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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. Pollan points out during the book that omnivores face a __________ when they eat today.

2. What takes corn meal, corn starch, and corn sweetener to make?

3. _______ was mass produced because of all of the corn that was grown at the time of the alcohol period in the country.

4. The pastures are filled with native grasses that actually benefit from ____________.

5. The factories from the war time began to produce ________ for farmers to help with their crops.

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the three different parts of the food chain that Pollan follows in this book?

2. What is the history of Polyface Farm, according to the book?

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

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

5. What are three of the benefits to grass farming, as outlined by Pollan?

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

7. What does the lack of a good culture in America cause among people?

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

9. What indicates a higher ratio of corn being eaten in a human's diet?

10. What did Pollan feel about the meal that he had that was made from all organic foods?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is a form of corn that is lower in quality than the corn in many foods, and it is fed to the animals.

Part 1: Do you think that lower quality food should be served to animals?

Part 2: Why do you think there is so much extra corn that can be used without any concern for quality?

Part 3: How do you think the farmers might be able to provide better quality feed for their animals?

Essay Topic 2

Salatin talks to Pollan about the ways in which a farm can grow in line with the Earth to be more productive and healthy.

Part 1: Do you think that organic growing is the best way to grow for food supplies?

Part 2: Why do you think organic growing methods aren't always the best choice?

Part 3: Do you think that organic growing is more of a trend than a way of life?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 695 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample