Fair Farm Food Quiz

I took the Fair Farm Food Quiz on the Food and Water Watch website.  I have to admit that I was being a little overly negative and sarcastic when I answered some of the questions and to my surprise, I got them right.  Good news??  No, no, no.  This is very bad news.  I am learning new things everyday that can be utterly depressing.  What's even more depressing about it all is that most consumers just do not care.  We care about fancy cars, clothes, and other materialistic things.  Yet, we do not care about the food we ingest.  It's a bit sickening to say the least.  As I am feeling a bit pessimistic today I will go ahead and assume not many readers will take the quiz themselves.  So, I decided to post the questions and answers here.

1. FOR EVERY DOLLAR YOU SPEND ON GROCERIES, HOW MUCH DOES A FARMER GET?
A $0.91
B $0.66 
C $0.19
D $0.36

That's right. Less that 1/4 of what you pay goes to the farmer.  Does that sound fair to you??  It doesn't to me.

2. HOW MANY FLOWERS DO BEES HAVE TO VISIT TO MAKE ONE POUND OF HONEY?
A 200
B 2000
C 200,000
D 2,000,000

Two million!  Wow, that's a lot of flowers.  It sure does put a new meaning to the term "busy bee".

3. HOW MANY TIMES A DAY IS A COW MILKED ON A FACTORY FARM?
A Once, just like a regular cow
B Two, just like a regular cow
C Two, which is more than a regular cow
D Three, which is more than a regular cow

I assume the hormones and antibiotics these cows receive aids in the increase in milk production??  But what does it do to the quality of the milk.  My family prefers organic milk due to taste and this is no lie.  Organic tastes better.  I dare you to test it out for yourself.

4. HOW MANY EGGS DOES A FACTORY-FARM CHICKEN LAY IN A DAY?
A NONE -a chicken lays eggs only once every few days
B Just One
C Two
D Five - chickens are amazingly productive!

So, I am not a farmer and I am not 100% about how many eggs a chicken living in natural condition will lay... but I believe this is pretty normal.

5. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A COMMERCIAL CARROT TO GROW? 
A Three weeks

B Four weeks

C Eight weeks 

D Twelve weeks

It takes a carrot (grown under natural conditions) at least 3 months to grow fully. 

6. HOW LONG DOES THE AVERAGE FACTORY-FARMED CHICKEN LIVE?
A Six Weeks
B Three Months
C Six Months
D One Year or More

Six weeks!!!!  Naturally a chicken should take about 20 weeks. We're forcing a naturally occurring process to speed up for money.  A form a virtually non-existent trade measure. Good things will not come of this.

7. HOW MANY INGREDIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE BUTTER??
A Just one - cream
B At least 2 - cream and salt
C Several - cream, salt, and some stabilizers
D It's not butter if it doesn't have a few ingredients I can't pronounce

Now just for grins and giggles, go check your butter box/tub and see how many ingredients BESIDES cream are listed.  Ew.  Gross, right??  What is that you think you are eating??

8. WHAT DOES A "FREE-RANGE" LABEL ON A PACKAGE OF EGGS MEAN??
A Just what it says - the chicken is allowed to go wherever it wants on the farm
B The chicken must spend at least three hours a day outside
C The chicken must have access to go outside at least six hours a day, if it wants to
D It means absolutely nothing.  There is no government standard for what "free-range" means, so the company can define it for themselves

Have you ever scanned the price differences on eggs?  I have. I do.  I buy USDA organic eggs with the seal that tells me the product I am buying is regulated and worth the extra cash.  "Free-range" means the company gets "free-range" on how much more they can charge you, even if their chickens are not allowed roaming.  It sickens me.

Money, money, money!  Greed!  If you think buying the products that aren't labeled organic or all-natural will save you in the end, you are wrong.  You are still putting your money into the pockets of these mass producing tyrants.  They aren't worried about whether we have enough food to feed America.  We eat too much anyhow (68% of Americans are overweight or obese)!!  They are worried about having enough money in their pockets to live their lavish lifestyles while your bodies pay the ultimate price.  Think about it.  Start thinking about what you eat.  There is only one thing you can take with you throughout your entire life and that is your body.  Why wouldn't you want to take care of it???

Tyson Chicken and Mass Producing - The Truth

When you buy chicken what brand do you normally get?  When I've asked the most common answer is Tyson.  Of course people by Tyson, it's a brand name.  Most people will assume they are getting quality meat from a company like Tyson.  What they don't know about (or care about) is the quality of care (or lack thereof) your food is getting from the very beginning...

  

Consider what you are eating.  Not only are you eating a chicken that has been genetically altered to grow bigger in a shorter amount of time, you are eating a chicken that lives in the most horrid environment.  Sure, the immediate response will be "But they'll clean them and everything before they hit the grocery aisles..."  Is that really enough?  This woman's contract was terminated for 2 reasons.  1. Speaking out against Tyson  2. She refused to use an enclosed chicken house.  ??  What's that?  That's where these chickens never see the light of day, ever.  I wonder how great that yummy Tyson chicken strip is sounding right now...

If you're still skeptic and need more convincing please continue on to the next clip.

Ugh... I've watched this clip many times.  Every time I watch it I have to turn my head and call me emotional, but it makes me tear up too.  If you haven't done so, do yourself a favor and rent or buy Food Inc. and take the time to educate yourself on the purpose of this video, which is not some random rant from crazy people.  Sadly, it's the truth about our food industry.  On a good note, it also explains how we, the consumers, can demand change by buying products that are raised, grown, manufactured, and processed naturally and most importantly ETHICALLY.  We spend thousands and thousands of dollars on products that are essentially not necessary.  We as a society are willing to pay more for the clothes we wear on the outside of our bodies (material that will not last us our lifetime) than we are on the food that we put into it.  Before I step off my soap box, I pray, ask your self this: If you knew that the gas companies were purposely creating gasoline that would damage your vehicle because of harmful chemicals and whatnot, just to put more money in their pockets, would you continue buying it and risk decreasing the value of such a large investment??  If yes, well... I feel for you and your pocket book.  If your answer is no, then why, why, why?! would you not consider your body as valuable an investment/asset in your life??

For more information please visit the Food Inc. Hungry for Change website.