Sustainability Freshman Inquiry Oct. 19, 2010 Jeff Fletcher

Logistics Field Trip, Zenger Farms –This Thursday, Oct. 21 (2pm to 6pm at latest) –MAX leaves at 2 sharp from SE 6 th and Montgomery –Bee or other allergies New Reading due Oct. 21 –Omnivore’s Dilemma Ch. 10, 11, 12 –Reconciling Livestock and the EnvironmentReconciling Livestock and the Environment Upcoming 1 on 1 Meetings Midterm Madness tonight 6pm –No mentor sessions today

Midterm Next Tuesday 50 minutes, not full class Main concepts from –Class discussions –Readings Through Ch. 9 Omnivore Through Ch. 4 Transition to College Writing –Mentor Sessions –Mostly short answer So what have we covered?

Systems Natures Cycles Systems Ideas: –Positive and Negative Feedbacks –Open and Closed Systems –Causal Maps for "Cheap Corn" (later)

Diseases From Food Besides diseases of overconsumption and bad diets Most common foodborne infections (from CDC) –Bacteria: Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7CampylobacterSalmonellaE. coli O157:H7 –Viruses: Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses.Norwalk –Occasionally foodborne, infections by Shigella, hepatitis A, and the parasites Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidia, tapeworms. Shigella hepatitis AGiardia lamblia Cryptosporidia Foodborne toxins –pesticides, herbicides –Natural toxins: Bacteria grow on food: Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium botulinum. Harmful even after cooking and bacteria have been killedClostridium botulinum Other: poisonous mushrooms; poisonous reef fish Fungi that grow on foods, e.g. peanuts

Biological Reproduction Differences Basic Transcription and Translation of DNA into ProteinBasic Transcription and Translation of DNA into Protein Bacteria –Most scientists consider this LIFE: a living organism Viruses –Some scientist consider this LIFE, many don’t Multi-cell parasites –GiardiaGiardia –TapewormsTapeworms

New Form of Disease Causing Agent Protein Structure (e.g. Hemoglobin)Protein Structure Hemoglobin Prions (proteinaceous infectious particles)Prions Stanley Prusiner first coined the word and first proposed that these infectious proteins were the cause of the disease scrapie in sheep and more importantly Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Prusiner also proposed that the way that this protein multiplied was not though genetic information like DNA or RNA, but rather through the conformation change of normal proteins into rogue proteins. Affects nerve cells in mammals –Cannot Kill –Not neutralized by digestion, cooking, even normal autoclaving –Kills nerve cells, but slow process

Consequences of Cheap Corn Policies? In groups construct a causal diagram –Include as many details as you have time for Both positive and negative effects Capture as many of the intermediary steps as possible Example: Cows eating corn –What are upstream causes? Farmers get paid more the more they grow, more corn on market drives down price, cattle raisers go for cheapest calories. More subtle: USDA grades corn fed beef higher –What are down stream consequences? Cows get sick (bloat, acidosis), need antibiotics, increased resistance, increased human disease, need for more expensive antibiotics More subtle: acid environment causes E. coli and other bacteria to evolve to be acid resistant, so if humans eat these bacteria are not killed, leads to more human infections

Exercise Take a number, 1-8, corresponding to your homework question. Take 5 minutes and review/proof your answer to the homework question. Read your answer to that question to the class.

Group Questions 1.What was the original definition of “organic” food? 2.Why does Joel Salatin consider “industrial organic” to be a contradiction in terms? 3.Do you think that the term “industrial organic” really is a contradiction in terms? Why or why not? 4.What are some of the differences between “Big” and “Small” organic? 5.What are some of the negative consequences of industrial organic farming techniques, in terms of soil health? 6.What is “beyond organic”? 7.What are some of the positive consequences of large-scale organic farming? What are some of the negative effects? 8.If you had to write a realistic definition of what organic food should be, what would it say?

What Qualifies as Organic Food? Organic is what the government says it is USDA regulates the definitions Government does not directly label food as “Organic” Instead, the USDA certifies accrediting agencies through the National Organic Program European Union = similar Pollan p. 131 (comparative lists)

US Government Definitions National Organic Program eData.do?template=TemplateA&navID=NationalOrgan icProgram&leftNav=NationalOrganicProgram&page=N OPNationalOrganicProgramHome&acct=nop eData.do?template=TemplateA&navID=NationalOrgan icProgram&leftNav=NationalOrganicProgram&page=N OPNationalOrganicProgramHome&acct=nop –What do you notice about this website? Organic Food Production Act of 1990 Certified Organic 7 C.F.R. Part idx?c=ecfr&sid=9f7d238c82480a19673ba f 6&rgn=div5&view=text&node=7: &idno=7 idx?c=ecfr&sid=9f7d238c82480a19673ba f 6&rgn=div5&view=text&node=7: &idno=7

What qualifies as “Local?” What is a small farm? What is an industrial farm? How many head of cattle? How many acres of corn, grass, soy? What plant diversity is required? What income? USDA  $5,000? What radius of distribution? 100 miles? Eugene, Olympia, The Dalles.

Case study #1: Polyface Farm Joel Salatin video R2P4 (1:42) R2P4

Case Study #2: Abundant Life Farm (Dallas, Oregon) Abundant Life Farm (Oregon) sj8g (6:34) sj8g What did you notice about the chicken coops? (Pollan, pages ) How much land did the pigs require? What did the fences look like? How big were the cattle? How do they sell their products?