Consider one of the main goals of this course (that Professor Trumpey mentioned in the first two lectures) which is to have you start thinking about yourself and your stuff in relationship to “Global Systems.”
Relate this concept to Leopold’s assertion that “there are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace” (Leopold 6).
Do you think this statement is still relevant (given that he wrote it in 1949)? Is he talking about the importance of literally owning a farm and leading an agricultural life? Are there other ways of interpreting this for the 21st century? What does he mean by “spiritual”? How/Do you relate to this statement?
Please be sure to carefully read and respond to each component of this prompt and to cite your sources correctly!
(Please post a comment to this post as opposed to clicking on the upper right hand "New Post" button as I think the blog will seem a little more organized. There are still a few of you that I have not received one or both of the other assignments and am wondering if they just got lost in the 'pile'...)
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Sally Volkmann's Prompt Response #3
ReplyDeleteI believe Leopold’s statement, “there are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace” is still relevant to today’s society (Leopold 6). However, I don’t believe it should be interpreted literally where as every one should live on a farm.
Instead, I think it is important and we are aware of where our food and energy comes from and the process that it goes through to get to us. I didn’t realize that most of our fruits and vegetables travel farther to get to us than is worth their energy. It really makes sense now that I’m aware of it. I tend to eat a lot of salads and fresh fruits since they are low in calories but I never considered that it takes more energy to ship them to me than they actually provide me with energy.
I completely agree with Leopold’s statement; after seeing the slides from Eric Schlosser’s book (I think it was Hungry Planet) of what families eat it shocked me how much packaged food American’s eat in relation to other parts of the world. Now I have been thinking about how much of what I eat is packaged or how fresh it really is. Even the salad bars in the dining hall have perfectly shredded carrots that are probably processed in a plant somewhere.
I also eat a lot of cereal and after seeing the slide I question how many boxes of cereal do I eat a year? Is cereal even a good way to get whole grains? Should I change the cereal I eat? Seeing the purple box of Raisin Bran with the sugar coated raisins and the big cartoon sun on it made me realize how unnatural cereal really is compared to the original grain it comes from.
In terms of Leopold using “spiritual” in his statement I think he is referring to a sense of enlightenment. To me being spiritual is being enlightened to the ideas, teachings, practices and moral examples of a religion. The more one learns about the guiding concepts of a religion the more that person tries to change their ways to live more like the deity. My interpretation of the way spirituality relates to his statement is that by believing that food comes from a grocery store (and not a farm or factory) and that heat comes from a furnace (not a tree, coal mine, or oil field) is failing to enlighten yourself.
This failure is dangerous because in many examples human ignorance has resulted in loss of nature and if people are consuming a product that has negative affects on the environment with out knowing it the cycle will never end. Through taking the time to investigate the practices of General Mills (the company that produces Raisin Bran) may influence my purchases; whether they recycle, where they get the raisins, treats their workers ethically, package the product in America, etc.
I have to admit that I am not extremely familiar with the global systems keeping our world in order. This course is actually teaching me a great deal about it- but that is not the point of this post. Leopold asserts, “There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace” (Leopold 6). Though this statement was written in 1949, it is still completely relevant to our lives today. Just because less of our parents and grandparents are farmers now, does not mean they are any less important. Though we buy our food from the grocery store, it has to come from somewhere. The farms. Regardless of if we are in direction relation to cultivating food from farms, we are the ones eating and purchasing it. We should know where it comes from.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think the purpose of his quote is to discuss the importance of literally owning a farm, because even then it was not the most common profession. I think he is referring to being more aware of our agriculture, where our food comes from, how it is produced, so that when we eat it, we know what is actually going into our bodies. Also, to know where our energy is coming from. How our furnaces are actually being heated up. This actually is in line with the 21st century, though it was spoken so long ago. More now than ever, we are moving away from the agriculture industry, so we have less people involved, and aware.
In terms of spirituality, I think that he means they can damage our lifestyles and beliefs. Not necessarily dealing with religion, or anything like that. Our happiness, and well-being can be affected so much by the environment, and food. Those are the things that affect our moods the most! Will it damage our perception of eating and what it means by being unaware of the entire process? Truthfully, it may. I had no idea how far products were shipped in order to get into my kitchen cabinets. I don’t know the exact process of cultivating foods and energy. That is why Leopold makes an excellent point in saying that it will damage our society by being ignorant.
This relates to my life, because, I can be categorized somewhat with the ‘ignorant’ group. I am aware of the issues or world is facing, and am now much more aware of the processes our world goes through, but for many years I was not. This made me more unable to help out, because I just didn’t know how I could. It helps a great deal to know what is going on, so that I can do my best to help in some small way.
Katie Barrie
ReplyDeleteWeek Three
Leopold’s statement about the “two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm” still is relevant in this modern world on two levels: knowing where your food comes, and the road it takes to get to your kitchen. As Joseph Trumpey pointed out in his lecture, the average meal travels 1,400 miles for Americans. I was shocked to learn this, though not surprised when really considering the fact. Driving on the highway, you see dozens of large semi-trucks transporting food. Only in the United States is this scene found in such volume. The photographs of families around the world and the food in their kitchens really emphasize this truth.
I am a relatively healthy eater, avoiding the thousands of packaged foods found in American grocery stores, but I am well aware that I am in the minority. Too many people today don’t consider what is being put into their bodies. The rise of the fast food industry, throughout the country and the world, is one clear example of the downfall of healthy, local cuisine. Reading Michael Pollan’s article, “This Steer’s Life,” made me reflect further on what we are doing to ourselves. Society has gone down a dark road where people fail to stop and consider where our food is coming from. I find it rather upsetting that Aldo Leopold voiced his opinions sixty years ago, and it made no impact. If more people held these views, in an ideal world, farmers markets would out number McDonalds.
Leopold, Aldo. Sand County Almanac, and Sketches Here and There. New York: Oxford UP, 1949.
Pollan, Michael. “This Steer’s Life”. The New York Times Magazine. 31 March, 2002.
Trumpey, Joseph. Art Design Perspective 3: Technology and the Environment. Stamps Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI. 21 and 23 Sep 2009. Lecture.
Mara Schlanger
ReplyDeleteWeekly Response 3
As time progresses, our world is changing from a once agriculturally sufficient population into an over-industrialized and consumer driven nation. Personally, I’m no stranger to the fact that processing and dependence on manufacturing drive much of my life. I don’t think I ever realized how different the life I lead is from those who live in the rural south and are generally self-sufficient enough to not have to depend on a store for their basic necessities. I’m going to forgo all shame I have and admit that my realization was brought on by Paris Hilton’s 2000 reality show “The Simple Life.” Hilton was forced to move to Altus Arkansas to live on a family farm in hopes of realizing what the “simple life” was like. Upon her arrival, the family had just killed a few chickens and wanted Paris to help dress them. Her utter disgust suggested that she had never killed her own food or naturally produced any of the products she consumed—rather relied on the grocery like the greater American population. When the family sent her to the store to get staples they couldn’t produce, Paris commented on the meat in the fridge that looked old and rancid.
In comparison to Leopold’s assertion that “there are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace…” Paris ascertained that the preparations that the family was doing on the farm were most likely producing fresher and healthier product than that sitting in the grocery. In my opinion, I think Leopold is referring to the unfamiliar aspect of where our food comes from, and how exactly it’s made. When one produces their own fare in the vicinity of their own home, they know exactly what has been feed to the animal, the habitat that they come from, and how fresh the product is when it’s ready to be consumed. In terms of spirituality, I think he’s referring to the piece of mine one obtains through knowing the answers to such questions relating to quality of what their consuming, and knowing that their sufficiency can be the basis for life.
I do think that Leopold’s statement has relevance today, and I think that Paris Hilton’s 21st century reality show is just one small piece of evidence that supports such a theory. While in the 50s Leopold may have believed that farming shouldn’t be a predominant profession in American society, today it really isn’t feasible to have a country that exists entirely of farmers. To put his comment into context, I think that American’s need to consider where their products come from and how relevant manufacturing is in their life. I think it’s true that when one produces something on their own rather than relying on an outside industry to provide it has a greater importance and meaning in their mental and spiritual life (spiritual meaning how sacred an object or action is). I can remember back to when my parents used to take me apple picking and how the apples that I picked always tasted to much better than apples my mom would buy at a store….a large part being that I picked the apple myself so I valued its presence and savored its taste more.
Response 3
ReplyDeleteIn 1949, Aldo Leopold wrote in his book “there are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace”(Leopold 6). Just because this statement was made 60 years ago does not mean it is irrelevant. I think that if anything, Leopold was ahead of the times in making such a statement. In 1949 there were more farms in the United States than there are today, and people were oblivious to where things came from then. I think that because of the lifestyle Leopold lead, he was in tune with nature, he knew about his surroundings much more than the average person did, and much more than the average person now knows. I think this can be applied to life in the 21st century in many ways. We now live in an era of technology, where we do not really think about where things come from, everything must be ready when we need it, and things cannot interfere with our busy lives. Taking time to really think where our food comes from is not an issue for most people today. We stroll down the aisles of our supermarkets looking for the best deal, not caring about how it got there. Farming is not an easy lifestyle, and is not an industry most young people are going into, but being educated about food is something everyone can have a grasp on. Professor Trumpey has mentioned in his lectures that most of the food we buy travels an average of over 1,000 miles before it reaches a grocery store. Buying locally can do many good things, not only does it help the local economy, but it means that you know where your food is coming from, you know how far it is traveling. People have gradually become very disconnected with food and nature over time, and it should not be this way.
While Leopold may have said there was danger in not owning a farm, I think what the message was that not understanding how food is processed and packaged is an issue. Not knowing about life on a farm seems strange to me because my grandfather still owns a farm. I know that farming requires a lot of knowledge about nature, seasons, wild animals, and technology. Being able to grow crops or raise animals is not easily controlled, and is hard to maintain. Knowing about the process that farmers go through should make you realize that what is bought is something that has to endure a lot, and it is not as simple as one would believe.
Works Cited:
Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. New York: Oxford University Press, 1949.
Trumpey, Joseph. ADP 3. Stamps Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI. September 23, 2009.
Being an artist no longer just means being able to paint, draw, and design. Nowadays artists stress to design products and pieces that have a relationship to their environment and “Global Systems”. This same concept can be applied to other aspects of our lives as well. Leopold suggests that, “there are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace”. (Leopold 6) When contemplating how these two situations differ, it’s easy to see how the two correlate as well. It is important to pay more attention to our surroundings and to learn and understand the world around us, and how it affects us as individuals.
ReplyDeleteI believe that when broken down this quotation simply means that although we are accustomed to getting out food from a grocery store, and heat seems so come out of the heaters in our homes, it is important to realize that both comforts, are the result of the natural world which surrounds us. I contend that when people used to own their own farms, we were more aware of where the product originated. People were less lazy, and had to learn the concept of working for the things in life we need and want.
I think that this quotation is still certainly accurate. Although I think its unlikely for us as people to suddenly start owning their own farms again in order to appreciate our natural environment, I still find it quite interesting that we have totally become lazy, and don’t put much effort into better understanding simple concepts that our ancestors have understood for many years prior to our own existence. When we refer to this as “spiritual”, I think that in essence we have lost our connection to spirituality when we stopped being a more agrarian culture, and moved forward to a lifestyle in which we don’t directly participate in the things that we once did participate in. Connecting this quotation with the modern world today, is still a solid way of trying to get the message across that when we were more active, owning our own farms, we were less oblivious as a people. The world has changed dramatically since then, but I do however believe that there is still a need for us to acknowledge where things come from and such.
Leopold, Aldo. Sand County Almanac, and Sketches Here and There. New York: Oxford UP, 1987. Print.
Lily Porter
ReplyDeleteResponse 3
I have so much stuff. Yet, I probably couldn’t tell you where 99% of it came from. I mean really came from, not simply Walmart or Meijer. Is it even important in today’s world to know what my stuff’s origins are? Or is it an out dated idea that is just impractical in our fast-paced society?
Aldo Leopold, author of Sand County Almanac, and Sketches Here and There, would argue that it is important to know where our belongings came from. He says that, “there are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace” (Leopold 6). Although he wrote this statement in 1949, it seems now to be more relevant than ever.
People seem to not know where their stuff comes from (myself included), much less care. At the same time, it appears as though our generation has more possessions than previous generations. We are obsessed with worldly things. Why should we care where it comes from? We pay for it, it’s ours, it’s past doesn’t matter, right? Well after reading “This Steer’s Life”, I’d much prefer to know where my goods originated, and how they got to the store (Pollan).
For example, I would probably not buy a shirt I know has been made in a hostile work place, such as a sweatshop. Or pants that use dyes that are harmful to the environment. But the only way I would know that is if I did my research. Stores don’t advertise that sort of thing. “Come buy our non-recyclable, environment-damaging items that have been made by poor workers that we don’t pay well!” That would really sell it.
When Leopold says that there are “spiritual dangers in not owning a farm”, I don’t think he means it literally (Leopold 6). He is trying to stress how farmers know where their resources come from, and how to sustain themselves. We can still do that today without literally living on a farm. We should educate ourselves to be more mindful and grateful for our food, clothing, and shelter, rather than taking everything for granted and being naive when it comes to sustainability.
When he says “spirituality”, I believe Leopold is talking about a sort of transcendentalism (Leopold 6). We are all very connected through the way we survive. Even though, according to Professor Trumpey, our daily meal may differ from the average Chinese person or Ecuadorian, we all need the sun and earth to live (Trumpey). We can all do our part in helping to protect them, and in that sense we are all connect in a common “spirit.”
We need to be more aware of our global community and how everything we do affects it. We have to respect it, and that includes respecting our shared earth, and its fellow inhabitants. One way to do that is to be mindful of the earth as a shared space. We cannot abuse our rights by leaving behind a huge carbon footprint. That affects everyone else on the earth and is selfish. However, if we do our research, we can know the more “earth friendly” or “green” ways to go about our daily lives. By buying true organic and local foods, environmentally friendly clothing and stuff, we can do our part in making this world a better place to live.
Leopold, Aldo. Sand County Almanac, and Sketches Here and There. New York: Oxford UP, 1949.
Trumpey, Joseph. Art Design Perspective 3: Technology and the Environment. School of Art and Design. Stamps Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI. 21 Sep 2009. Lecture.
Pollan, Michael. “This Steer’s Life”. The New York Times Magazine. 31 March, 2002.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think when Leopold was writing the statement “there are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace” he did mean literally owning a farm. I do think, though, it can be translated into something that can be relevant to people who do not and will never live on a farm. When he brings up the fact that breakfast comes from the grocery store, I think he is bringing up the question what is really in this food and not knowing can be a risk. There can be an ingredients list or it can say its fresh, but how do we really know? We don’t and living on a farm lets us really see what goes into the meals and what is eaten. I think that in order for us to really see all that is consumed living on a farm would be ideal. In lecture last week, we were shown what families eat in different countries, and though what Americans were eating didn’t really shock me, it wasn’t something I was really happy to see. There were so many boxed items and not very many fresh foods. Then we saw other families in other countries and their intake of hydrogenated oils and boxed foods was probably extremely low if any. Even now a days in the United States if someone was to live on a farm they probably do buy some things at the grocery. Though we want to try to live with the freshest ingredients taking the easy way out and heading to the nearest grocery store is something many of us are accustomed to. Before coming to college I was aware of what ingredients weren’t the best for me but I never really tried to change any of my eating patterns. Now, a few of my good friends are extremely healthy eaters and though they’ve never pushed eating healthy onto me they have really influenced my choices. This class and my friends influence has really made me look at what I eat and how good it is for me. My decisions aren’t always the best ones, but at least now I know more about what I am choosing.
ReplyDeleteLeopold, Aldo. Sand County Almanac, and Sketches Here and There. New York: Oxford UP, 1949.
Trumpey, Joe. ADP 3. Technology and the Environment. Stamps Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI. September 23, 2009.
Joel Seigle
ReplyDeleteResponse 3
Sitting through Professor Trumpey’s lectures I become aware how poor of a job I do at providing for myself. As far as my relationship to “global systems” I am a disgraceful participant in providing for the system. Nothing I really do adds it merely detracts.
“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace” (Leopold 6). Even though Leopold wrote this 60 years ago I believe it is more relevant today then it was since the world population has more than doubled in size from the time of Leopold’s publication. For those who are not farmers, and do not produce like me, we are constantly sucking resources out of nature with out putting any back. It would be illogical for everyone to drop what they are doing and start farming but there is still stuff that can be done.
As talked about in our last lectures, there are good farms and bad farms; Local and far proximity, organic and non-organic, corn feed and grain fed. Selecting the right food to buy at the grocery story will support the farmers that are doing the right thing and will help to make the world a better place.
Leopold’s quote basically is a discussion on energy. Buying eggs at the grocery takes up way more energy than it would take to have a hen in your backyard. However it is much more convenient to go purchase something rather than make it.
The way in which Leopold refers to “Spiritual” I believe is our connection to nature. The less we produce ourselves the less we are connected. Instead we rely on others to produce for us. In return we give them money for their work and call it a fair trade. It may be a fair trade in monetary value, but as far as environmental it is far from equal.
Works Cited:
Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. New York: Oxford University Press, 1949.
Trumpey, Joseph. ADP 3. Stamps Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI.
Yu-Jen(Chris), Tsai
ReplyDeleteSec 005
As I finish reading the first couple chapters of the book “A Sand County Almanac”; it became obvious to me why Professor Trumpey had selected this as one of the reading assignments for this particular class. Over the last four or five lectures, every little topic in the discussion held in the lecture or in our discussion groups has been about the relationship between us human and the natural world; however, little of us realize what’s happening to the earth; meanwhile, we continue our daily lives as we eat, drink and sleep.
I believe in Leopold’s quote at the beginning of the February, while he said that “There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.”, I put a lot of thought to what Leopold is trying to express more than just making the readers feel obliged to conceive the specific paths and procedures our daily objects. Instead thinking of the appreciation people should have for the natural world.
Despite the fact that the quote is written in 1949 and the author stated the importance of owning a farm and place oneself in the wild outside world. I don’t think we should view the words as a gap between what Leopold’s time and the 21st century due to the era difference. Of course we don’t necessarily have to each own a farm to understand the “spiritual” feeling he mentioned. The spiritual realization comes from within and it turns into a feeling of gratitude. Therefore, people nowadays who have the same appreciation to the environment that Leopold had sixty years ago form groups that protect the earth also known as environmental groups, which isn’t a unfamiliar term to the society during the 21st century.
kristin adamczyk
ReplyDeleteBy not directly interpreting Leopold’s opinion by saying that you should have your own farm and make fire with real wood instead of gas, we need to examine what he could be implying, metaphorically speaking, he is implying that you don’t know where that food comes from, therefore that makes it unsafe. And I think that this ideas seems ridiculous, but it’s environment counts for so much, it being said in 1949: the culture is different. People were way more reserved, and for the most part their home lives were secretive. It’s like the Desperate Housewives, with this fake appearance and sketchy personal life. Well the point I want to make is that it was not that crazy. And if it was dramatic it wasn’t publicized, people cared about the impression they made. In the year 2009 we have become this race with this desire to explore the unknown, and understand everything, even people. So we become obsessed with exposing private lives. You see examples of this everywhere on TV: Real World, dating and rehab shows on VH1, those clutter-nuts, plastic surgery, weight-lost shows, etc. So basically we are bombarded by openness.
I mean especially in 2009, we should be concerned with where our food comes from. What are we really consuming? Anything can be laid in front of us for an easy buck? Leopold is making a statement that even in 1949 they were aware of that. It was probably more of an issue of unsafe processing, the health factor, compared to now when the health factor is now more about raging hormones rather than bacteria.
I think by spiritual Leopold means moral. That by neglecting to care, you should be pressed with this moral dilemma. When I look at how I am personally related to this statement I weigh in the fact that all these topics make us criticize ourselves, and we have an instinct to feel some bad, or somewhat responsible. But trying to follow all of this impact on our plant would just drive you crazy, yes you should pay attention to your impact but it’s not the end of the world. Literally.