A new movie, in select theaters nation-wide, may help give the general public the education needed to start making different decisions about their nutrition. Food, Inc. uncovers some unfortunate truths behind the food industry, and builds a strong case for buying local and organic. The film covers issues in the food industry such as:

• How our food supply has become infected with E. Coli
• Why the market for soy and corn has become so powerful
• The treatment of animals that give us the majority of commercially raised beef, poultry and pork
• The power the government has over the foods we eat
• The power consumers have when they begin to choose organic and local foods

Eating organic and buying local is often thought of as a decision about health. Health is one of the benefits, but it goes well beyond that. As more people begin buying from local farms, it can help reduce the prices of buying locally, help farmers to earn a more respectable living, improve the treatment of farm animals, and reduce the chance of our food supply being filled with chemically-treated produce or steroid-filled animals. Reading about this subject is important, but seeing the film will help you feel the emotion behind it.

Between the two of us, my wife and I go through about 18 pounds of chicken and beef each week, not including what our two boys eat. In addition, we go through six dozen eggs and a ton of fruit and vegetables each week. The cost of buying everything organic has always held us back. We tended to look at it as more of a health-related decision, and since we both eat very healthy diets, there wasn't enough reason for us to make the change. After seeing the film this weekend, we've made a commitment to do most of our shopping through local farms and look for those that are organic. Our trip to the Farmer's Market on Sunday got us the groceries pictured here. There will be a learning curve, but I'm looking forward to it. It won't be as easy to cook a whole chicken and make use of the entire bird, compared to throwing a few chicken breasts in the oven, but it's exciting to adopt a different way of eating, especially when we consider that the benefits go beyond just our family.

You can find more information about the movie here.

If you're looking for theaters and show times, you can find those here.