Future of Food

After watching the documentary, I went to research my favorite food. I decided to do my favorite snack which is Goldfish. I never realized how complex it was to make Goldfish or even how large of a process it was. The ingredients in Goldfish are enriched wheat flour, vitamin b2, folic acid, water, salt, vegetable oils, yeast, sugar, baking soda, spices, onion powder, pasteurized milk, and cheese. Goldfish are made by Pepperidge Farm which grows it's ingredients in Fairfield, Connecticut. They have farms all throughout the world for their growing need for there products such as goldfish. In order for Goldfish to get onto my plate it takes a long process. Sometimes they could come from just another state but at other times I could be eating Goldfish that came all the way from Switzerland. Pretty amazing if you ask me. The documentary of the future of food was a good source of information that I did not know. I never really have thought about what the world has in store for the future when it comes to the food that needs to be grown. I also never put my mind in the frame of thinking about whether or not consumers should be informed about what is in their food. I now think that it is a good idea to let everyone know. People should be aware of what they are eating and should have the option of having alternatives if they want. I felt that this documentary was pretty educational and helped me understand the future of food.

http://www.zeer.com/Food-Products/Goldfish-Cheddar-Crackers/000005474

http://mcclay.pristine.net/clients/babi/goldfish.php

http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/History.aspx

Field Trip #1 ECHO

The first field trip to ECHO was very eye opening to say the least. When we first got on the bus in the morning I wasn't sure what to expect. When we
arrived I noticed the enviornment in which we would be exploring and it seemed to look a little different then what I was thinking. When the tour guide explained to us all about the other countries and how they live I thought it to be the most interesting part of the field trip. Learning that "starving" means intaking 1800 calories with manual labor was pretty crazy to me. I would definitely be in for a shock if I were to put my shoes in another country where having fresh healthy food was not an option. If I had to grow my own food, learning these ways of surviving would be very helpful. I thought that the water pump was pretty cool as it gave some help in cleaning dirty water. I also thought that by putting water in a soda bottle and using the suns rays to purify was pretty fascinating. Using the goats manuer for soil was also very interesting and something that I have never heard of before. I never knew that there were so many different ways to do things to help out third world countries. The entire ECHO organization does wonders to those who need it. Whoever started the cause is helping out people each and every day. I enjoyed the field trip very much and was inspired to learn more about trees, plants, and animals that could have more then one use around the world.

Sense of Place

When thinking about "where I feel most at home" I found it difficult to decide on just one place. I finally came to the conclusion that where I feel most at home and most at ease is at the beach. When I am at the beach I feel very peaceful and fully understand my surroundings. Being at the beach makes me think about what else there is out there and how much other life is living at that point in time. Ever since moving down to Florida my appreciation for the beach has grown over time. I would have to say that my favorite beach to go to here is Lovers Key. http://www.floridastateparks.org/LoversKey/ Being at Lovers Key is different than other places because it is so wide open and the view from the sand is incredible. When I first walk onto the sand the feeling of comfort immediately sets in. Being there makes it seems like there are no other worries in the world and that nothing bad could ever happen at that point in time. When laying on the beach I always say "I wish I could have a light that will light up the entire ocean floor so I can see everything that is down there". I think it is fascinating to think of everything that is swimming and living down on the ocean floor. All of the wildlife and sea creatures that exist make my sense of place even stronger. You can never really feel alone at the beach because of everything you know of that exists beneath you. Even taking in the scenery, such as the shrubberies and trees on the path to the beach makes me feel at home. Being outside in such a beautiful atmosphere slows my mind and vanishes my worries which is why the beach gives me a sense of place.

Your Neighborhood

Taking a walk around my neighborhood I have to admit was not too exciting. Some environmental features that I encountered were the lakes that are surrounded by the property and the trees that circle the buildings. While walking by the lake I did happen to notice a few lily pads on top of the water which represented some from life. On my walk I did not see any turtles but in the past I have seen a turtle wandering around the parking lot, probably looking for its home. The palm trees that are along the lake are your typical Florida tree. On my walk a came across a tall, white bird, I think it was called a Heron, but did not seem used to socialization as when I walked closer it quickly flew off. One thing that stood out to me while strolling was the amount of garbage that was laying in the grass near the lake. Rappers, cans, beer bottles, you name it and it was there. As for ecological issues, the apartment complex in which I live in does participate in a recycling program. It is up to the people to take recycling into their own hands which I think would be the best idea for the environment. I think that the environment that I live in holds a good amount of wildlife and features that put together a sustainable place to live.

Incoming Reflection

As the first day of Colloquium class approached I was pretty eager to see what we were going to be doing for the next three months. The expectations that I had in my mind were mostly learning about the enviornment and the world that we live in. From past students I had heard that we go on many field trips and explore the outdoors around campus. I was looking forward to being outdoors for the most part because I am an outdoors kind of girl. My experience with the wilderness around these areas does not go too far. I have been over to the Corkscrew Sanctuary once and enjoyed my experience there. The trails that are around campus have always been interesting to me but I have never got the chance to actually go and explore. My goals for the class are to basically learn more about what I can do to make the earth better for myself and the following generations to come. I would like to help myself gain a better understanding of global warming and how it is affecting each of us. I overall am looking forward to this class with broad expectations and an open mind.