Press Release

July 17, 2006

The FARM Institute and The Bunch of Grapes Bookstore invites Island residents and visitors to hear best-selling author Michael Pollan talk about his latest book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma on Monday evening July 24th at 7 p.m. at Katama Farm.

Edgartown, MA—The Bunch of Grapes Book Store is bringing Michael Pollan to The FARM Institute at Katama Farm (TFI) on Monday July 24 at 7p.m. Mr. Pollan will provide "food for thought" as he talks about his new groundbreaking book, The Omnivore's Dilemma.

To Pollan, the omnivore's dilemma is twofold: what we choose to eat, and how we let food be produced. To find out, Pollan follows each of the food chains that sustain us- Industrial food, Organic or Alternative food, and food we forge ourselves- from the source to the final meal, and in the process develops a definitive account of the American way of eating.

Pollan makes clear; we're mostly fed by two things: corn and oil. Of the 45,000 items on the supermarket shelves over a quarter of them contain corn. And, although we do not sit down to a plate of oil for diner, our food takes an enormous amount of fossil fuels to get to our tables. Oil products are part of the fertilizers that feed plants, the pesticides that keep insects away from them, the fuels used by the trains and trucks that transport them across the country, and the packaging in which they're wrapped.

The FARM Institute is excited to have Mr. Pollan speak at Katama Farm since the content of his latest book demonstrates exactly what we teach children on the farm. We are building a farm that utilizes the perennial grass base that Katama is well suited for. Our cattle and sheep are raised purely on pasture with no additional feeds. Our hogs, laying hens, turkeys and broiler hens are also raised on pasture to supplement their diet. TFI is a non-profit farm and education center that seeks to educate and engage the community in sustainable agriculture through the diverse operations of a working farm. We are working to build a community of educated and inquisitive eaters and land stewards for the future.

This free event will take place outdoors on The FARM Institute’s classroom porch. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket. Refreshments will be served. A book signing will take place after the talk.

# # #

The FARM Institute - Post Office Box 1868 - Edgartown, MA 02539 - (508) 627-7007