Looking beyond the pastoral images gracing grocery store shelves, director Robert Kenner serves up a revealing look at the way food is produced in America. From factory farms to cornfields to patented seeds, this film skillfully untangles the twisted knot of farm policy, lobbying, engineering, and corporate greed that has drastically altered the landscape of American farming since the 1950s. Exasperating stories reveal the heartbreaking consequences of an industrialized food system: we meet, among others, a woman whose young son died of E. coli poisoning, a chicken farmer dragged into debt by Purdue, and a small-town seed saver being sued by corporate giant Monsanto. We also meet pioneers actively working to change the system: Polyface farmer Joel Salatin champions sustainable agricultural practices, while Gary Hirshberg, founder of Stonyfield Yogurt, proves that a successful business can be earth-friendly.  Featuring authors Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Food, Inc. is a film with an activist edge. SB