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Farm City: Novella Carpenter with Michael Pollan

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The Ethical Question of Raising 'Edible Pets'

05 min 06 sec

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Michael Pollan asks Novella Carpenter how she is able to slaughter the farm animals she raises on her urban farm.

Carpenter says, "I don't think there's anything wrong with loving them, feeding them, and gently killing them with love."
Novella Carpenter Makes Prosciutto From a 'Pet' Pig

02 min 54 sec

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Novella Carpenter shares her new-found appreciation for the time and effort it takes to raise a farm animal.

She reflects on the experience of making prosciutto by saying, "It does add pressure to the chef because if you f- that up, that is a huge deal!"
Michael Pollan Links Food Reform to Health Insurance

04 min 20 sec

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Michael Pollan discusses on Michelle Obama's "really amazing speech" to reform the US food system.

He says, "The way we're growing food is a key to the health care crisis on the one side and climate change and energy crisis on the other side."
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01 hr 12 min 31 sec

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There are 8 comments on this program

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Previous FORAtv comments:

gregp

Posted: 09.23.10, 09:59 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by stevesrebelclone I noticed when she described the ceremony she undertakes prior to killing the animal, she mentions everything but the fact that SHE is killing the animal. I eat meat, I think its a essential part of a healthy humans diet, but I think the fact that she has a ceremony to make herself feel better about the process, is kinda dumb. So you would do it like a Big Tough Guy, and NOT make yourself feel better, right? Or are you perhaps trying to make yourself feel better by posting this otherwise pointless comment?

paintnsculpt2010

Posted: 01.09.10, 11:06 PM

I am repulsed by The background laughter and obvious approval and support for this sociopaths proposition that it is OK to befriend pamper and nurture an animal with the premeditation of murdering it and eating it. Compassion is not something nice to have around at the holidays it's our greatest strength. When we as human beings stop following the story tellers and start investigating and thinking for ourselves we will take a giant step forward in our evolution. Robert Stagemyer, Artist

Malcolm MacLeod,MD

Posted: 08.02.09, 11:54 PM

Why no comments on Michael Pollan's talk. It was the best, and the most to the point. I am a carnivore by heredity (Scotch), but I don't eat much, and I don't waste it. American servings are way too large. The French have a better grasp of "enough". Dietetics should be started in grammar school, and continued. Compulsive eating and all of those other aspects should be included. M. MacLeod,MD (retired pediatrician)

conorsilva

Posted: 07.12.09, 02:44 PM

Torn between laughing and understanding, oddly, when Novella recounts her death ceremony. The phrasing she used just seemed like sugar coating a pile of shit. On the other hand, her word choice aside, it is reasonable to me that in some way you would make the event 'impact' as for resonance. If one finds it their prerogative to eat animals, at least framing it in a way so you somewhat comprehend what is required to get you that food.

Know Thank You

Posted: 07.11.09, 10:50 AM

There is no valid science in 2009 indicating a human requirement for the consumption of meat or meat byproducts. Current science indicates just the opposite: that consumption of meat and meat byproducts leads to increased risk of coronary artery disease, a variety of cancers, obesity, diabetes, salmonella, and a host of other issues. The science of our parents' and grandparents' generations is what most people think of when they say things like "where else will you get your protein or calcium from?" That fact is that our society has a taste for meat, not a requirement for it, and once we recognize that we will be better able to control our diet and the host of associated health issues. There are also considerable environmental issues associated with factory farming (not a factor in the subject of this video though); not many people realize that the factory farming of meat leads to the emission of more greenhouse gasses than the entire transportation industry. This led the United Nations to recently decree that turning to a vegetarian diet was their number one recommendation for addressing global climate change. I have large ethical issues with the featured subject of the film. While I applaud the steps she has taken closer to gaining a respect for other animals, there clearly remains a wide gap in the level of respect she offers various beings. That level of respect is based on appearance: she looks and determines 1) are they human, 2) if not are their eyes on the front of their heads, or 3) if not are their eyes on the sides of their heads. If you are an animal in class one or class two above the subject of the film feels you are worthy of life. If you are an animal in class three above the subject of the film feels you are worthy of slaughter. In my own humble opinion, no animal, human or otherwise, is worthy of slaughter. The subject of the film is going to great lengths to make herself feel better about slaughtering other lives, but all people that work in slaughterhouses must do what they can to separate themselves emotionally from the horror with which they are surrounded. Many studies of criminal behavior have shown that serial killers start with animals. It is saddening to think that persons such as the subject of this film may be considered do-it-yourself role models during a hard economy, and back yard slaughterhouses may spring up in neighborhoods across the country. I hope that the film maker, and FORA, have considered the potential implications of showing a film of this nature.

davidrojaselbirt

Posted: 07.09.09, 07:16 AM

Obviously you haven't yet connected the dots between where-your-food-comes-from and your health-and-thoughts-about-our-wealth. Here's some argumentum ad hominem towards you Steve. Certainly you are not a savant regarding the importance of rituals in daily life. I won't suggest, but did you pay attention to how you started your day today? Seek if there's anything that looks similar to what you did the days before, and to what you'll do tomorrow. And also try to remember the last time you had a meal with your parents. Is it dumbe what your mother does with the food or how she serves it, even thought that doesn't add proteins or extra-flavor to what the food products do? Nevertheless you kind of got the point of why she does what she does (feel better, or simply feel), although what's kind of dumb is the fact that YOU DON'T SEE the ritual on how industrial animals, I mean "meet" is being "processed", TO MAKE YOU feel better. Now... try talking to someone who actually does the killing and chops thousands of pigs per day. Ask around how they feel and how they treat not only pigs, but humans (themselves, their loved ones and others) and pets. You'll find that they are paying your bills regarding the weight of the killing-act through industrial rituals at slaughterhouses.

stevesrebelclone

Posted: 07.07.09, 09:00 PM

I noticed when she described the ceremony she undertakes prior to killing the animal, she mentions everything but the fact that SHE is killing the animal. I eat meat, I think its a essential part of a healthy humans diet, but I think the fact that she has a ceremony to make herself feel better about the process, is kinda dumb.

theoriginaldrifter

Posted: 07.07.09, 02:08 PM

On getting to know and love your 'edible' pet prior to eating it, it reminds me of Ender's Game where Ender comes to love the buggers in order to figure out how to annihilate them. I am part of the overall community that consumes meat on a daily basis and I probably take it for granted. When my mother was a child, she used to have pet chickens which she killed, plucked and cooked herself. Too much food is wasted nowadays and if we were to go back to raising animals in order to feed ourselves, we would appreciate the food on our table a lot more.