J Carr

I actually got going on several animals. I looked into coyotes, foxes, red-winged blackbirds, and red-tailed hawks. I chose all of them because, although they're wild, I've either seen or heard each near where I live. I really enjoyed the video on the National Geographic website about the coyotes because it pointed out the fine line between recognizing that predators are predators (they are going to kill their prey because that's their nature), and realizing that comes with consequences (leaving a battery-warmed bed for coyotes is a good recipe for having your innocent pets eaten by a coyote). 

It's important to take care of pollinators not only because some of them are beautiful (because some of them aren't)--but also because as we take care of them, they take care of us. It's a indirect symbiotic relationship.

Like much of the Midwest (I assume), my tiny corner of the state seems to have the highest problems with alternating floods and droughts. And native plants of course have the advantage there in generational adaptation and resilience. In looking over the list of native plants, I found that we already support a good number on our property. What was new to me was the concept of green roofs and water gardens. Concepts to keep in mind moving forward.

I find it interesting that "use by" dates are considered the least confusing to consumers. It's certainly true in my case: I knew an item past its "use by" date was still likely okay to use, but I didn't realize that none of the dates (except infant formula) meant that the food had necessarily gone bad!

Food sovereignty is meant to address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems by realizing that a one-size-fits-all approach isn't wise, no matter how "smart" the one solution is, and no matter how good the intentions were. In one of the documentaries I watched an older lady observed that food was too easy to access now. That struck me as a painful irony. So much thought and effort has been put to making life more stable and safe and easy than it historically was--and now many people are coming full circle and realizing that the historical values our ancestors held had benefits that we never dreamed of (when we discarded them). Now, by advocating for food sovereignty, we are trying to allow people back into the process of feeding themselves. This brings in as many different traditions, perspectives, and solutions as there are people involved.