Most Striking Element

The most striking element within this reading was the description of the Farmers Diner found in chapter 10. First and foremost, the time and effort that the owners, Tom Murphy and Pam Van Deursen, put into the upkeep of this diner is truly admirable. To serve food that is produced by businesses from the area is difficult for a variety of reasons. To begin with, it is expensive. Nevertheless, even though the local product is much more expensive than the low-cost import, "buying goods from local businesses rather than national chains generates about three times as much money for [the] local economy." (Kingsolver, 149) Yet, what about weather/illness - factors that affect a farmer/producer directly? Well, as Kingsolver explains, this may affect the businesses in terms of produce being grown or delivered. Despite these difficulties, it is made evident that supporting local farmers is necessary and all it takes is initiative (from anyone) to promote change. As Steven L. Hopp put it, one should request local produce at the grocery store or restaurant.