Sow What?

You know where babies come from, sure -- but do you know where Tater Tots come from? In this two-week series, we'll take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of your very own diet.

Everybody eats, every day, but we tend to gloss over the details. Things like the work that really goes into putting food on our plates, the environmental impacts of food production, and how we can make the best choices -- for our bodies and the planet -- when it comes time to chow down.

So take a seat at the Grist table as we venture to the Farm Belt to talk with farmers, economists, and chefs; check in with leading writers like Michael Pollan and Elizabeth Royte; and give you a chance to ask for advice from the folks at Sustainable Table, a national group that connects shoppers with local suppliers. We'll also take a close look at confined-animal feeding operations and at a sustainable-food revolution in Iowa, share some tasty recipes, and even give you a chance to quiz yourself on your edible IQ.

By the end of the series, we hope you'll feel stuffed (but not in that uncomfortable Thanksgiving way) with new ideas and inspiration for putting good food on your table.

Bon appetit!

• What's Your Edible IQ? An exclusive Grist quiz
• Your Food Doesn't Come From the Store: A journey into the heart of industrial agriculture
• A Tale of Two Counties: In the farm belt, a look at the extremes of agricultural production
• Images of a sustainable-food revolution: An audio slideshow
• In the Belly of the Beast: The savory challenges of being a sustainable chef in Big Ag country
• Table Talk: An interview with foodie and best-selling author Michael Pollan
• Snack and Diane: An interview with sustainable-food advocate Diane Hatz
• From Bad to Thirst: How the nation's breadbasket is poisoning its own water supply
• On Being a Second-Class Iowa Citizen: A frustrated resident speaks out on life amid CAFOs