Lessons learned
6 years ago
Friday, November 21, 2008
A Morally Superior Turkey
Because this is my blog, I get to be on my soapbox for a little while. My topic today: Thanksgiving and the plight of the factory turkey. Earlier this year Ryan and I read a book called "Farm Sanctuary." I recommend it to everyone. It's a great conversation starter and is - no pun intended - truly "food" for thought. The author is a vegan, but reading the book didn't make us want to be vegans. Gene Bauer runs two animal sanctuary farms - one in upstate New York and one in Southern California - for abused factory farm animals. His coverage of the treatment of animals on factory farms was enlightening and alarming. I have probably just been naive, but I was truly horrified to learn about the conditions in which factory farm animals live -- many in boxes or crates that don't allow them to sit, lie down, or turn around - ever. While I believe God has set us over the animals, I also think he expects us to protect them and treat them humanely. So while I still enjoy eating them (sorry little guys!) I want to know that the animals I'm eating had a safe, healthy life and weren't tortured for my access to cheap food. And that's basically what it comes down to -- the more animals a factory farm can cram in, the faster they can fatten them up, the cheaper the food is on the grocery shelf. Chickens are bred to have such large breasts (better for the shopper, right?) that they can't walk properly and often become crippled. Male chicks are thrown into mulchers because they aren't profitable for egg laying. Dying and dead animals are ground up to make feed for other animals. And the list goes on. As a family, we haven't come as far as we'd like to yet - that would mean buying our meat, eggs, and milk only from family farms, but we're making small strides. And this year, that includes buying what I like to call a "morally superior turkey." A turkey to eat - yes - but one that has been allowed to roam and peck and roost and all the things that birds naturally do. It costs a lot more than a Butterball, but it feels good to tell the kids that there are better ways to save money than supporting the cruel treatment of animals. It's good to be reminded that our food doesn't just magically appear on the grocery shelves -- we are accountable for what we buy at the market. So if you haven't purchased your Thanksgiving turkey, try Googling "Eat Local". And have a very happy Thanksgiving!
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3 comments:
I'm with you. Over the past few years, actually, I've been transitioning to hormone-free, free-range meats, eggs & dairy. My initial reasons were more selfish: I didn't want those blasted hormones that they inject in the animals to constantly be in my system.
(And now, with a little one on the way. . .even more reason!)
But I really appreciate your perspective on the treatment of the animals as well. It's bringing another--and important angle--to my attempted progress in this direction. I appreciate, too, that you're so aware of how even the smallest choices can communicate volumes to your kids. :)
Always learning. . .
Interesting Amy--I'll have to check out that book. I read a book a while ago by someone Robbins (son of one of the founders of Baskin-Robbins). The book advocates vegetarianism, but part of his case is the terrible treatment of factory raised animals. We're hoping to decrease our meat consumption even more, but I should look around and see if I can find better sources of meat for when we do it eat.
Erin - Jenny McGregor is a 5th grade teacher at Caronport Elementary School and she has a farm/ranch near Chaplin. She frequently advertises ground beef in PortShorts. And Don and Tracy Taylor usually get a 1/4 or 1/2 cow every year. You might ask them about it. It's a big investment up front, but usually cheaper (and more humane) than beef from the supermarket.
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