The Omnivore's Delusion: Against the Agri-intellectuals

                Blake Hurst is a farmer in Missouri and his article attacks the ideas of the critics of industrial farming. He believes that the critics should not blame industrial farmers for their practices based on what they read in a book or heard from another person. He in turn criticizes the critics for being ignorant. He explains that farmers take into account the environment, food safety, and costs when determining their farming practices because they care about the wellbeing of their crops or livestock and the society.

Hurst uses his knowledge as farmer to clear up misunderstandings and debate the criticism from who he calls the “agri-intellectuals.”  In particular, Hurst attacks Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Hurst says the solutions Pollan have for using renewable energy to farm are unrealistic. Farmers have already been trying to protect natural resources, but commercial fertilizer is still needed. Pollan also suggests using cover crops to increase nitrogen output. Hurst agrees that this would be for the best, but it is not realistic because of weather and other factors. Hurst puts down all of Pollan’s ideas as impractical because he does not consider other problems that may arise.

After reading Hurst’s first-hand account of what farming is really like, it makes me more objective of Pollan’s novel. I realized that although Pollan emphatizes with the farmers and offers solution to modern day industrial farming, he is not a farmer. Pollan’s solutions do not always work because he doesn’t realize all the negative consequences of changing a farming practice. I don’t think industrial farming is necessarily a bad thing because I now have a better understanding of why farmers use industrial tools and other technological advances to aid them. However, I don’t agree with Hurst when he says “we have to farm “industrially” to feed the world.” With Pollan's example of commercial corn, there is a huge surplus of crops because of industrial farming. Therefore, industrial farming can be harmful at the same time if not controlled properly. Also, just because farmers yield more food, there will still be people who starve.
Questions
1.  Who should be in charge of changing farming practices: the farmers, the government, critics like Pollan?
2. Do other industrial farmers agree with Hurst?