Thursday, April 23, 2009

Sustainable Table

The multimedia resources from Sustainable Table are designed to awaken consumers to the problems with factory farming and to promote sustainable food as a desirable and more responsible alternative.

Your students will learn about industrial and sustainable agriculture and where their food comes from. So, the next time they want to eat a burger, munch on an apple, or drink a glass of milk, they’ll have more information to consider when choosing which burger, apple, or milk. Local or organic? Hormone-free? Grass-fed? Remind your students that changing one’s eating and buying habits takes time, and is a personal transition. Most important, enjoy your food!

GO TO TEACHING MATERIALS AND
EXPLORE RELATED YES! STORIES FOR EACH ACTIVITY:

:: Food Sustainability 101
:: 35 Sustainability Issues
:: The Meatrix



sustainable vs industrial farming, graphic from Sustainable Table
Food Sustainability 101

:: READ MORE An Introduction to Sustainability

What does sustainable agriculture mean? Your students will become sustainable-literate with these useful tools.



YES Archive buttonThe Solution on our Dinner Plates

What we can do about food and forests: Changes from the ground up.
YES! Magazine #45, Climate Solutions

YES Archive buttonRestoring the Range: Can Beef Be Earth Friendly?

The Mortenson family is part of a growing number of ranchers who see healthy food production as part of an ecosystem, shared with plants, animals, and insects.
YES! Magazine #49, Food for Everyone

YES Archive buttonWhy My Dad’s Going Green

“My Republican dad saw the light. And it was green.” Kate Sheppard recounts how she found common ground with her father, a conservative farmer.
YES! Magazine #47, Purple America




jar of milk, graphic from Sustainable Table
What’s Your Issue With Sustainability?

:: READ MORE 35 Sustainability Issues

Sustainable Table has identified 35 major issues related to sustainable and industrial meat farming.

For each issue there’s a brief, comprehensive overview, followed by links to more resources, detailed information from experts, and steps you can take to make a positive difference.


YES Archive buttonFood to Stay

How a local food system builds health and community wealth.
YES! Magazine #40, Go Local!

YES Archive buttonFood Revolution: Americans Lose their Appetite for Anonymous Food

Why are farmers markets, community supported agriculture, direct farm-to-household marketing, organics, and humanely-raised meats all on the increase?
YES! Magazine #37, 10 Most Hopeful Trends




film still of The Meatrix
The Meatrix

:: WATCH THE MOVIE The Meatrix

In 2003, Sustainable Table and Free Range Studios (producer of The Story of Stuff) teamed up to produce The Meatrix, an animated parody of The Matrix. Instead of Morpheus awakening Neo to the reality of The Matrix, Moopheus gives Leo the pig a slap of reality on factory farming.

Seven industry awards, incredible enthusiasm online, and thunderous applause from attendees at 30 film festivals inspiredThe Meatrix II: Revolting. This film looks at how dairy production has morphed from family farms into a gigantic industry.

In The Meatrix II-1/2, your students will go behind the scenes to a meat processing plant, where Moopheus, Leo, and Chickety explore working conditions, E. coli from manure, and more.


YES Archive buttonJust the Facts: Corporate Food

Hunger. Pollution. Instability. Obesity. The problem with corporate food—by the numbers.
YES! Magazine #49, Food for Everyone



Logo of Sustainable Table
Sustainable Table educates consumers and works to build community by celebrating local, sustainable food. Founded in 2003, the nonprofit organization helps consumers understand the problems with our food supply and offers viable solutions and alternatives. Sustainable Table's resources include the “Eat Well” guide and the critically-acclaimed, award-winning animated short series, The Meatrix.