I feel like I'm weighing the karmic cost of food. Having made the decision to eat locally as much as possible, as a vegetarian I am suddenly faced with the issue of protein. Cheese and eggs are good, but I don't think we grow beans around here. And after the unpleasantness that was my latest (and last) meal of Quorn, I want to stop with the highly processed meatfakes. Quorn is kind of a Frankenfood, and a lot of the mainstream "meat" substitutes are made with non-organic, GMO soy. Jason will not eat tofu or tempeh, minimally processed soy yummies.
Ethically this is tough for me. And increasingly I'm finding it easier to accept the idea of eating local, pasture-raised, humanely killed meat over processed GMO foods shipped from god knows where. Conventionally raised meat takes a huge toll on the environment and is just generally a bad idea.
There are numerous farms in my immediate area that raise animals ethically. As I said in my previous post, I don't believe eating meat is inherently wrong. Biologically we are omnivores. Our teeth and digestive systems are designed to handle a wide variety of foods. And meat can fit into a healthy diet. I just have problems with the American system of factory farming. Animals are fed unnatural diets*, kept in confining cages or feedlots, and generally treated awfully. My friend Ron once made the very good point: what we experience as emotions are the result of various chemicals coursing through our bodies: endorphins, serotonin, et cetera. Fear and pain have their own associated chemicals. And when an animal lives and dies in fear and pain, those chemicals stay in its flesh. Do you really want to eat that?
Jason likes meat. He does not like tofu, and he's happy to buy feedlot beef and battery farm chicken. I am tired of preparing separate meals--we're a family now, and I want to be able to just cook one dinner that will satisfy everyone. And if I will only eat meat living up to these qualifications, that's what Jason will eat. I think he's happier to have "hippie meat" with me than separate meals. As a bonus, grass fed meat is healthier than conventionally raised. Apparently it tastes better too. And when Molly is old enough to eat, I want her to have meat and milk that are hormone- and antibiotic-free.
So I guess I'm considering this for three main reasons: the health of the earth, the health of the animals, and the health of my family. I'm thinking more and more that this is the way to go.
Thoughts?
*Did you know? Mad Cow Disease is spread when animals eat the neural tissue of a carrier. Cows in American farms are routinely fed ground up bits of other cows. Not to mention, feeding them corn causes a disease called acidosis--one that, allowed to progress, would inevitably kill them. But we slaughter them for food first. True fact.
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I heard that grass-fed beef doesn't taste better, but it's a lot better for you. It has less fat and much more vitamins than corn fed cows, but the grass flavor will leave it's mark. Of course, I've heard a lot of different opinions from different farmers. The meat will be a bit tougher too since the cow has room to move and therefore develop muscles, but that’s usually a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
Also, something fun I learned about milk cows, most of them are bred from an early age and are kept pregnant most of their lives. I thought this was cruel, until I was told that a milk cow who for some reason doesn’t get pregnant early on could develop serious hip issues. People are silly like that. We’ve bred cow sluts.
As someone who will soon be a more frequent beneficiary of your culinary prowess, I'm looking forward to sharing your exploration with you. I agree 100% that factory meat is a dead end, in oh so many ways. Eating meat doesn't have to mean torture or cruelty, and animals don't have to be raised in factories that create excessive waste runoff that pollutes the Bay.
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