I have been listening on my iPod to Joseph Campbell’s conversations with Bill Moyers called “The Power of Myth”. Therein is quite an interesting discussion about how all previous cultures have revered and sanctified those elements of nature that have sustained them – hunters gave homage and powers to the hunted, and later the planters to the seed. The sacrifice was consecrated. Today these myths are gone, as we have little connection to the food we eat.
H and I have just spent two days traveling mile after mile of corn and soybean fields. These fields are quite remarkable, a finely tuned bio-chemical engineering feat. Do these fields have any lasting meaning for our culture? On the one hand none of these crops seems to be directly consumed by people, my guess is that they are mostly cattle and chicken feed. On the other hand I think that in future more and more will be directed to biofuels. (An aside: in Iowa and South Dakota you see super grade gasoline at $3.75/gallon which is at least 10 cents less than regular grade – I think this is because the super grade contains ethanol! Another curious thing is that we seem to get 10% better gas milage with the (cheaper) super grade.) The land of the Midwest US is a surely a unique and tremendous economic resource, but can these lands and corn be understood as something more?
Here is an ethanol related link: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/28/automobiles/28FUEL.html?fta=y
There are only six degrees of separation between us but we seem to be wholly disconnected from the resources that sustain us. Does it matter? Something to think about. Thanks for turning my brain on Fro!