I think I may be heading vegetarian

[bicker]

And a lot of folks make the mistake of thinking, "But there have always been cows . . .," but it is our over-husbandry-ing of them that has raised their population to the point where it damages the environment.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I have a question, these local farms, do they kill their animals? I had always been under the impression that they raise them more humanely but that they got shipped off to the same processing plants that the other ones go to. Is this not true? Do most of these farms process their own meat?

 

[disney_mommy]

Yes, cows are huge contributors of methane into the ozone.

So I'm doing my part by eating as many of the gassy bovines as I can!

Troll sighting!

 

[Heidict]

Troll sighting!

Why because he doesn't agree with you? The poster had been a member for over 3 years and has over a thousand posts. How does that fit the definition of a troll?

 

[bicker]

I have a question, these local farms, do they kill their animals? I had always been under the impression that they raise them more humanely but that they got shipped off to the same processing plants that the other ones go to. Is this not true? Do most of these farms process their own meat?

This is a critical question to ask... find out where the animals are slaughtered. If it isn't on-site, then essentially all the same cruelty of the slaughtering process is applied to these animals that is applied to the factory farmed animals. This is often the case because getting authorized to slaughter animals is very expensive in some states.

 

[CandyMandy]

Yep, we would all be much better people if the menu at Le Cellier went full vegetarian...

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Why because he doesn't agree with you? The poster had been a member for over 3 years and has over a thousand posts. How does that fit the definition of a troll?

Actually only over two years, but I agree with you, I don't think it's a troll, just another sarcastic comment.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Yep, we would all be much better people if the menu at Le Cellier went full vegetarian...

No one on this thread, at least as far as I can tell, is telling anyone to stop eating meat. It wouldn't hurt Disney to have a vegetarian restaurant though, if local restaurants are able to do it, Disney certainly could.

 

[pperfectmom]

I have a question, these local farms, do they kill their animals? I had always been under the impression that they raise them more humanely but that they got shipped off to the same processing plants that the other ones go to. Is this not true? Do most of these farms process their own meat?

A lot of the farms around here still process their own. Others just take the meat for processing, but do the actual slaughtering themselves. We are trying to eliminate the middle man and raise/slaughter/process our own. It's still a work in progress. We do love meat and have no reason to stop eating it, but would like to be assured that our meat is raised and killed as humanely(and safely)as possible. The best way to do that is to do it yourself.

 

[pperfectmom]

I love how vegetarians like to change the rules to fit their crazy belief system. I'm better than you because I'm preventing the suffering of animals. Whatever. You are ending a life. It is that simple. What is even more shocking is how little you value life. A carrot doesn't have pain so it is OK to kill it? I see how it works, you modify reality to fit your perception. Try to rationalize it however you want, you are still ending a life for your own selfish needs. But apparently your act of murder is somehow more acceptable than meat eaters doing the same thing?

If you want to be a vegetarian, go right ahead. Just don't preach moral superiority.

This is the most bizarre argument I have ever heard and I love eating meat. Definitely not the way to justify your opinion.

 

[Laura]

I have a question about blood types. Anyone hear of this, that O blood types are meat eaters, A's do better as vegetarians, etc, etc.? I'm a B, which I believe my ancesters have been both meat eaters and vegetarians. Not even sure how much credence I give to this, just found it interesting. Anyone experience any truth to this? Any O blood types out there that are doing well as vegetarians? Just curious myself. I also have been considering becoming vegetarian for many of the same reasons mentioned. Right now I do not eat any pork whatsoever, do consume dairy, eggs, and very small amounts of meat occasionally.

Personally, I think the blood type diet thing is a bunch of hooey. I'm O+ and do great as a vegetarian.

 

[Colleen27]

And a lot of folks make the mistake of thinking, "But there have always been cows . . .," but it is our over-husbandry-ing of them that has raised their population to the point where it damages the environment.

And the way we raise them. Cows aren't meant to live on corn, much less the other things that they're fed in most commercial feeding operations. Like all ruminants, they're meant to graze and eat mostly grasses and their digestive tract evolved to accommodate that natural diet. It shouldn't come as any surprise that they experience certain digestive symptoms that increase their methane output when fed a very different diet from what nature intended.

 

[Heidict]

And the way we raise them. Cows aren't meant to live on corn, much less the other things that they're fed in most commercial feeding operations. Like all ruminants, they're meant to graze and eat mostly grasses and their digestive tract evolved to accommodate that natural diet. It shouldn't come as any surprise that they experience certain digestive symptoms that increase their methane output when fed a very different diet from what nature intended.

I always cracks me up when I see it listed on a menu "Corn Fed Cattle" as if the restaurant is selling some amazingly expensive and well taken care of cow. You are forcing it to eat something that is not natural to its diet. How is that good? Give me grass fed over corn fed any day of the week.

 

[Cat0727]

I have a question about blood types. Anyone hear of this, that O blood types are meat eaters, A's do better as vegetarians, etc, etc.? I'm a B, which I believe my ancesters have been both meat eaters and vegetarians. Not even sure how much credence I give to this, just found it interesting. Anyone experience any truth to this? Any O blood types out there that are doing well as vegetarians? Just curious myself. I also have been considering becoming vegetarian for many of the same reasons mentioned. Right now I do not eat any pork whatsoever, do consume dairy, eggs, and very small amounts of meat occasionally.

I've heard about that before. That theory works for me, personally. I am A-. My boyfriend is O and he LOVES meat. I should find out what blood type my cousins are, because they are true carnivores!

 

[bookgirl]

The way I figure it is,

If you want to obsess about the way meat is raised, fed, housed, treated and sold, you aren't really changing anything with your personal refusal to eat meat.

If you want to obsess about the way farm workers are fed, housed, treated and practiacally working for slave wages with no benefits and no rights so that you can have grains, soy, fruits and vegtables then you are not going to change anything with your personal rules about only buying organic, or local.

How about we quit trying to justify what we eat with all these little personal rules and we change to law to make the food industry more humane to animals and people then we all can eat whatever the hell we want without any moral indigestion.

And that's my 2 cents on the herbivores vs carnivore dead horse argument.

 

[Colleen27]

The way I figure it is,

If you want to obsess about the way meat is raised, fed, housed, treated and sold, you aren't really changing anything with your personal refusal to eat meat.

If you want to obsess about the way farm workers are fed, housed, treated and practiacally working for slave wages with no benefits and no rights so that you can have grains, soy, fruits and vegtables then you are not going to change anything with your personal rules about only buying organic, or local.

How about we quit trying to justify what we eat with all these little personal rules and we change to law to make the food industry more humane to animals and people then we all can eat whatever the hell we want without any moral indigestion.

And that's my 2 cents on the herbivores vs carnivore dead horse argument.

The thing is, though, that in our system of governance, money talks. The meat packing industry, the huge farm conglomerates, they'll always have a louder voice than the little guy via lobbyists and campaign donations. We can't rely on our leaders to regulate those abuses when those same leaders rely upon the donations of some of the worst abusers to fund their re-election efforts.

The only way to make a difference at all is through personal purchasing decisions (multiplied by many conscientious consumers), because the only language business understands is money.

 

[PaulaSB12]

How many vegetarians grow their own veggies? I am asking as I am looking at a nice ripe marrow that I just picked from my allotment

I have 2 half allotment plots (an allotment is a parcel of land you grow fruit and vegetables, some of them allow livestock such as chickens) my plots are 62ft by 16 feet so I will be able to soon put a 11 ft chicken coop and run. I only mention growing your own veggies as I am now running my allotment for a second year and learning so much about how vegetables are grown how many different types (I never knew how many types of squash there are ) it is my pride and joy even if it can be fustrating carrying water to keep my more tender plants alive.

 

[bookgirl]

The thing is, though, that in our system of governance, money talks. The meat packing industry, the huge farm conglomerates, they'll always have a louder voice than the little guy via lobbyists and campaign donations. We can't rely on our leaders to regulate those abuses when those same leaders rely upon the donations of some of the worst abusers to fund their re-election efforts.

The only way to make a difference at all is through personal purchasing decisions (multiplied by many conscientious consumers), because the only language business understands is money.

Actually the one thing that influences politians more then donor money is voters. It doesn't matter how much money a law maker has if he can't get votes. I wouldn't support any group that wanted to end the meat industry, but I would stand up for one that was campaigning for stricter regulations on feeding and processing of animal products (a real group not the idiots at PETA). I wouldn't support a group that called for the end of traveling farm workers (either citizens or immigrants), but I would support a group that lobbied for better laws on working conditions.

The food choices I make are ones that I'm comfortable with, but I am under no illusion that one person will make a difference against a majority of consumers. But both sides of any debate can have a middle ground. Both vegitarians and carnivores can agree that regulations on the well being animals and the welfare of workers are at least a common issue that they CAN influence. Even if it means that people are going to continue to eat meat (while some choose not too and consume only vegitarian items) and that they may have to pay a little more for that meat or produce (to insure that animals are humanely treated and the workers fairly treated).

 

[PatriciaH]

"Eating Animals" is a great book to read on this subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Animal...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280369753&sr=8-1

So is "Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism":

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Dogs-Pig...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280369793&sr=8-2

The China Study is also great but more technical/medical. Forks Over Knives is a documentary coming out by the same author.

I will not eat pork after reading what happens to pigs in Eating Animals. Pigs are smarter than dogs and cats and we do not eat them. I also rarely eat cow, chicken, turkey, etc. Factory farms are dirty disgusting places and I do not want any meat from them. If I eat meat it will be from a local, cage free, free range, grass fed, no hormone farm. I still eat seafood sometimes but that is one big factory farm now too

 

[amyren]

I love burgers, steaks, any kind of meat, but I recently saw a show about how cruel the slaughterers were to the animals. Ok maybe I'm naive, but I always thought this process was done more gently, not just throwing the poor animals around with no respect. It broke my heart and I feel guilty eating meat now.

I know it's the law of the jungle to eat meat, but maybe I'm too sensitive? Am I being irrational? I just don't like the idea of getting my steak from an animal that was slapped around and beaten and worse. Part of me wishes I could get over it, but I don't know if I can.

Has anyone here ever had that experience? My husband thinks I'm overreacting, that people are made to eat meat. Any opinions?

*** NOTE I wrote this before I read the entire thread!***

I’ve been vegetarian for right at a year! Like you, I enjoyed eating meat. I didn’t put much thought into where the beef in my hamburger came from and honestly I didn’t care. Then I had my daughter. Suddenly I was responsible for feeding someone other than myself. Once she started eating solids I was always looking for “hormone free” and “organic” products. That led me to researching food and I came across the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. His book pretty much sealed the deal for me. He doesn’t necessarily push a strict vegetarian lifestyle but instead promotes responsible eating habits and farming standards.

For me being vegetarian personal choice; I know cows, chickens & pigs will still be slaughtered every day even if I choose to be vegetarian. I just don’t want to be a part of the animal farming system. I still eat dairy and eggs.

I haven’t had any health concerns. I feel great.

My suggestion would be to give it a try. Maybe go vegetarian for a month or two and see how it feels. You don’t necessarily have to commit to a lifetime.