Food Fight and Small Changes

The food fight in this country is starting to heat up and really get interesting. One of the reasons I am so fascinated by our food system is because it brings together so many things that I am passionate about: food, animal welfare, politics, policy, government regulation, and economics. All these seemingly disparate ingredients come together to create this compelling, dramatic, sensational, gritty, and challenging thing called, food production in America. Seriously, truth is stranger and more interesting than fiction, and if food production were a tv show, it would be like watching Desperate Housewives, the entire Food Network, Law & Order, Tele Novelas, the Animal Planet, and Mad Men all rolled into one!

Unfortunately, it is not a tv show. It is far more relevant than mere entertainment and, unfortunately, it garners far less attention from the general public. As you may well imagine, I do a lot of reading on the subject of food production here in America and follow the relevant news and legislation closely. There has been a lot of food related matters in the news lately, even the mainstream news has gotten in on the action. Some of the news has been encouraging, like the growing public demand in California to require labeling when food products contain genetically altered organisms; and the growing number of public schools that are incorporating fresh produce, on campus gardens, and nutritional education into the school lunch programs. And then there is the bad news: Michigan Department of Natural Resources conducting armed raids on small scale pig farms which have recently been declared in violation of Michigan law for breeding “feral” pigs (which seems to be defined as any pig not part of a huge industrial hog farming operation); and Georgia lawmakers neglecting to pass legislation that would protect the right of every Georgia citizen to produce food for their own consumption.

Sometimes, I begin to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of change that is needed and the amount of misinformation and apathy that needs to be overcome in order for meaningful change to be achieved in our food system. So, I am taking this moment to remind myself, and those of you reading this blog, that change has to begin somewhere and has to begin sometime. I know that’s hardly an earth-shattering revelation, but it does give us the freedom to do SOMETHING, even if we can’t do EVERYTHING.

I don’t know about you, but knowing that any change, even a small one, is still a step in the right direction is encouraging. So, with that in mind, I am more determined than ever to make the small changes that I’m capable of making now, with the goal of seeing greater change in the future. Here are a few simple ways that you can make changes in your own daily life that can ultimately lead to much greater change in the future for you, your family, your community, and your country for generations to come.

1.     Reduce or eliminate factory-farmed meat from your diet. If the thought of giving up factory-farmed meat entirely is too daunting of a task to even consider, consider these alternatives instead:

a.     Give up meat for one or two days a week (for tips and further information, check out www.meatlessmondays.com)

b.     Find a local source for at least one category of meat (beef, pork, or chicken). (www.eatwild.com is a great source for finding local providers of grass fed / free-range / organic meat)

2.     Find a local source for produce. It is true that farmer’s markets will charge more than a grocery store for their products, but it is also true that the quality will more than make up for it.  But here are some tips for making the best of your extra expenditures.

a.     Choose to purchase produce from your local organic farmer that makes the Dirty Dozen list (those fruits and vegetables which contain the highest level of pesticides and toxins when produced in “conventional” methods). If you don’t have a local farmer’s market, choose organic options from your grocery store when possible.

                                               i.     Apples

                                              ii.     Celery

                                            iii.     Strawberries

                                            iv.     Peaches

                                              v.     Spinach

                                            vi.     Necatarines

                                           vii.     Grapes

                                         viii.     Sweet Bell Peppers

                                            ix.     Potatoes

                                              x.     Blueberries

                                            xi.     Lettuce

                                           xii.     Kale / Collard Greens

b.     Better yet, choose one or two items from the list above and grow them yourself! Bell Peppers, Strawberries, and even Potatoes can be grown in containers, if your space is limited. If you’ve never gardened before, just pick one plant, do some research, and give it a try!

c.      Purchase items that are in season and in abundance.

3.     Most importantly, STAY INFORMED! Learn about the companies and businesses that control your food supply, learn about the laws and agencies that exist to regulate those businesses, find out if they are working to protect your interests… and if NOT… why? And never forget that consumers hold the power, not corporations! If you doubt the veracity of that statement, just ask Cambell’s, which recently revamped production processes in order to satisfy consumer demand to remove BPA from the canning process.

Change is never easy. But life is change. The status quo has never solved any problems or revolutionized anyone’s life. And while ignorance may be bliss, blissful ignorance can lead to oblivion.  This is an important time in our history. We are at a unique point when a light is being shined on corporate greed and mishandling of public trust, not only in financial markets, but in our food markets as well. We must act during this time, while there is still some transparency and while these corporations are still reeling from the initial shock of public outcry over practices that have long been safely hidden and ignored behind closed doors. Big Agriculture is working overtime right now to bring about legislation that will keep whistle-blowers out of their operations, shut down small independent farmers, keep consumers in the dark, and maintain the status quo. We need to be working just as hard to ensure that our food system remains open to public scrutiny, is held to high standards of safety, becomes more accountable and accommodating to consumers, and is properly regulated by those who SHOULD be acting on behalf of the people (not the corporations they are there to oversee). 

Crossroads

This is a very interesting and exciting time in our country in regards to food production! There have been a number of small victories here lately for those of us working to restore food integrity back into our national system, bringing several issues to light for the general population to see. Among those is the FDA giving permission to schools to NOT use hamburger containing pink slime in school lunches. (If you would like to know more about pink slime, just Google it, it’s as disgusting as it sounds and it’s found in about 75% of all ground beef that is currently sold… Yum!)

Due to customer outrage over BPA, Campbell’s has now removed the offensive chemical from its canning process! (If you want to learn more about this issue, here is a link to a Forbes article that covers it.) Yes, I could go on about how despicable it is that a company knowingly uses a chemical which has been proven to cause all sorts of problems until consumers threaten to stop buying their product and do a little damage to the bottom line, BUT, I won’t. I’ll just celebrate this little victory and hope that the momentum continues to build, grow, and blossom!

Also in the news recently, the banishment of agri-giant, Monsanto, from several countries, though sadly, NOT the USA. Hungary, France, and Peru have all banned the use of Monsanto’s genetically engineered seeds, mainly because the long term effects are still unknown, but also because the known short term problems are bad enough. (If you are unfamiliar with Monsanto, check out one of my earlier blogs… or just Google it… there is a wealth of information out there and I really can’t begin to explain how scary they are in the context of this current post.)

There have been some notable losses, including Governor Branstad of Iowa signing into law the nation’s first ag-gag bill. This bill was passed to protect agricultural businesses from being damaged by those who might gain employment dishonestly with the express purpose of sabotaging operations. However, the bill uses broad strokes and ends up protecting these agricultural businesses from whistleblowers and investigators who would seek to bring into the light of public scrutiny certain practices and procedures that the big ag biz would rather keep safely tucked away in the dark. This bill is nothing more than blatant pandering to big ag and their big money, criminalizing those who might “damage” their bottom line by exposing (gasp) the truth! I hope the law is challenged (as I’m sure that it will be) and found to be unconstitutional (as it most certainly is).

We are currently at a crossroads or a pivot point of sorts. Yes, there are many issues that are finally coming to light and much needed changes that are being made in our food system (for the better). But there is still so much more to do. This is the time to change. This is the time for reform. This is the time to commit to restoring integrity to our food. It will take each of us making changes in our attitudes and behaviors and it will take all of us working together to bring about the necessary changes in modern agricultural practices.

Call me crazy (you won’t be the first, nor will you be the last), but I believe that we can actually leave a better world for future generations. However, I also believe that we are running out of time to be able to do that. There will come a point when we will have polluted, overmedicated, destroyed, used, abused, chemicalized (so, maybe I made that word up, but you know what I mean!) and leached this planet beyond the point of recovery. But I’m optimistic enough to believe that we aren’t there yet! And the best part is that each of us can make decisions every day that will help us turn that corner and (because I love to mix my metaphors) tip that scale in our favor, in favor of this planet over which we have been given stewardship, and in favor of the animals that are destined to share our fate (or we, theirs).  I challenge you to be an informed consumer, an informed voter, and an active participant in your own food system!

Nation's First Ag-Gag Bill Needs To Be Stopped!

Imagine with me, if you will, your favorite restaurant. A place you enjoy eating on a regular basis. Now suppose that a reporter comes in while you are dining there and asks the manager for a tour of the kitchen. Upon hearing this request, the manager becomes irate, telling the reporter that she has no business looking into his kitchen, there is nothing there for the reporter to see, go away and don’t EVER come back!!! Then, let’s say that a few weeks later, you are watching the local news and you see an undercover investigative story about that same restaurant! Only this time, the reporter sent in someone else, someone who entered under false pretenses, someone who went into the restaurant with a hidden camera, someone disguised as the new employee hired to wash dishes. While there under cover of employment, the dishwasher discovers deplorable conditions in the kitchen: it is rat infested, the food is past the expiration dates and not stored properly, roaches scurry across countertops and dart behind open containers of food, and employee hygiene is completely lacking. Now let’s say that following this news cast, your city passes a new law that affects restaurants. That’s good right? This undercover investigation brings to light a horrible health risk taking place right under your very nose, it’s horrible, thank goodness there will now be better laws to protect you as a consumer! Nope. Sorry. The new law doesn’t protect you as a consumer. This new law protects the restaurant owner. This new law prohibits anyone from entering his kitchen under false pretenses ever again. This new law means that no other restaurant in town will ever need to worry about being infiltrated and exposed. No other restaurant owner in town ever needs to worry about suffering such an embarrassment and financial loss over something so trivial as the health of its employees and patrons. How would you feel about your formerly favorite restaurant? How would you feel about the new law set up for the sole purpose of protecting such places? How would you feel to know that your health means little when compared to the restaurant owners and the influence they wield?

I don’t know about you, but I would not react well to such a development. And I paint this little picture, because that is EXACTLY what is going on right now. Well, not exactly, this law protects agricultural businesses, not restaurants, but it affects a significant portion of the nation’s food system. Iowa has passed the nation’s first Ag Gag Law. There are a number of these floating about in different states at different stages of passage, but this is the first to await signage into law. The bill currently sits on the governor’s desk and I would ask each of you to consider contacting him. I sent the following message this morning:

Dear Governor Branstad,

You currently have a bill on your desk, House File 589, which I respectfully ask you to consider NOT signing. As the nation's first Ag-Gag bill, you will be setting a strong and destructive precedent for future bills throughout this country that would seek to provide unconstitutional protection for agribusinesses at the expense of consumer safety and the humane treatment of animals.

Any industry that actively seeks to keep its operations hidden from the view of the public is an industry that needs to be brought into the light, not afforded special protections. Though I am not a citizen of your great state, the large number of hog farms that would be protected by this legislation directly affects me as a consumer.

I am not comfortable with any aspect of our national food system being afforded this level of protection and secrecy. Again, I respectfully ask that you not sign this bill. It is, at the very least, deserving of a public debate... anything less gives the strong appearance that big agriculture can just buy legislation that works in its favor.

Sincerely,

LeeAnna Tatum

These Ag-Gag bills make it illegal to enter an agricultural facility under false pretenses, some states even have bills in progress that make it illegal to take unauthorized pictures of agricultural facilities, and punish whistle-blowers. Now, I ask you… does this sound like a law that is in the best interest of citizens and consumers, or lobbyists and big agriculture? I can promise you that the farm, down the road where I get my pork doesn’t care who sees their operation, they would welcome picture taking, and even offer tours. Why? Because they have nothing to hide. There is nothing there that they are ashamed for you to see. Why is big agriculture pushing these Ag-Gag bills? Because they do not want you to see how they operate. They know that if the public saw what conditions are really like, they would lose consumers. They don’t want you to see what is going on in the kitchen…. doesn’t that make you want to know why?????  

Iowa may be only one state, but it has one of the highest percentages of hog farms in the nation (can’t put my finger on the stats with the exact number right at the moment), so chances are quite good that if you purchase pork (any pork product) from the grocery store, you are a consumer of Iowa agriculture. This issue is relevant to you.

You are the consumer. You have EVERY right to know what is going on behind closed doors at these facilities. You should know. You need to know. It’s about facing your food and holding the producers of that food accountable. These laws are attempting to prohibit you from doing just that.

I encourage you to contact Governor Branstad of Iowa and let him know that you do not want the agribusinesses of his state to receive extra protection at the expense of, you, the consumer.  Here is the link for contacting him should you choose to do so:

https://governor.iowa.gov/constituent-services/register-opinion

Here is a link to the bill itself, should you want to read it. It really is frightening. This bill is sickening in its transparency... it doesn't even pretend to be something that protects or benefits the general public... every aspect of it is clearly to protect the corporation against any attempt to hold them accountable for actionable offenses. The entire purpose of this bill is to make any individual who brings things to light that could end up costing the company money be held liable as a CRIMINAL for the financial damages. No other industry is afforded that kind of protection. And NO industry should be afforded it. 

http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=billinfo&Service=Billbook&menu=false&hbill=HF589

Does God Care About What You Eat?

In the Message translation of the Bible, the word, “food” is mentioned 212 times.  To give that a little bit of context, the word, “love” is in there 586 times, “obey” comes in at a 90 count, “faith” is mentioned 227 times, and “pray” makes an appearance 499 times.  Now, I’m not saying that they best way to find out if something is important to God is to count how many times it is mentioned in the Bible, but there is something to be said for the frequency in which the topic of food is covered.

There are several places in the Bible where God gives specific instruction about food. In the first chapter of Genesis, he gave man “every sort of seed bearing plant on earth and every kind of fruit bearing tree” for food. In Genesis 9, God told Noah (after the flood receded), “all living creatures are yours for food. Just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else”.  In Genesis 41, God gave Joseph specific wisdom regarding a coming famine and Joseph was able to take advantage of seven years of bumper crops in preparation for the seven years of famine that followed. God also gave specific instruction regarding food to the Israelites, His chosen people. In historical retrospect, we can see that many of those instructions protected them from common disease and food-born illnesses of the times.  There are many other examples of God's direct involvement with mankind's food, but in the interest of my own short attention span... I'll move on! :)

Food is mentioned in the context of necessity, refreshment, companionship, sacrifice, temptation, blessing, fellowship, offering, and lifestyle.  We are told to feed the hungry, to abstain from gluttony, to thank God for His daily provision of food, and to trust Him for it. Clearly, God not only understands the role that food plays in our lives, but as our Creator, He designed it that way. He provided us with a wide array of foods varying in tastes, textures, aromas, and nutrition. He gave us food, not only to provide for our nutritional needs, but also to bring us together, and to bring us pleasure.

I have done a LOT of research about food, food production, agriculture, and nutrition in the past few years and I am surprised by how little attention is given to the topic by Christians. I’m not saying there are not Christians out there who care deeply about the ethics of food (and have written about it), but they seem to be in short supply, comparatively speaking. It is far and away the secular groups that are leading the charge to improve the food system that we currently have here in America.

Our environment, the welfare of animals, the working conditions for low wage agriculture workers, our health, ethical practices in the food industry, our responsibilities as consumers… all of these things should matter to all of us, most especially those of us who claim to be Christians.  We really are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our Creator gave us many wonderful things on this planet to eat, but we have strayed very far from the natural buffet that He provided.  It just seems to me that since He made us, He probably knows best how to fuel us. Science has done a lot of wonderful things, but “improving” our food system is NOT one of them!

Livin' la Vida Local!

If you love to shop local and are proud to support your local farmer, wear it proud! You can help increase awareness and promote buying local just by getting dressed in the morning! :) Ok, before I go any further, and in the interest of full disclosure.... I must tell you that I am promoting my own product from Carefree Clothing Company, a t-shirt business that my sister and I have just started. It is our desire to provide fun and interesting designs that can also help raise awareness for important issues. Our first design is currently available for Pre-sale. You can purchase it now and it should ship out the first week of March. It is the "Local Life" design pictured here. The shirt is available in Asphalt and Chocolate and it is made right here in the USA.  

Please check out our online storefront, 

Carefree Clothing at Storenvy.com.

Gardening is a Victory!

That's a beautiful head of cabbage, if I may say so myself!

I harvested my first ever cabbage yesterday! I have been growing a few vegetables at a time for a few years now, but this was my first cabbage. I have been relatively successful with growing tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumber, and various herbs; all in containers. This spring I will be trying my hand at two new things in the garden… raised bed gardening, and starting from seed.  By making these two changes, I SHOULD be able to produce a lot more and spend a lot less in the process. But I must admit that I am a bit trepidatious about this foray into the unknown.

During WWII, every American was encouraged to plant a Victory Garden. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that around 20 million gardens were planted and that domestic production of fruit and vegetables equaled that of commercial vegetable production during the same period. I wonder what kind of difference we could make to improve the environment, improve our health, and alleviate hunger if we each began to grow more of our own food.

No matter how much, or how a small an outdoor space you may have… chances are you have enough space to grow some of your own food. It’s a great way to know that the food you are eating is fresh and safe. No need to worry about e-coli in your home-grown spinach! Aside from the nutritional gains of growing your own food, it’s just plain fun! I love watching the plants grow and the little tiny buds turn into growing squash, tomatoes, or peppers.

It’s also really nice to have that personal connection with your food. There is a wonderful sense of satisfaction and accomplishment making fresh food from scratch and even more so when you also took part in growing it. You may not have time to tend a large garden or the space for one, but try planting a few herbs to grow in your windowsill or if you have a patio or balcony… plant a tomato with some herbs in small containers.  You could plant a salsa garden (tomato, jalapeno, cilantro) or an Italian garden of tomato, sweet bell pepper, and basil.

I'll continue to update from time to time on my gardening experiences. Believe me, if I can do this... anyone can!!!! If you’re an experienced gardener, please feel free to share your experience with those of us just starting to figure it out! And if you’ve never gardened before, give it a try… spring is just around the corner!

Dream the Impossible Dream

Since embarking on this little journey of mine and writing about it in this little blog, I often find myself wondering if it is really worth it. Indeed, my journey was delayed time and time again because I battled with the notion of whether my actions really mattered or not. I’m only one person. How does any of this make any real difference? I’m not going to put factory farms out of business because I’m no longer buying their products. My actions alone won’t improve the environment or treatment of livestock. Can one person really make a difference?

Despite my doubts, my reservations, my questions, and my insecurities I eventually decided that this was something that I HAD to do. It really doesn’t matter if it changes the world. It doesn’t matter if no one else gets it. It doesn’t matter if no one ever reads this, or changes their minds, or is pushed to think about things in a different way. It would be great if those things did happen, but the important thing is that to NOT do this would be to deny a part of who I am. It would mean turning my back on things that I truly believe in. It would mean giving up hope in a brighter future and a better world. It would mean that a part of the person that I was created to be would never even have the opportunity to blossom, much less grow.

When we are children, we are encouraged to dream BIG! Who ever laughs at a kid who wants be an astronaut when he/she grows up?  (Mean people, that’s who!) We think it’s great when a kid wants to be a scientist and an artist and a cowboy all rolled into one. But then we grow up. And we’re told to be realistic. Maybe not in so many words, maybe not by anyone in particular. But society tells us to grow up, and that is often just another way of saying that you should put your dreams in a box. Or at least, scale them back. Size them down. Make them fit expectations. Or make them profitable!

Maybe I don’t want to grow up. Because I don’t want to put my dreams in a box anymore. I don’t want to shrink my expectations down to size. I want to believe that I can do anything. I want to believe that change is possible. I want to believe that I can leave this world a better place because I was a part of it.

I believe that each of us has a role to fill. Each of us has been given a gift or gifts by our Creator and it is in His purpose that we find fulfillment. He is the one who gives us our dreams, our passions, our talents, our skills. When we deny those dreams and limit ourselves to what is expected of us… we deny Him the opportunity to use us to do good and positive and, yes, even BIG things. He not only gave us the capacity to dream big, but He will also give us the strength and wisdom and opportunity to do BIG.

I have no control over anyone else. (Shocking, I know!) I can’t make people read my blog, or care about animals, or change their behaviors, or improve their business practices. I do this for me. I know. That sounds selfish. But it’s not. Not only can I not control anyone else, I can’t BE anyone else. I can only be me. So, the best thing that I can do for myself, and for those I love, and for the causes I believe in, and for my Creator is to be the unique me that I was created to be. And part of being ME is to make this stand for things that I believe are important. The rest is out of my hands.

The Politics of ...... Eating!

I’m coming to realize more and more how interrelated food and politics really are. Just think about life during the Cold War and the stark difference between free societies and those locked behind the Iron Curtain when it comes to food. People waited in line for hours in the former Soviet Union just to receive bread and other basics for survival, while those of us (ok, most of us) in the free world had ready access to a wide array of food choices. Even today there are definitive correlations between food availability and forms of government. Just look at the Koreas. In North Korea, now (thankfully) deceased tyrant Kim Jong Il allowed tens of thousands of his own people to starve to death during his lifetime due to poor food policy choices and the denial of international food aid. Just across the border in South Korea, however, food is plentiful and in abundant supply (though there are still those who suffer from malnutrition as in every nation of the world).

Here in the US, we often debate the roll and scope of government when it comes to food (and everything else). It is one of the great political divides in this country; do we need government to step in and regulate and monitor and oversee business, healthcare, education, and food (to name a few)? Or do things flourish best with a Laissez faire (in other words, the government keeps it’s hands out of it) approach?

Admittedly, I tend toward the belief that free markets work best. Communism is a proven failure, but that doesn’t make Capitalism perfect… certainly not in its present state. And I find myself conflicted when it comes to regulations and my food. On the one hand, I would very much like to have a food system that is regulated for safety, health standards, truth in labeling, treatment of livestock standards, work and safety conditions for employees, and environmental standards. But on the other hand, I don’t want Uncle Sam (which in 2010, he decided he could do so) telling me that I can’t grow my own vegetables or purchase raw milk from a local farmer if he doesn’t deem those options as safe for my personal consumption.

I also have issues with the federal government taking a more hands-on approach to regulating the food system when it is already sadly inept at enforcing the laws and standards which currently exist. And if the government is going to interfere with free markets, why does it choose to do so in a way that benefits massive agribusiness corporations at the expense of small family farms? Shouldn’t it be interfering to level the playing field for the little guy? Not siding up with Goliath by stealing David’s slingshot? [I’m referring here, in part, to subsidized corn (corn paid for with YOUR tax dollars) which benefits large factory farms (enabling them to keep their product costs down); small farmers do not receive these subsidies which means that their product prices must actually reflect the true cost of production.]

The FDA currently does very little to ensure truth in labeling and currently refuses to require any labeling for genetically modified foods. In addition, it does nothing to stop or even curb the use of antimicrobials in agriculture, something the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has been urging them to do. Though there are laws in place to ensure that ground water and streams are not polluted by the massive amount of waste generated at CFOs (Confined Feeding Operations), they are largely ignored by the industry and often go unchecked by federal officials. There are labor laws in place to protect the health and wellbeing of farm workers, yet thousands are exposed to near deadly levels of ammonia in the air they are forced to breathe while caring for animals in CFOs on a daily basis. This exposure causes long-term damage and has even been known to be fatal, yet these issues persist.

And what really gets my goat is that the Right Wing wants to go into hysterics because the Obama Administration is requiring higher nutritional standards for our school children’s lunches! Really? That’s your line in the sand? Let it slide by that what can be grown in our yards can be deemed unsafe for our own consumption, but how dare you try to improve the nutrition of the only meal of the day that some of our nation’s children will have access to?  (Sorry, that is my rant of the day!)

So, I’m a little conflicted at the moment as to what roll the government should have in our food system and how much control the federal government should be allowed to exert. I know that I want the freedom to make good choices where my own nutrition is concerned. I know that I want the freedom to grow my own food and purchase it from friends, neighbors, and local farmers. I know that I want to know if the foods I’m eating were designed by God or engineered in a lab. I know that I want to leave this world in better shape than it is in right now. I know that I want animals to be treated with respect and dignity even if their final resting place is on a plate! I know that I want those who work hard to ensure that I have food to eat receive a decent enough wage that they can provide proper nutrition for their own families. I know that our current system is broken. And I know that I don’t trust anyone in Washington DC to care more about these issues than I do. So, that’s what I know.

I would very much like to know your opinions on this issue. How involved is too involved where the federal government is concerned? Is more regulation the answer? Is deregulation the answer? How can we as citizens and consumers do a better job of holding our leaders accountable? How do we move toward a more sustainable, healthier, environmentally better food system?

(Here is a link to The Politics of Dancing for your listening and viewing pleasure! You're welcome!)

A Few Fun Facts About Factory Farming

Ok, you got me! There really is nothing fun about these facts, but I’m a sucker for sarcasm … and alliterative sarcasm is even better yet! I decided to put together this list of things that you may not know about the process that provides meat to the vast majority of carnivores in this country. I will TRY to keep my own editorializing to a minimum as these facts pretty much speak for themselves.

• Þ   Factory farms are actually called CAFOs Concentrated (sometimes Confined is used instead) Animal Feeding Operations. No need for editorializing, the name says it all.
• Þ   Confinement truly means confinement. Movement is restricted and normal animal behavior is not possible. Physical alteration is also the norm, including de-beaking of poultry and docking (tail removal) of cows and pigs.
• Þ   While the number of hog farms drops dramatically each year, hog production remains stable. 80% of hog farms have a head count of 5,000 or more. The percentage of hogs produced through contractual operations increased from 5% in 1994 to 67% in 2004 (this is significant because it means that huge profits are shifting from small, local farms to giant agribusiness corporations that control the contracts).
• Þ   On average in CAFOs three full sized (roughly 250lb) hogs share a space approximately the same size as a twin bed. (It should be noted here that pigs are highly intelligent, social creatures. In their natural habitat, they are clean, curious, playful, and form strong social bonds. In the ranking of animal IQ, pigs rank 4^th behind chimpanzees, dolphins, and elephants. It is because of this level of intelligence and social complexity that their treatment is exceptionally cruel in this environment. We would never allow dogs to be treated this way, but because we enjoy pork – and don’t eat dogs- we look the other way and continue to allow this inhumane treatment of pigs on a MASSIVE scale.)
• Þ   Male chicks are particularly useless in the poultry business. Unfortunately, almost half of all chicks hatched are male. Because they offer no source of revenue, most are destroyed (in other words, killed rather unpleasantly). Bull calves in the dairy industry usually do not fair well either.
• Þ   Anywhere from 50% - 80% of all antibiotics made and sold in the US are used in food production. (Real numbers are hard to come by as there is little to no regulation of antibiotic use in agriculture. No prescriptions are necessary.) A nifty little side-effect of antibiotics used in treating animals was discovered in the 1940s – treated animals grew bigger, faster. So, now animals are continuously fed low doses of antibiotics in all of their feed in order to artificially expedite growth (and increase profits). The problem with this use is that it is completely unregulated and it diminishes the effectiveness of antibiotics in their intended use – to treat illness in humans. Microbes are resilient and when exposed to the low-dose levels of antibiotics in animal feed, they become resistant, requiring stronger and stronger antibiotics to fight disease and illness. The CDC recommends the discontinuation of antibiotic use in feed, but the FDA refuses to enforce that recommendation. In fact, the FDA is set to approve the use of the most potent antibiotics currently available (our last lines of defense against microbes) for use in animal feed.

Side note: I would like to encourage you to NOT take my word as fact when reading this blog. Not that I am lying or trying to mislead you in any way, but this is an issue that is worth being concerned about. Whether you care about animal welfare, the environment, the conditions of low-wage workers, public health concerns, personal health and nutrition, rural communities, world hunger, or any of a multitude of other issues; factory farming is relevant to you and your daily life. The more that I learn about food production in this country, the more shocked I am that I lived in ignorance of the facts for so long. If it is this important, why doesn’t the news media, or our government, or someone tell us about what is going on? I’m not entirely sure, but I do know one thing – it’s not a coincidence.

Generally speaking, I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I don’t see conspiracies, government or otherwise, everywhere I look. But the deeper that I dig into this subject, the more secrecy, deception, and greed I find. It’s disturbing. Like the Ag Gag laws (as they are referred to). Their only purpose is to make it illegal to spy on the agribusinesses. Literally. These laws attempt to outlaw taking photos on a farm, shooting video, or in anyway reporting what takes place at these facilities. And the frightening thing is, these laws get passed! You should be concerned that the people who produce your food are ashamed for you to ever see the process. You should be concerned that the people who produce your food want to outlaw whistle-blowing by their employees. You should be concerned that the people who produce your food do not want the CDC to be able to send in undercover investigators. What, exactly, are they trying so desperately to hide?

The Evil Empire of Agriculture (well, one of them anyway)

Monsanto. Haven’t heard of it? You’re not alone. Most Americans probably haven’t. What may surprise you is that you most likely consume their products everyday.

Monsanto touts itself as being all about promoting farmers. This is true in the same sense that a crack dealer is all about promoting crack addicts. You see, Monsanto produces a genetically engineered seed that they sell to farmers.
You may think that the resulting plant produces a seed that the farmer can then plant again in the future. You would be wrong. You see, genetically engineered crops (let’s just call them GE to spare my typing fingers) cannot be used for seed (in other words, they are not sustainable). The farmer must return to Monsanto every time they wish to plant a crop, creating a dependency between farm and company. And the farmer must pay a patent fee (every year) for the privilege of using these GE seeds. Yes, a patent fee for seeds (and here I thought God owned the patent on those!).

Monsanto has also developed quite a reputation for suing non-GE-seed-using farmers who are unlucky enough to have fields located adjacent or in the somewhat general location of a farmer who does use GE seeds. Why would they sue these hapless farmers? Because sometimes in nature (something Monsanto obviously has little exposure to while locked away in their evil scientist labs), pollen is carried by the wind, or birds, or insects, or other things in NATURE; and when this GE pollen is carried to a non-GE plant, sometimes there is a thing called cross-pollination that occurs. And when this happens, those plants infringe on Monsanto’s patent! Patent infringement by plants during the course of natural occurrences…. those farmers should have to pay!!! How dare they!

But what I find most disturbing about Monsanto and their GE products, is that we really have no idea of the long-term effect of these products on the environment and our bodies, because they haven’t been around long enough for us to know for sure. And perhaps, to be on the safe side, you would like to avoid these products. Good luck! The FDA does not require any type of labeling for genetically modified foods, and though you may not purchase or consume the corn, soybeans, or canola that is produced from Monsanto’s lab; you are most certainly eating the meat, that comes from the chicken, cow, or pig, that did eat those products (that is, if you eat meat from the vast majority of grocery stores or restaurants).

Please take a few minutes to watch the informative video below. If you are a skeptic, there is no need to take my word or Greenpeace’s word at face value. There is plenty of information out there about the harmful effects of genetic engineering, as well as, the detriments of a monocrop culture. The wisdom of centuries, tells us that crop rotation and animal and plant variety are essential for maintaining healthy soil. Modern scientists have decided that chemistry can replace this antiquated practice, but if there is one lesson we really should have learned by now it’s that when you mess with nature, nature has a funny way of messing back!

Beans and Rice

Growing up, I came to dislike the dreaded meal of beans and rice. My parents were missionaries, which isn't the most financially lucrative of pursuits, so mealtime budgets sometimes needed to be stretched quite thin. While I am still not overly fond of pinto beans, I have made my peace with beans and rice, and have developed my own take on it that I truly enjoy. Here is my version of the dish which is a quick and easy (and inexpensive) meal to make, and works great for those Meatless Mondays or any other meatless day of the week.

As you may know by now, I don't do "recipes", but here is the basic composition of this dish. 

Beans: 1 can, or approximately 2 cups reconstituted dried 

Rice: around 1/2 cup

Tomatoes: between 1/2 lb and 1 lb fresh tomatoes, or 1 28 oz can

I use black beans, white rice, and fresh tomatoes (when seasonally available). You can use any type of bean that you prefer (even pinto), and you can use reconstituted dried beans or canned beans. Likewise, you can choose the rice of your preference (just keep in mind that if you use brown rice it will need to cook about twice as long). 

From this base, you can add as many or as few other ingredients as you choose. I usually use these ingredients in addition.

Garlic: 1 minced clove and / or Onion: 1/2 diced

Jalapeno: 2 freshly diced (or pickled slices when fresh are not on hand)

Cilantro: 1 handful of fresh cilantro loosely chopped

And, because this recipe includes tomatoes and I listened to my mom, just a pinch of sugar

I have also added bell pepper and/or carrots diced (I am choosing to not use any additional vegetables in the dish I am preparing today, because I plan to repurpose my leftovers into a burrito dish later in the week and I have discovered that carrots are not appealing to me in a burrito).

Heat a very small amount of oil (approx 1 tsp) in pan

Saute onion, jalepeno, and any other vegetables (other than tomato) that you would like to include

When vegetables are tender, add garlic and half of the chopped cilantro

Add beans (with liquid)

Add tomatoes (with liquid)

Bring to a boil over high heat

Add rice and stir thoroughly 

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 min or until rice is cooked

Add remaining cilantro, stir, and serve

Preparation time is minimal (about 10 minutes), and this dish requires very little supervision once it is covered and on low, so it is very quick and easy to cook even when things are hectic around the house.

Buen Provecho!

Sustainable Farming in Action

I loved this video and how well it helps to explain the difference between factory farming and sustainable farming, so I thought I would share it here. I also really wanted to share some of the quotes and values from the Harris family that owns and runs White Oak Pastures.

(Their website is www.whiteoakpastures.com)

When we take dominion over our herd, and our flocks, and our companion animals, we accept all of the responsibilities of their stewardship

-Harris Family Core Value

As a fourth generation stockman, I offer folks some "Southern Cowboy Common Sense" on how to recognize good animal welfare: If you would like to open up a lawn chair and drink a couple of glasses of wine while you watch the animal, then you have good animal welfare. No normal person enjoys watching a hen in a battery cage or a sow in a farrowing crate, or a steer wading in its own excrement.

-Will Harris III

We want to raise our animals and steward our land in a particular manner. We cannot farm this way if enlightened consumers do not choose to buy our beef, lamb, and poultry. We value our partnership with the people who choose to honor us in this way.

- Jenni Harris

In Defense of Bambi Burger!

I currently have a neatly wrapped little package of ground venison thawing in my kitchen. The fact that I eat deer meat often surprises people who know me. As anyone who knows me, knows that I love animals and am outspoken about the need to care for them responsibly. Because I am an animal lover, people assume that I would naturally be opposed to hunting.

Let me explain why that assumption is quite wrong. First of all, I think it is important to acknowledge that any form of meat production involves the killing of an animal. An obvious thing to point out, I realize, but important nonetheless. When you consider the entire lives of the animals involved (from birth to slaughter), wild game is perhaps the most humane choice out there. A deer that is shot by a hunter at least had the opportunity to be born free and live out its days in a natural environment engaging in its own natural behaviors. This in contrast to factory-farmed cattle which spend (at the very least) their final months in confinement in a feedlot, their final hours filled with stress. Factory-farmed pigs and poultry are even less fortunate than cattle as they spend their entire lives in confinement and a high stress environment, never able to fully engage in their natural animal behaviors. It’s a very simple decision for me as to which method is more humane.

Many animal rights advocates argue strongly against hunting, but I do not agree. I do, however, believe that hunting should be done responsibly and as part of an overall population management plan. As I have stated before, I do not have a problem with animals being killed for meat; but I do believe that we have a moral obligation to see that it is done in the most responsible way possible. There are those who would argue that eating meat at all is unethical, but again, I would disagree. Not killing animals for meat would have a host of unintended consequences. As there are few natural predators left here in North America, deer populations would explode exponentially; there would be no need to raise cattle in a domesticated environment (if we were not killing them for meat) and they are ill suited to survive in the wild; additionally, there is not enough undeveloped land to support all of that herbivorous wildlife that would be running around all over the place (just a few of the minor inconveniences that would develop if we ceased to eat meat).

Hunting is relatively humane, it’s sustainable, environmentally friendly, relatively inexpensive, and a healthy source of protein. I am fortunate enough to know plenty of people who hunt and share their bounty with those of us who do not. It got me to thinking about those of you who may not be so fortunate. So, I did a little research and found a company out of Texas that can ship game meat directly to you! Isn't that convenient? They have developed a method of field harvesting that enables them to sell meat that was not farmed or domesticated in any way; it is free-range, wild game.  It is shot, skinned, and processed (in a mobile unit) all under the watchful eye of a government inspector. Their website has all kinds of fascinating information. Check it out at, http://www.brokenarrowranch.com/About.htm .

Venison is a great source of protein, the Vitamin Bs (B12, B2, B3, B6), Iron, and Selenium (which, when incorporated in protein helps fight cancer and heart disease). It is low in fat and nutrient dense. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=139. 

It's Resolution Time, Have You Made Yours?

Happy New Year! I hope you are as excited about 2012 as I am! Not only am I glad to see 2011 in the rearview mirror, but I can’t wait to see all the good things that are coming our way in 2012. I hope this new year brings you great peace, prosperity, happiness, and success!

The new year is typically a time when we are particularly aware of renewal, rejuvenation, renovation, and of course, RESOLUTION! As you consider your resolutions for this new year, I ask you to throw two more into the mix.

The first resolution that I ask to you consider embracing this year is to remove meat from your diet one day per week. Whether you choose to do Meatless Monday or choose any other day of the week (like Vegetarian Wednesday or Spill-No-Blood Sunday – sorry, that one was a bit graphic!), just be sure to set aside a specific day each week. To make it easier to keep this resolution, you should choose the day carefully… make it a day that is easy to prepare ahead for and is generally pretty routine. Eating satisfying meatless meals is a simple enough thing to do, but it will take some planning and preparation. For more reasons about why you should consider going meatless just one day per week and helpful suggestions on how to do it… check out www.meatlessmonday.com.

The second resolution that I propose, is to make a conscious effort to buy food locally as much as possible. And the local grocery store doesn’t necessarily count. J Try to find food that is grown and produced in your area. Meat that comes from a local farm is healthier for you, good for your local economy, and great for the environment. It’s a win-win-win situation. How often do those come around? A great place to start your search for locally produced food is at the farmer’s market. However, not all communities have one and not all markets are available year-round. An excellent online source for finding locally produced food in your area is www.eatwild.com. You don’t have to go all out, start small. Find a dairy or meat product that is the most convenient for you to buy locally and start with that one thing.

I’m not going to lie to you, it isn’t easy to fully commit to a life without factory farmed products. I’m learning that as I write this. Literally. That is, of course, the point of this blog… to share with you my experiences as I try to do just that. And I’m not there yet, but I’m taking steps in that direction. And, further more, I believe that it is possible, not only for me to do it but for us to make the changes necessary to do it (dare I say) as a nation. I hope you will join me on my continued journey this year and I ask you to consider taking steps (as small and as few, or as large and as many as you care to) away from factory-farmed goods and toward sustainable, humane, and wholesomely produced foods.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(The photo above was taken from horseback, the cows we ride past are always so curious and want to see the horses up close. It is my hope that more cows in 2012, get to live out their lives in pastures as God intended instead of ending up in feedlots prior to slaughter.)

E. Coli: One of the Costs of "Cheap" Meat

There was recall of ground beef this week for 40,000 pounds that were found to be contaminated with E. Coli. Fortunately, this recall was made before anyone ate the contaminated meat and suffered the consequences, which can be as severe as death.

The US Department of Agriculture estimates that E. Coli has an annual price tag of around $488, 771, 183 in medical costs, productivity losses, and disutility. These are the human costs of E. Coli here in America.

How many cows were butchered and then ultimately recalled and discarded due to this contamination? According to my research, a butchered cow produces anywhere from 300 to 500 pounds of useable meat, not all of which will be ground. But to keep things simple, for the purposes of this demonstration, let’s say that all of that meat is ground for distribution. That means that anywhere from 80 to 130 cows were destroyed due to this contamination and recall. Their lives needlessly wasted.

Here is another part of the waste: 720,000 gallons (a conservative number, as some estimates have it closer to 1 Billion gallons) is the amount of water needed to raise one steer (from birth to butcher within the factory farm system), multiply that by the number of cows that were destroyed and you have 57,600,000 – 93,600.000 wasted gallons of clean water. I’m not even going to go into the amount of wasted corn (did you know that 80% of all corn grown in the US is used for feedlots and only 20% for human consumption?), waste water produced and other harmful effects on the environment that are inexcusable at any time and much, much more so when the final outcome is not even suitable for human consumption.

Waste compounded by waste, and all of it unnecessary. Why unnecessary? Think back to science class as a kid when you learned all about cows. I don’t remember what grade that was, but I know I was pretty young when I learned that cows have 4 stomachs, they eat GRASS, and chew their cud (regurgitated GRASS) and pass it along progressively to each of it’s four stomachs for proper digestion. It was probably during that same year of science class that we learned that corn is a grain, not a grass. Hmmmm…. I guess what I’m getting at here is that if a 4^th grader knows that cows eat grass and corn ISN’T grass, why is it that we feed millions of cows corn?

You didn’t actually expect me to have an answer for that, did you? Here’s the best I can come up with. After WWII, we had a surplus of corn and a shortage of cheap, readily available food for a lot of people who wanted to eat meat. So, the government began subsidizing corn (yes, giving away your tax-payer dollars to corn farms – not small time farms, but massive farms), feedlots were developed on which cattle were fed corn, cattle fattened faster than on grass, “cheap” meat was created, a taste for “cheap” corn-fed beef was cultivated among consumers. And consequences be damned.

Here’s the problem, since cows weren’t created to eat corn, their digestive systems are not created to digest corn. In other words, those 4 stomachs and the process of chewing cud – designed to digest grass – doesn’t work to digest corn. This causes a very painful condition in cows called acute acidosis. The condition is so painful, that cows will kick at their own bellies to try to stop the pain, if left untreated (by antibiotics, of course), it will lead to a quick death (and is the most common form of death among cows in feedlots). This condition, even if treated, causes lesions in the liver which would be fatal if the cows were allowed to live long enough. To quote another website, “altering cattle feed is not natural, and nature is telling us so.” (http://lettherebebite.com/in-store-guide/meat/beef/)

E. Coli is a bacteria that lives naturally in a cow’s digestive system, cows that eat an appropriate diet of grass, maintain healthy levels of E. Coli in their systems, however, cows that are converted (for fattening up) to a corn based diet lose the natural balance within their bodies. E. Coli is overproduced and excreted. Cows living in feedlots are constantly exposed to their own excrement, and are in most cases, still covered in it when they are butchered. And here comes the really fun part, that excrement ends up in your hamburger and makes you sick. Makes me sick just thinking about it, to tell you the truth.

Buying grass-fed and FINISHED (as many beef producers are now wising up to the fact that consumers are looking for grass-fed beef, they are labeling their meat “grass-fed”. Since most cows start their lives on farmland, this is true that they were grass-fed, but then they are shipped off to a feed lot where they were FINISHED on a corn diet. Labeling is important at the grocery store, don’t be misled. To be certain, get your beef from a local provider who is proud to put the name of his farm on the label!) beef is safer for many reasons. The likely hood of having contaminated meat from this type of environment is almost non-existent. Since their bodies have less E Coli in their systems, it is not excreted from their bodies. Nor are they required to stand in their excrement day in and day out, so they are not covered in it when taken to slaughter. Also, the farmers in this case are producing meat for their families, friends and neighbors and are MUCH more accountable for the final product (after all, if you get sick from their meat, you may very well be knocking on their door to complain in person…. Do you know where the person lives who produces the hamburger that you bought at the grocery store???)

We often use the expression, food for thought. I’m asking you to take some time to think about your food! Think about where it comes from, how it is produced, how it can effect you, and how do your choices effect the world around you?