Now, before I get started, I want to be pretty clear that today's post isn't about the ethics of eating meat; living things eat other living things, and I'm not going to try to push one type of diet over another.. that's the choice of the individual. What I'm concerned about though, is the environmental consequences behind today's large-scale meat production, why it's crappy, and what we can do to make sure that we fund those operations as little as possible by exploring new and exciting alternatives!
Let's get stahhhhted!
This post is really about meat consumption, people, and the environment. It's about how factory farms really get my goat, and if you enjoy meat, why smaller, local, free-range and certified organic farm operations are the real deal, and deserve your support!
These days, the large-scale 'factory' farm is quickly taking over from the smaller, more traditionally run rural and family farms. The idea behind the modern factory farm is to turn out as much meat as possible, as cheaply as possible - that's the very definition of a 'factory'. Lots of product, large-scale production, fast and cheap. The Better World Handbook (a wonderful read!) states that these factory farms are kicking smaller farms into oblivion - a projected 6000 smaller dairy farms alone in the States are projected to go under in the next fifteen years. That's a lot of livelihoods lost, and lot of factory gained. Here's a big fat list of why factory farms are ... well, the worst.
- Factory farms generate HUGE wastes for the environment. There are hundreds to thousands of animals on each factory farm, and the manure run-off alone is cause enough to worry. Downstream it goes, into our rivers, and into everyone's water supply, killing marine life and making us sick on the way. This water contains vast amounts of poop and the hormones, antibiotics, nitrogen, chemical fertilizers, and bacteria of all sorts that come with it. With such a huge volume of waste and not enough earth to re-absorb it, manure alone becomes a major pollutant. Additionally, the factory farm burns large amounts of non-renewable fossil fuel to operate a larger-scale, more heavily mechanized method of farming. Not good.
- Huge grain and soy crops are grown to feed the unlucky animals who end up on these factory farms. These huge crops are almost always treated with vast amounts of chemical pesticides to produce optimum yields.. and optimum pesticide poison in our air and waterways.
- Like I stated before, these factory farms are taking business away from legit, family-run, traditional farms that are better for so many reasons. (I'll get to those reasons next!!) Imagine running your own small-scale, earth-friendly operation on your own family's land, only to be shut down or bought up by a factory farm thousands of times your size, with a track record for heinous cruelty and gigantic wastes. The traditional family farm/rural community is dying.
- As if it couldn't get any worse, I'm forced to add a point that all of us are already aware of: the animals on factory farms suffer. A lot. Many of them have never even seen sunlight. They have no room to move. They're stuffed together, encouraging a whole host of infections and diseases, and violence between them as they compete for food and space. Ech... it's a sad state of affairs. There are a lot of websites out there that are more than willing to go into graphic detail about this kind of stuff, and if you can stomach it, it's worth checking out. I wont go any further on the topic right now, because it makes me feel particularly crummy.
... but there's a ray of hope! A big one! There are a zillion good reasons why we should support the traditional, local, small-scale farm! (Especially if they're certified organic!) Here are just a few of them!
- Cows that are fed on actual pasture grass (that's right! outdoors!!) are healthier, and the meat ends up being leaner and better for you. The same goes for other animals that are treated to the option of enjoying the great outdoors and natural feed - on a smaller farm, grazing makes the huge crops of grain and soy (pesticides!) required for the factory farm unnecessary, and the grass replenishes itself as the cows migrate around (and the grass benefits from the constant fertilizer! Thanks, Bessie!!). Nature!
- Smaller rural farms hire... local people! On a factory farm, employee accidents (machinery, chemicals, scary working conditions) are through the roof. Not so much on a smaller scale farm. The wages are generally better too, and jobs are more hands-on, instead of being a drone on a conveyor belt.
- Since manure is created in smaller amounts, the run-off isn't scary. The earth around a farm can absorb and degrade small amounts of waste, and regenerate itself. Also, with animals moving around outdoors, the poop is spread around evenly, reducing run-off. Thank goodness for that!
- Supporting a local farm means less trucking the produce around. A quick drive into the city or farmer's market is better for the environment than a legion of trucks driving hundreds of miles to deliver mass quantities.
- Finally, the animals acquire less disease, enjoy real air and sunshine, and eat better. That's good karma for everyone involved.
Those are some damn good reasons. But guess what: the best list is yet to come. Because....
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO!!!!!!
1. Support small local farms. Research them on the 'net, and the find out where you can buy their meat. Farmer's markets, smaller butcher shops and health-food stores are always good bets. Try to get a background story on the farm operations if you can. This is stuff that we put into our bodies to nourish us: you have a right to know where it came from, and to know what you're supporting with your dough.
2. Look for certified organic and free-run products. Yes.. you will pay a bit more. But the more we purchase these products when we can, the higher the demand will be for them, and the prices will eventually start to go down. Organic means no pesticides, chemicals, hormones or antibiotics.. in other words, the meat you're eating isn't polluted! Free-range means that throughout their lifetime, the animals get to roam around as they please and engage in their natural behaviors. Watch out for "free-run" though.. that doesn't necessarily mean that they're even allowed outside. Terminology can get tricky.. try to get some facts.
3. You don't have to stop eating meat.. but you can try to eat less. All things considered, meat takes a lot more energy to produce a lot less food, than plant-based products. It's just a fact. By eating less meat, you'll help save natural resources, and help your own health too! Try experimenting with fun meat substitutes - there are a lot out there! And they're good for ya!
1. Support small local farms. Research them on the 'net, and the find out where you can buy their meat. Farmer's markets, smaller butcher shops and health-food stores are always good bets. Try to get a background story on the farm operations if you can. This is stuff that we put into our bodies to nourish us: you have a right to know where it came from, and to know what you're supporting with your dough.
2. Look for certified organic and free-run products. Yes.. you will pay a bit more. But the more we purchase these products when we can, the higher the demand will be for them, and the prices will eventually start to go down. Organic means no pesticides, chemicals, hormones or antibiotics.. in other words, the meat you're eating isn't polluted! Free-range means that throughout their lifetime, the animals get to roam around as they please and engage in their natural behaviors. Watch out for "free-run" though.. that doesn't necessarily mean that they're even allowed outside. Terminology can get tricky.. try to get some facts.
3. You don't have to stop eating meat.. but you can try to eat less. All things considered, meat takes a lot more energy to produce a lot less food, than plant-based products. It's just a fact. By eating less meat, you'll help save natural resources, and help your own health too! Try experimenting with fun meat substitutes - there are a lot out there! And they're good for ya!
Be sure to check out local vegetarian restaurants in your area for superb ideas for introducing more meatless meals into your diet! For more information on the concept of 'flexitarianism', which I think is a pretty frabulous idea, check out this news article on it. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4541605/
If you're interested in vegetarianism, I recommend checking out www.goveg.com, for a massive amount of information on the topic, and a lot of links. It's anti-meat to an extreme though, so don't say that I didn't warm ya. You can also try www.vegetarian.allrecipes.com for some recipe ideas. And don't forget to search for local farms and farmer's markets in your area! It'll pay off big! Local and organic tastes better, I swears it... and the planet will thank you!!
THANKS for reading everyone!!! Don't forget to comment if you've got something you'd like to add, or a recipe you'd like to share! But before we go, as promised, here are the results from last week's poll. Thanks for voting :-D
10% of you drive a car or truck as your major mode of transportation
30% take the bus the majority of the time
40% of you mostly ride your bike
and 20% walk!
Hoot! I like those numbers! Stay tuned for next post.. fun stuff comin' up.
If you're interested in vegetarianism, I recommend checking out www.goveg.com, for a massive amount of information on the topic, and a lot of links. It's anti-meat to an extreme though, so don't say that I didn't warm ya. You can also try www.vegetarian.allrecipes.com for some recipe ideas. And don't forget to search for local farms and farmer's markets in your area! It'll pay off big! Local and organic tastes better, I swears it... and the planet will thank you!!
THANKS for reading everyone!!! Don't forget to comment if you've got something you'd like to add, or a recipe you'd like to share! But before we go, as promised, here are the results from last week's poll. Thanks for voting :-D
10% of you drive a car or truck as your major mode of transportation
30% take the bus the majority of the time
40% of you mostly ride your bike
and 20% walk!
Hoot! I like those numbers! Stay tuned for next post.. fun stuff comin' up.
1 comment:
An excellent and hilarious book on the subject:
MY YEAR OF MEATS by....crap. someone who's name I forget. It's a neat story about a young documentary maker and her adventures producing a show that's meant to promote American beef to Japanese housewives. Hilarity and horrible revelations about the meat industry ensue!
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