Summary Of The Oil We Eat By Richard Manning

Is the practice of traditional factory farming at the costs it entails to the environment and our only recourses really worth it? Is it even ethical for us humans to use up to 40% of the only energy there is in the world. If all our energy in the food we eat relates and flows back to the natural farm fields is it worth it to take the rich sun energy for ourselves and rob it from the land. Or is there a possibility for alternatives that benefit and balance all aspects of nutrition for all animals that live off energy. In the excerpt “The Oil we Eat” Richard Manning explains what is really at stake. Sadly its things that the everyday person would have never considered because they are at the receiving end of this food production. While this

This spittoon encompasses ideas that keeps energy and animals in mind while also mimicking the natural symbiotic relationships in nature. These relationships are utilized on Joel Salatins farm, and has shown to yield a much better product that produces little ..…

Richard Manning’s article brushes over different aspects of farming and is centralized towards examining the agricultural downfall relating to energy and sustainability. While Manning is not opposed to the food producing industry necessarily, he is completely concerned with the amount of energy this commercialized industry wastes and weighs if the effects are worth it. One major concern that is explained is the concept of energy. The basic fuel of all animals is energy and Manning proposes “there will never be more of it and there will never be less of it” (Manning), so essentially we need to work with the amount of energy that has been given to us and balance it out along all aspects of life. While

Pollen first notes how healthy and green Salatin’s farm is. He explains this is due to that fact that when Salatin first wakes up, his first duty is to feed and move the chickens and their pens around. Salatin utilizes the natural worms and bugs in the ground, in combination with greens, kelp, corn and soybeans. This process also helps to put some grain back into the ground with the natural chicken feed. This combination of movement and nutrition in feeding not only keeps the chickens healthy but is extremely beneficial to the soil. Their process is to “give them twenty-four hours to eat the grass and fertilize it with their manure, and them move them to fresh ground” (Pollen), this process has proven to keep the soil healthy and thriving with nutrition and energy from the healthy manure which contains vitamins and minerals from the chickens feed. This first example combats manning concern with the land and plant loss since this process is cultivating healthy land and also mimics a symbiotic relationship in which the chickens and land both benefit from each other. Here the energy between the chicken and land in which it thrives is being distributed evenly and the land is not cultivated solely for a human benefit, but to keep the chickens and grassland healthy. Further in Salatin’s farm the energy continues to be distributed evenly as the birds on his farm “pick insect