Curious to see what the slaughterhouses has become, I go to the south of Bridgeport, the previous Packingtown. A good surprise is waiting for me. The former premises have been reorganized an organization named The Plant, aiming to develop short circuits, recycling and saving energy in food production.

Micro-eco-friendly companies have settled up in the former disposing carcasses rooms. Outside, a gigantic composter is being installed in a large vegetable garden. A beer is also directly produced and sold on this place.

The sprouted seed trays replaced the disemboweled animals. When you see this evolution, then you start to hope that intensive farming will one day belong to the past.

In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair also describes the southern branch of the Chicago River, where the slaughterhouses used to pour their filth. The mixture of blood and feces had fermented so well that large putrid bubbles were rising up to the surface. That’s why this place is called Bubbly Creek. Today, the water is clear and you can find there some artists’ studios, even if little smelly bubbles still comes up from time to time.