According to an article by Michael Pollan, paying more for “fresh” food and driving long distances is better than paying a little less and saving time and money gas. In the article “No Bar Code,” Pollan intelligently describes his experience visiting a local private farm. He had heard about Polyface Farm and wanted to try some meat. Then, Pollan called Joel Salatin, the owner of the farm, and asked FedEx for a broiler chicken, Salatin refused and explained that the Polyface farm does not ship long distance and that Pollan wanted to try his meat, he would have to drive to at the farm. Pollan learns from Salatin that people drive for hours and even half a day just to get a chicken from his farm (Pollan 1-2). Although Pollan carefully argues that people should buy from local private farms rather than large corporations like Wal-Mart, he neglects to address the food and gas price differences when buying from a farm versus buying at a supermarket local. I maintain that it is important to eat healthy while saving time and money and not pollute the Earth with vehicle toxins. At the beginning of the essay, Pollan interprets a day on the Polyface farm and the customers' thoughts. Customers say that coming to the farm to get chicken, or eggs, tastes much better and that they like to keep their money in town (Pollan 2). When Michael Pollan converses with farmer Joel Salatin, Salatin rambles about how it's better "when buyers and sellers can meet eye to eye." Furthermore, like Salatin “he finds it strange that people put more work into choosing their mechanic or home contractor than into choosing the person who grows their food” (Pollan 1). This will be important later in the art... in the middle of the paper... food growing. Pollan describes his day at Polyface Farm for much of his essay and explains how “local is not organic” and the importance of “choosing the person who grows your food” (Pollan 1 and 4). However, Pollan neglects to mention the time, cost and environmental effects between purchasing from a local farm versus purchasing from a local supermarket. I envision further investigation and investigation into the environmental impact on the Earth and studying the gas consumption and cost differences between buying from a local farm and shopping at a local supermarket. Works Cited Michael Pollan. "No barcode." Mother Jones (May 1, 2006): 1-5. Network. February 22, 2011. O'Hara, Sabine U. and Sigrid Stagl. “Global Food Markets and Their Local Alternatives: A Socio-Ecological Economic Perspective.” Population and Environment 22.6 (2001): pp. 533-554. Net.