I just watched The Future of Food on Hulu. Has anyone seen this documentary? It is hard for me to put my thoughts into words after watching something like that. I want to get involved. Help out the farmers, get the politicians to stop being endorsed by the corporations and get them to actually care about the farmers in their states. Anyone have any tips on where to start?

And here’s the link to the video if you want to watch it for yourself.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food

How very coincidental cause I just watched Food Inc. and I’m not only completely repulsed by what I saw but I’ve completely lost my appetite for food.
I feel the same way you do Allison. I want to get involved but where to start? I’ve already got Farmers Market on my list, but what else?

I gotta go watch The Future of Food now.

Thanks!

I have to sing the praises of this site in general and about no-poo in particular. I have been swimming five days a week for years, and my hair is long and unmanageable. I was thinking recently that my hair is getting so out of control and so brittle that I might have to cut it off: I’ve tried every shampoo/conditioner/swimmer’s product on the market. I heard of no-poo, but figured it was not for me, because my hair gets *really* greasy. But then I read a book about baking soda, and it mentioned that baking soda can act as a neutralizer for pool chlorine when used as a hair rinse. The fireworks went off then. I have been doing no-poo for a week, and I can already tell that I do not need to lop off my locks. It was the chlorine and the shampoos/conditioners/etc. that were killing my hair.

Yes, my hair feels greasy, but at least it doesn’t *look* greasy. It looks fine. I can’t do much to run a brush through it to distribute oils (I haven’t gotten a brush through it in ages), but my wide-tooth plastic comb seems to be working fine. I don’t care for the apple cider vinegar smell, but I’ve diluted it and added a few drops of essential oils to the rinse, so it’s workable. I wash my hair (with baking soda) after every swim to neutralize the chlorine, so I’m obviously washing it more often than the average no-pooer. But it seems to be working well, and I am thrlled to know that I can swim and keep my hair. Thanks for the advice and encouragement in all you do – I really appreciate it.

Hi, Sayward. I’m getting a puppy soon and because of the various ‘natural’ changes I’ve been making to myself and my home, I wanted to know if you had any ideas for how to raise a puppy more naturally. My main concern is primarily how to clean, er, accidents up from a rug without having to resort to harmful chemicals (our entire home is carpeted, with the except of the kitchen, and we can’t keep the puppy in there until she’s house broken, since we live with three other people and that’s a ‘common’ room). Would you know of a decent recipe for a rug cleaner that is not only safe for me, but for my dog, while still taking out any unwanted stains and smells?

@ Allison – That is a great documentary! I also second Tenise’s suggestion of Food Inc. The website for the film also has a bunch of information on how to get involved – http://www.foodincmovie.com/

Food politics and nutrition, that’s one of my primary interests. It can be really overwhelming when you’re just jumping in (as I’m sure you’re feeling) but try to remember, you’re already involved! Just by watching these films, thinking about these issues, and wanting to make better food choices, you’re already doing it! Now it’s just a matter of making a series of small changes, over time. Before you know it you’ll be involved in a totally different food system.

Farmers Markets are the best places to start, as well as small local co-ops or collectives. In the absence of those, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods is superior to the supermarket, but of course local and little is always better. Direct from the farmer is the ideal (which is why farmers markets are great). You may want to check into a CSA in your area and consider subscribing to that.

Those are just a few preliminary ideas. Remember it’s a process and don’t get overwhelmed! Feel free to post here or email me anytime if you have other questions or would like to talk about it further!

@ Tenise Rae – Check out the Food Inc website (above) – it’s got tons of great ideas and resources!

@ Julie – Awesome, I’m so glad that no-poo is working so well for you! And that’s great to know it’ll work to deal with frequent chlorine. Yay!

@ Kaye – Yes! I’ve actually been sitting on a carpet cleaning method/recipe. I’ll get my butt into gear and get it posted ASAP – by the end of this week or beginning of next. Thanks for the reminder (and congrats on the puppy!!!)