of a specific rock or plant, but for the most part experiencing it all as a whole. As I hunkered down outside with my sketchbook and my camera, I discovered new things about nature, as well as about myself. This isn’t something I would have done on my own, but I found myself enjoying the experience of the plant I chose, from my association with it to the feel and aesthetic of the hairs on it’s stem. I have never experienced a plant in such a way, and I am glad that it is something I was forced to do.
I do think that it is important to know where your food comes from and how it got on the shelf at the supper market. However, this doesn’t mean I want to be out in a garden picking weeds or milking cows on a dairy farm. I am perfectly happy with how easy it is to buy food and how cheap I can get it. I happen to think that it’s great that I can get foods from all around the world and get things that are out season almost all year around. I like the fact that it is easy for me to get food I believe that’s how it should. I don’t think that I should have to work all day in the fields just to get a meal. Granted I do wish that more of my food didn’t have pesticides and hormones in it. I think that the organic movement is great and I hope it continues. I like seeing that we are using more whole grains instead of all the refined stuff. I think that the more people learn about what’s going into there food and start going for better options more and more companies will start doing it until it becomes normal and that’s what everyone does.
ReplyDeleteNothing I read in This Steer’s Life really surprised me. I live in a farming community were there are more cattle then people living in my county. None of these practices really surprised me in fact it is these practices that support my local economy. Being a vegetarian in my county would practically be a sin. I think that farming is a way of life that a lot of people don’t understand or misunderstand. I have had cattle graze in my yard in the spring and summer knowing perfectly well come fall they would be sent to the slaughterhouse where they would become the meat my family and I would eat for next year. I see nothing wrong with this, but maybe that’s just because of the way I’ve been raised and where I grew up.
I really don’t think A Sand County Almanac is that bad. Sure, it’s boring but how often does being in nature keep you on the edge of your seat (you know other than being attacked by a bear or being in a tsunami or something)? Nature is pretty boring because we are so used to constant stimuli and the media trying to find new ways to keep our attention on their channel. Nature doesn’t have those tricks and so it’s easy to ignore. I admit I was bored senseless reading Leopold’s book, but I felt that that was appropriate because he was just reflecting in his writing how mundane and normal nature is.
ReplyDeleteMichael Pollan’s article about This Steer’s Life kind of grossed me out. It reminded me of when I was little and on a vacation on a farm in France. The adults I was with were all super interested in the owner’s description of their award winning foie gras, and all I really noticed were these geese with bellies so big they could barely stand up right. Later I was told that foie gras is made by forcing corn down the geese’s throat (corn is freaking everywhere!) and that was really frightening for a seven year old. Okay, and then mad cow comes around and the same adults explain that the farmer’s have been forcing their cows to eat meat?
Yeah, it was disturbing but ultimately I still eat meat. When I see a cheeseburger I don’t think of it as once being a part of a cow, I see a separate thing altogether. Like it came from a cheeseburger plant or something. I remember reading in A Sand County Almanac about how dangerous he thought this way of thinking was. That food doesn’t come from farms but from the grocery store or restaurants, and yet it’s so hard for me to change my way of thinking when they wrap my food in packages and boxes and put labels on it.
Anyway what I’m trying to say is yes I think it’s wrong that we do these things to animals like forcing them to eat things they obviously don’t want to eat since they haven’t already, yes we should find a solution so that these animals are treated better, but do I feel bad enough to stop eating meat? Unfortunately no. Oh and that I can’t donate blood for the rest of my life and I get mean looks from the Red Cross because those farmers thought it was a good idea to feed their cows more cows. Yeah, not cool.
Trisha Previte
ReplyDeleteADP III: James Rotz
Upon reading the next 50 or so pages of the Sand County Almanac, I once again found my concentration on the reading lacking. It’s not that I don’t appreciate what the author is saying - I myself find nature absolutely fascinating – but from a reader’s point of view, the book lacks luster. Instead of getting the audience excited about nature, instead (and I am pretty sure I am not alone on this one), the book acts more like a tranquilizer. This may not even be the author’s fault; it may just be that nature simply cannot be described in words. However, I do not think this is entirely true. Yes, words can degrade and dull the experience of nature - honestly, how can the soft rustle of the blazing autumn leaves or the chirping of crickets on a hot summer night ever really be known unless experienced personally? – but words still can work to turn us toward nature, rather than away from it in agonizing boredom. Perhaps the book would have been more effective in the form of a short piece of prose. Yes, I realize that does undermine the idea of writing a year-round almanac, but that may be the sacrifice needed for this book to make any headway in changing the everyday American’s perspective of nature.
Despite the overly stimulating effects of the Sand County Almanac on my excitement meter, I did manage to find peace and kinship with nature this past weekend, and wouldn’t you know it, I found that harmony while actually sitting down and observing nature, in real life. I know that is a difficult concept for many of us to comprehend, but in all seriousness, I really enjoyed my time spent with nature for the first observation paper. Not only did the assignment force me to visit the Arboretum, which is a favorite pastime of mine that I often neglect, but it also allowed me the time to see wonderful details and oddities in the world around me that I would have never taken the time to notice before. As I was sketching I even sighted several rather large bugs that I know I have never seen before in my life. (Unlike the stereotypical girl reaction, I found the bugs fascinating and let them crawl about as they pleased). I noticed subtleties in the shadows of the many leaves of my tree and that its bark seemed to form the shape of human lips at the intersection of a certain branch and its trunk. Sad how, like most modern day Westerners, I would have never taken the time see these beautiful features if not for this assignment.
I’d also like to take a moment to comment on how informative the lectures have been recently. I had no idea just how much corn is a consistent part of our food sources, and facts such as these really do have me rethinking my lifestyle choices. I know I will never stop eating meat, but I have found myself eating less meat recently. I notice whether produce has been locally grown or not, and I am making more of a conscious effort to turn off the excessive amount of lamps I have in my dorm room. Hopefully I will continue these habits and develop other beneficial ones long after the constant guilt-inducing information of this semester ceases.
Amber Harrison
ReplyDeleteADP III
9/28/2009
Response #3
The first reading for the Sand County Almanac went very slow for my taste. It may have been that I just needed to feel out the book to see what kind of read it was, because from pages 53- 92 I really enjoyed Leopold’s writing. I was able to become much more involved with his words and style, and I found myself eager to read the next page. I enjoyed the thoughts on a conservationist, “ … a conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke he is writing his signature on the face of his land.” This analogy of a signature from axe, or pen was influential to me, highlighting the relationship we have with nature and how we interact with it. In this understanding, not only how we physically interact with nature but also our cognitive act with nature becomes important.
I also really enjoyed Leopold’s explanation of his land not only being diseased, but how that disease that many would consider weak, turned out to be a “Mighty Fortress.” I like how he noted the ordinary misfortune into a “bombproof shelter for the animals that lived on his land. I hope the rest of this read turns out to be just as encouraging about nature and the cycles that rejuvenate oneself in away that only man can observe in awe, and could only hope to learn from. I was certainly not a fan of this book in the beginning but when writing about my own experience sitting with a tree I began to appreciate the book more, and could relate better to the text.
I have found myself equally enlightened by lectures. While I have always lived in an area surrounded by corn, and understood the gravity of importance it was for my community I didn’t realize how much the rest of the world used the same corn I am always near. I see cornfields everyday of my life, and so I knew in that raw sense it was around me, but to hear it is in cardboard, batteries, and in wax on apples threw my head for a loop. I was really affected by seeing the different families around the world with the food that they live on, primarily the meat consumption for a week’s time. It was really eye opening to see what felt like the same family portrait occur over and over but just because of location nutrition was depleted. Going way back, I really enjoyed the hippo water roller because it felt like one of those design ideas that was simple enough to work, practical to produce, and the best part changed lives for the better. I love the idea of simple actions that make a difference.
Dana Pierfelice
ReplyDeleteADP 3- James Rotz
Response 3
I made the mistake of attempting to read a few chapters of Collapse. It is such a dense, impersonal book that I have no idea how I will be able to get through it in October. Realizing my mistake and turning back to A Sand County Almanac was refreshing. A Sand County Almanac no longer intrigues me. I personally think our approach to this book is all wrong. The author is fundamentally engaged in nature, while we are a step removed. It’s obvious from skimming others blog posts that they don’t particularly enjoy the book. I think they’re opinions would change if at least one aspect of this class required us to be outside on a regular basis. Doing the observation paper was tranquil and interesting. I did not fall in love with pine trees like Leopold did but I did gain more of a respect for my plant.
Another mistake, a more physical one, was eating hamburger right before reading the Steer’s Life. I actually put that at the top of my notes “I ate burger today.” I have no idea why I didn’t make it a proper sentence. Reading the Steer’s Life after was sort of realizing someone had just spit on something you ate. That kind of disgust. What really struck me as interesting though was Hadrick’s relationship with the cows. He called it intimate yet unsentimental. It reminded me of some of my friends in 4H, how they treated their animals. Yes, it is something you are raising but you also have to come to terms with it being sold or slaughtered. There is a barrier you have to keep up to remain sane. That part of the article stuck with me the most.
Anita Sidler
ReplyDeleteADP 3 James Rotz
Last lecture I found quite interesting because I knew several of the problems with factory farming that Joe talked about. Like we talked about in our discussion last week about if some people had a more general perspective of some of the biggest issues with our environment- maybe would think twice about their food and their materials. I’ve dedicated my diet to becoming a vegan and buy 90% organic (and local if that have it organic or pesticide free) to try to mainly create less environmental issues, health problems, and the animals. I hardly buy clothing or excess merchandise if I don’t have to, and yet I still see myself being not good enough. I often revisit some of the environmental issues and many other opinions I fight for, and still learn a whole lot. I have read and heard many times how if we used our fields to grow food for the people and not to farm animals, no one would go hungry. I mean, that is amazing. This argument, among the many, alone is a reason to avoid factory farming. You don’t have to care about the animals or environment or whatever more you could be saving, but just to save our own people in even the U.S, would be just unbelievable.
As for the book, I have to agree on what most people are saying about it. It was really nice to read in the beginning, but I’m not too amazed by it now. I think it influenced my observation paper in the same style of thinking about being in nature and appreciating it. However, I also thought perhaps there would be a big change or a dramatic event, but not yet so I’m a little disappointed.
So far I find the lectures very interesting and exciting, I feel like there could be a lighter load of reading and more focus on hands-on activities like taking a trip out to a ecology center or an artist demo who uses whatever material to make what he/she does. I like some of the reading, but I can say for me especially it is too much because not only am I not a strong reader it also takes more time for me to read and make sure I understand what is going on. Or even, like my TMP class did, we went out on a canoe trip and were only allowed to truly enjoy the experience of being in nature- then we talked about the experience after. I think this is a more productive and more active way to engage the students in what they are really learning about.
Upon completing the required amount of text for the Sand County Almanac, I placed the book down and hoped that I would not need to read it again. Aside from the obvious bland content, I did not find the message very strong. Whether the author intended for the reader to observe the wildlife and then follow up with activism or just wanted the audience to lie on the grass all day looking at clouds, I lacked support for this style.
ReplyDeleteAfter leaving lecture, on the other hand, I was almost heartbroken this week. I knew that our meat comes from animals that may be mistreated. What I didn’t know was that this abuse was accepted industry-wide and happens to a very extreme degree. I don’t believe these lectures will prevent me from buying meat or will cause me to raise my animals like Joe, but I am definitely much more aware of my consequences.
Overall, this class helps me notice my consequences more. For instance, I had not idea that our runoff in the Lower Mississippi creates a Dead Zone where no life can sustain itself. This area is in the Gulf of Mexico, a place I assume would have vast numbers of fish and sea creatures. I find myself questioning most of everything now. The manner in which Joe teaches these lectures lacks radicalism (not a fan) but instead, focuses on making the mystery behind mankind obvious.
Overall, I’ve been surprised by A Sand County Almanac. I just expected that when we had to read an environmental book it would be like This Moment on Earth. A book that’s much more scientific, and shocking in order to get a point across that our world is in danger. But I love that that’s completely what this book isn’t about. Its more just observations, anecdotes from this man’s every day life, and yet each story gives some reason, proof, information, or incentive to preserve the environment. I loved his description of a conversationalist when he was cutting down the tree. It’s that well thought out decision making and reasoning that everyone should make today. Like you could take that with you and when at the grocery store think about what the benefits and costs would be to buy one thing or brand verses another. I also loved the tree disease description. It shows that there really is a perfect balance in nature and that everything is used. It makes you wonder how we’re disrupting that balance by cutting down trees immediately when they have a disease.
ReplyDeleteThe lectures are continuously interesting, but every time I come out I have this sense that no matter what I try and to help the earth, there will be something wrong with my decision. It seems there are no good decisions, but perhaps there are no bad decisions ether. But talking about how corn production and GMO’s and meat production and basically everything we eat is detrimental to the environment it a little depressing. It is becoming ever more apparent to me that the problem doesn’t lie in what we consume, but rather how big our population is. In order to feed everyone in the world things to need to be mass-produced. That is to say that everyone in the world doesn’t have to eat meat and support that method of farming. I think that just being aware of these issues is so important because we can now start thinking of productive ways to help the environment
It took me a while to get used to the style and rhythm of Sand County Almanac. For a time I thought Leopold was setting a detailed scene for the stories action to occur. As I continued to read, I realized that I was correct, however not quite how I expected. This story has no definable plot, protagonist or climax but certainly doesn’t lack passion and Leopold is such a wealth of knowledge simply from his careful studies and observations. His style of writing is completely different from Michael Pollen’s. A Steer’s Life fascinated me. The persuasive approach Pollen took with the piece captivated me from beginning to end. I grew up in an affluent suburb of Detroit and the world or agriculture it foreign to me. The story seemed almost unreal because I have never encountered a slaughter “farm” for myself. It was disconcerting to read about, but also not to totally unexpected because I’ve seen my fair share of documentaries about food.
ReplyDeleteI find the topic of food very interesting, partially because, like most people, I like to eat it and also because I recognize there is still so much about the issue as a whole that I don’t know about. I am lucky enough to have lived with parent who felt that eating healthy food was a crucial component to a healthy life. They bought as much produce as they could from a farmers market near our house, we drank raw, unpasteurized milk, grew various herbs and fruits in my yard and the rest was pretty much organic. When my mom served food for me I never questioned it. Once I came to college, I grew skeptical about the food because it was prepared in such mass quantities. I in no way mean to insult the University’s cafeteria system because for the most part the food tastes great and serving healthy options to the teeming masses of college students is certainly not easy, or cheap. But the experience of being completely in charge of my own eating habits brought many new questions to mind. The recent ADP lectures continue to bring new aspects of the subject matter to my attention, which I appreciate, although it does make eating a more thoughtful task because I can’t un-know the things I’ve learned
Matthew Acomb
ReplyDeleteADP 3 James Rotz
The frustrating thing about this book is that it is written in a way that tries to articulate the essence of the of the author’s surroundings in a very personal way. His perspective is fairly uncommon and I feel like you have to really digest what he is saying in order to fully understand it. Because it is written from an emotional perspective, you also have to tap into it with your own emotions. This book will not be very enjoyable if you’re not in the state of mind to do this. Leopold contemplates his role in the environment in which he lives.
I get the sense that his primary reason for writing the book is to understand his own feelings about his relationship to his farm. He records his feelings in a way that others might be able to understand if they really wanted to. He reminds me of someone trying to explain why they like a certain type of music or artist. I could try to explain to someone why I enjoy the guitar playing of Django Reinhardt, but everyone listens to music from the perspective of their own ear and I can’t really expect people to get the same emotional impact from his playing that I do. The person who is listening must be genuinely interested in my opinion to begin with if there is any hope of them understanding my fondness for his music. This is especially true if this person has never heard Django before.
Although I have had my own experiences in natural environments, I have never been to Sand County and I don’t have a reference in head to go by for many of the plants and animals he writes about. This makes his writing very difficult to relate to. Then again, his main objective isn’t really to entertain the reader than it is to understand his own place in this environment. It is not necessary for others to be familiar with plants and animals he’s talking about for him to do this. People who appreciate this book will might not know very much about the environmental impact/ history of the Bur Oak, but they will probably be familiar with it to the extent that they can create a visual picture of it and the surroundings he is describing.
The value of this book comes from its personal and emotional perspective. It is not really meant to be informative for a scientific perspective. Any facts and statistics he might presents to the reader with are just a vehicle for expressing his emotional perspective.
When I am in the frame of mind to emotionally tap into the writing, I find this book enjoyable. If it’s a nice day outside and I have time, I’ll take the book down to the Arb, plop down a bench and read it. I tend to enjoy the book in this setting. It’s a great place to reflect on what I have just read.