According to Wendell Berry in his article, "The Pleasures of Eating" (1990), there has not only been a marked decline in the life of the small American farmer, as well as other rural life, but also a decline in the quality of food that the average city dweller consumes. He argues that "eating is an agricultural act. Eating ends the annual drama of the food economy that begins with planting and birth" (Berry, 1990, p. 681). Most urban dwellers, however, are so removed from the beginning of the "drama" that they really have no interest in its end. For these people, Berry states, "food is pretty much an abstract idea" (p. 682). He further argues that it is the food industry that has created this separation by consolidating several small farms and ranches into large industrial farms or ranches in an effort to increase volume, push down the cost of food production and so increase their profit. Additionally, Berry (1990) believes that the food industry is increasingly trying to sell the consumer pre-prepared food in an effort to augment their dependency on the food industry. This has created a large segment of the population that is "passive, uncritical and dependent" (p. 682) in regards to their food.
Berry asserts that the average person should become more aggressive in regards to their food and their health and he suggests seven ways in which to increase participation in the food cycle. First, he suggests, find a bit of the yard, or a pot in a window and grow something to eat in it. He also suggests working on a mini-compost pile with kitchen scraps to use in this mini-garden. This will acquaint the person with the cycle of life that happens with food production. Next, cease buying pre-prepared food and begin preparing the food. This will cut down on cost and increase "quality control" of the food eaten. Third, learn where the food comes from, whether from a local farm or shipped from overseas. Normally, the most fresh an...