Food, Inc. is Coming to PBS!

Gather your family and friends. Set your DVR. Mark your calendars: August 9, 2011. That's the day Food, Inc. will be airing on PBS for everyone to see das part of their POV listings.

What is POV on PBS?

POV, or "Point of View" is PBS' way of supporting independent films and programming for the public audience.  Their tagline is "Documentaries with a point of view." They air new independent documentaries on Tuesdays throughout the summer and the fall (the Food, Inc. presentation is actually a repeat for POV, who first aired it in April 2010). The schedule may differ depending on your local PBS station, but for me the new films air at 10pm and usually re-sir on the following Thursday at 2:30am (this is where the DVR comes in very handy!). I high recommend checking out the POV website for your local listing, or, if you do not have access to PBS, merely for a chance to see some of th fantastic documentaries that are out there to be seen.

What is Food, Inc.?

In case you have missed the litany of posts that I have already written with some reference to this film, or you missed its Oscar nomination, then at least know this - the issues raised in Food, Inc., the people who made the film, are in the film and those who continue to fight the good fight for the issues in that film are the ones who largely inspire all that I write about here on the Searching for Sustenance blog.

The POV site give a nice synopsis of the film along with a trailer, and Food, Inc.'s official website is a fantastic place to go for information on the film and resources about joining the food movement.

Why You Should Watch Food, Inc. (again)

If you have never seen this film, then it is time to do so. While things are changing every single day, sadly not that much has changed in our food industry since the creation of this film. It is time to lift the veil and see what's going on. It is one thing to read about the food industry (which is how I began this search), and something completely new and different to SEE it.

If you've already seen this film and you are wondering why you should bother to tune in to POV in a couple of weeks, well I've got two reasons for you:

1. Notes on Milk ~ Apparently POV will be airing Food, Inc. along with a short film about milk. I'm curious! I've never seen it before, so why not tune in?
2. SHARE THIS FILM ~ Take this opportunity to share Food, Inc. with someone you wish to enlighten. Perhaps do dinner and a movie: plan and prepare a simple dinner created with great finds at the week's farmers' market, from the organic selection at your local store, or better yet, grown from your own land! Then watch the movie and discuss (the Food, Inc. Discussion Guide for teachers has some great questions you may want to adapt for a small group viewing!).

There are lots of documentaries out there about food in the United States and in the world. They each have their own point of view and relevance to our discussion. Perhaps Food, Inc. holds such a prominent place in my opinion of these films because it was among the first that I saw. However, I believe it is something a bit more than that: Food, Inc. is one of the most comprehensive food films I have seen. It gives a great view of the "big picture" - from a consumer's standpoint, a farmer's standpoint, from the perspective of animal welfare and human health, the politics and business involved and the activism that we can embrace to help to make change. I consider Food, Inc. to be Food Movement 101 - a prerequisite to all "courses" (films, books, articles, etc...) that come later, so go set your foundation to make a greater change and watch the film!

Related Posts

• Baby Steps Toward a Solution (post after my first-ever viewing of Food, Inc.)
  
• The Food Inc. Discussion Guide for Teachers
• 5 Movies to Nurture Your Eating Conscience

Why I Call Myself a "Foodie"

I love food. I always have and I believe I always will.

As an infant I was categorized as, "a healthy eater," to the relief of my parents who didn't have to battle with me to eat. As I grew into a young child I would gladly partake in all of our home-cooked meals and be baffled by my brother's picky pallet. As an adult I have come to truly appreciate my food thoroughly - from its creation and preparation to its aroma, flavor and nutritional support.

Foodie, Defined 
 
For these reasons, I have considered myself a foodie, which is defined as follows,

Foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. The word was coined in 1981 by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who used it in the title of their 1984 book The Official Foodie Handbook.

So, in short,  a foodie is a fan of food. That's how I always thought of it. I am a fan of food. Perhaps you would prefer that I call myself a food nerd, as I am already a math nerd and book geek? To me, they are one in the same, except that "food nerd" has a term already developed for it: "foodie."

Foodie, Interpreted
 
However, it has come to my attention that this term foodie has a negative connotation to it for some. I guess it comes from that part of the definition that says a foodie is "a particular class" of food fan. It seems, when some people here the term "foodie," they hear things like:

• food know it all
• food snob
• blind follower of food professionals
• food elitist (I was inspired to write this post after reading Eric Schlosser in The Washington Post called "Why being a foodie isn't 'elitist'")

It makes me wonder: What do others hear when I am coined a "foodie"? Since it seems this term is subjective in meaning, I guess it is important that I state my intent of the term.

Foodie, As I Use It

I believe that food is the most valuable product on this planet. In my eyes, its value dwarfs that of the dollar, of gold and even of oil - strip all of those away and we can still survive because food and water are the keys to our very existence.

I value food.

I appreciate food.

I want to learn more about food because I think food is that important to my health, my existence and my family's future. I call myself a foodie for all of these reasons. In my life as a foodie I am learning, cooking, eating, gardening and shopping.

Do you consider yourself a foodie? Why/why not?

What does the term "foodie" mean to you?

Is there some other term, aside from "foodie" that you prefer to use?