Nov. 21, 2010 at 8:38pm with 7 notes

kthread
communitycommunitpmonoculture
(image from Civil Eats) For class Wednesday the 24th, please read the fourth section (and the epilogue) of Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire on potatoes and the desire for control.  We’ll discuss the dangers of monoculture, how it is very traditionally American to save seeds, why we can eat mashed potatoes and smile this American Thanksgiving, social engineering and royal potato flowers, and “unstringing the world.”  You may also enjoy some of the video on the PBS program of the book. Specific thoughts on the arguments in this section?

(image from Civil Eats)

For class Wednesday the 24th, please read the fourth section (and the epilogue) of Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire on potatoes and the desire for control. 

We’ll discuss the dangers of monoculture, how it is very traditionally American to save seeds, why we can eat mashed potatoes and smile this American Thanksgiving, social engineering and royal potato flowers, and “unstringing the world.” 

You may also enjoy some of the video on the PBS program of the book.

Specific thoughts on the arguments in this section?

  1. arkany answered: I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that NewLeaf potatos have been grown since 1984.
  2. pholz answered: shocking: the “terminator” (forcing nature into capitalist logic). interesting: control over objects vs control over culture (see okrent)
  3. savasavasava answered: the notion of everything affecting everything else really struck me. the number of variables/moving parts in a community affect it so much!
  4. communitp posted this