the Informer

Those of us who have seen “Food Inc.” cringed in horror and possibly went vegan.

Were we thinking of the farmer in rural America struggling to make end’s meet as we attempted to keep the contents of our stomachs down? Probably not. However, Dr. William Major was.

His new book “Grounded Vision: New Agrarianism and the Academy,” depicts the myths and struggles of rural America and the people who live there. A socio-English professor at the University, Dr. Major gave a lecture about the material in his book that ranged from the way people in rural America live to the dominance of the factory farming industry.

“The typical American meal travels 1,500 miles before it reaches the plate,” said Major.

Notable events and people were mentioned during the lecture, from the prominent Agrarian Wendell Berry to the Cuyahoga River in Ohio, which is infamous for catching fire several times due to the amount of pollutants in the water.

Current environmental news that was mentioned included the Gulf Oil Spill that happened last year due to mistakes made by BP, the company whose rig exploded in the Gulf. Global warming was also mentioned, along with the reminder that there are still people out there who don’t believe in the phenomenon.

“There’s a professor on our campus who doesn’t believe in global climate change at all,” said Major.

Several paintings were also depicted on a slideshow. One of those was the “American Gothic” painting depicting a couple from rural America living on a farm, not seeming to have the slightest idea why the painter took an interest in them.

“This painting is iconic because we wonder, what’s going on in their minds? What are they thinking?” said Major.

The lack of knowledge we have of rural America has found its way into other forms of entertainment such as TV shows and movies. However, the way rural America is depicted through those types of media isn’t in the best way to curb any “redneck” stereotypes.

“I think that there’s no accident that so many horror movies are set out in the woods,” said Major.

Material mentioned in the lecture depicted the life of people trying to make a living as farmers.

“Most of them have second or third jobs stocking shelves at Walmart, making sandwiches at Subway,” said Major.

A shocking statistic involved the soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. The death rate for soldiers from rural America is sixty percent higher than for soldiers from metro areas of the U.S.

“Vermont has the highest death rate of any state,” said Major.

An issue brought up towards the end was the anxiety over food, due to news reports of food borne illness. One example is a recent Listeria outbreak in cantaloupes that has killed about 30 people so far.

“How often do you see on the news that there’s an E. coli or Salmonella poisoning?” said Major. “Fairly often.”

Copies of “Grounded Vision: New Agrarianism and the Academy” are available for purchase at the bookstore.