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Wendy Turgeon
English 1010
Rhetorical Analysis

Farmer in Chief

How food is produced and transported to our tables for consumption is

leaving a bigger carbon footprint on our environment than we think. The
Farmer in Chief is an open letter to the President-Elect that expresses
Michael Pollens concern for the lack of farming in America (Pollan, 2008). In
this open letter Pollan informs the newly elected President Obama that in
order to address his concerns with climate change, energy independence
and health care costs he will also need to address Americas current food
system because all three coincide with each other.
Pollan talks about how the 20th century industrialization has increased
the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by Americas food system and how
we feed ourselves produces around 37% of greenhouse gases according to
one study done. He mentions that in 1940 Americas food system produced
2.3 calories of food for every calorie of fossil-fuel energy and today it takes
10 fossil-fuel energy calories to produce 1 calorie of food. The facts he uses
makes the reader think more about the way they feed themselves and if
there are things they can do to lessen their own footprints on the world.

He expresses his concern with feedlots and talks about how the cost of
grain became less expensive to buy vs growing, so farmers could buy grain
and cheaply fatten up livestock. But feedlots then had nowhere to put the
animal waste so they became one of Americas biggest pollutants. He wants
the American people to put animal back on farms and use their byproducts
to fertilize where the crops are planted eliminating animal pollution, chemical
fertilizer and pesticides.
His writings talk about how changing and introducing new government
policies could bring farms and or farmers markets to urban areas that dont
have them. Giving people opportunities to consume fresh foods that are
currently not available to them. He mentions that the USDA estimated there
were about 4,700 farmers markets when this was published in 2008 and that
people are wanting fresh, organic and local foods. He thinks making 4 season
famers markets in urban areas modeled after Pikes Place in Seattle will help
local economies.
He expresses enthusiasm when he talks about rebuilding Americas
food culture. How important it is to put animals and crops back on farms
together. That the president should be a role model by planting a big garden
on Whitehouse grounds like Eleanor Roosevelt did in 1943 which started the
Victory Garden movement that helped to feed the nation during war times. In
doing this he believes that it will change the way America views the food
industry, making food prices lower, diets better and the overall carbon
footprint on the environment smaller.

Pollan knows that weaning America off fossil-fueled food will not be
cheap at first. But the long-term effects on the environment, Americas
health care costs and being able to feed ourselves is worth the extra moneys
to start reforming Americas food system. His excitement in starting such a
movement engages the reader to keep reading his writings and keeps them
wanting more and more information.
The passion Pollen has for changing the way America feed itself is
expressed throughout his writings. His excitement and enthusiasms on
wanting to make a smaller carbon footprint nationally and globally is
contagious. Pollens opinion on how each American should think about how
food is processed, how we feed ourselves and changes that should be made
to preserve our agriculture farms in America is emphasized throughout his
letter. I enjoyed Michael Pollens article. It made me think of my personal
carbon footprint on the environment and what I can do to make it smaller. I
would definitely recommend this read to everyone.

Works Cited
Pollan, M. (2008, October 12). Farmer in Chief. New York Times.