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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. To help combat how much a person can eat, the food industry has created ________ starch that can allow people to eat more.

2. What do many farmers rely on in order to create higher yields at their farms?

3. What does Pollan begin helping Salatin do when this chapter begins?

4. Gene Kahn is the founder of ______ Farm, which is a giant organic company that uses industrial methods.

5. Humans are not a perfect natural system in the food system because they can only _______ so much food.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Pollan note as being a problem with organic foods being labeled as organic, as shown in the example of the lettuce?

2. What does Pollan point out is the start of any of the foods in the food chain, which came as a surprise to him?

3. What is corn starch broken down into after it has been processed in the wet milling process?

4. What are the reasons why Pollan calls farms and humans imperfect natural systems?

5. What is the hybrid corn that is described in this section of the book?

6. What does the Salatin farm not need to use because it practices other methods of pest control and fertilization?

7. What is the main idea behind the process of grass farming?

8. Describe the Salatin farm as Pollan views it in the book from his experiences visiting there.

9. Why is high fructose corn syrup used in sodas today instead of regular sugar?

10. What does Pollan point out as a downside of there being more organic farms around today?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The main theme of the book is the omnivore's dilemma and it's one that Pollan returns to again and again.

Part 1: Do you think you face a dilemma when you sit down to eat?

Part 2: Why do you think Pollan believes that the dilemma is important?

Part 3: Should people think about where their food comes from or why they choose certain foods?

Essay Topic 2

The idea behind grass farming is to begin and end with a highly renewable resource - grass.

Part 1: Why do you think Salatin decided to be a grass farmer?

Part 2: Does the idea of being a grass farmer seem like a lot of work?

Part 3: How do you think an industrial farmer could implement the ideas of grass farming. Or couldn't they?

Essay Topic 3

The organic farmers talk about how there is a price to pay when they want to be productive.

Part 1: Do you think that organic farming can ever be pure farming?

Part 2: Why do you think that organic farmers still grow their crops in an industrial way?

Part 3: Is there anything wrong with organic farmers being more industrial in their techniques?

(see the answer keys)

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