I'm extremely allergic to soy and tofu (amongst other things...), so I guess that would leave me with various beans and lentils, which I do love and I enjoy eating them and having vegan meals, but in the end, I admit that I am still consuming some meat. But it doesn't mean that I do not care what happens to the animals, quite the contrary.
Well, I guess for the longest time I was feeling like I was doing a better choice when I was selecting 'free-range' meats and eggs, but reading one of my favorite blogs this evening, I just learned that I really 'assumed' a lot of things (and we all know what 'ass-u-me' means) whenever I read the words "Free-Range" on labels at the supermarket.
Tonight I got my eyes opened quite wide, so much so that I wanted to share Tamara's post here (and if you click on the link to get to her blog, you will learn much more, I guarantee it).
This is what I read on her blog - I am quoting it here in full because I feel that this information is EXTREMELY important :
"...Today I'd like to elaborate a bit on my earlier remark about poultry (and other meats) bearing labels such as 'free-range,' 'organic,' and 'natural'. Once again, most of this info comes from the good folks at Farm Sanctuary.
- Most people don't envision physical mutilations as part of their 'natural,' 'free-range,' or 'organic' turkey. But mutilations, from de-beaking to toe removal, are still performed at 'free-range' farms. These mutilations are a source of continual pain for the birds and can make eating and walking difficult.
- As on factory farms, birds on 'free-range' and 'organic' turkey farms are genetically manipulated to grow at an unnaturally fast rate. The strain of growing so quickly causes many health problems for the turkeys, from crippling joint disorders to heart failure. Premature death on the 'free-range' farm is still common.
- The USDA does not limit 'free-range' animal density or flock size and these turkeys are often packed crowded tightly together on 'free-range' farms.
- Even though 'free-range' operations are supposed to grant turkeys outdoor access after about a month of life depending upon the weather, there are no specific requirements for this access. The provision for 'access', therefore, is practically meaningless.
- In the winter, 'free-range' birds are not required by federal regulations to have access to the outdoors. Due to the fact that poultry is slaughtered at an extremely young age (about 14-16 weeks for turkeys) birds raised during the winter months do not have to go outside at all.
- The size of the outdoor 'free-range' turkeys have access to is also unregulated by the USDA, so it can be surprisingly small and is often nothing more than a tiny, barren dirt lot.
- Since the 'free-range' label has no clear definition it is nearly impossible to regulate the methods by which these animals are raised. In order to obtain approval for labels bearing the claim 'free-range,' poultry producers must only provide the USDA with a brief description of the birds' housing conditions. These claims are almost never verified by on-site inspections.
I know this is pretty depressing information, but I heard a quote today that
really resonated - We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.I promise - tomorrow I'll focus on something more upbeat, and for today I do
actually feel surprisingly grateful to possess this knowledge and to be able to
share it in hopes that it might change someone else's perspective..."
Now, after reading this, I am glad I was sitting on my chair because I would have fallen flat on my rear-end.
I am truly sick and tired of Governments taking us all for idiots. Making half-a** regulations that clearly give an exit door to all those producers.
We, as consumers, vote for better treatments of animals and we also vote when we voluntarily choose to pay more money to purchase so called "free-range" products in hopes of supporting more human ways to raise the animals that feed the world, and in the end, these animals are still not treated with any more dignity or respect than the ones being raised by 'regular' producers. What's the point in all this?
Tamara, you have certainly given me a lot of food for thoughts here tonight. I will pass on this information to everyone I know, starting with this post on my blog.
And rest assured that we are not having turkey this weekend. It's not Thanksgiving up here anyway (and we didn't have Turkey for our own Thanksgiving back in October either btw).
I've learned something new today and I will not let this new knowledge go to waste. I'm grateful to you T.
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9 comments:
Wow Nat, I'm really glad that my message meant so much to you. Thanks for helping to spread the word!
I'm sure you've already done plenty of research on the subject, but here are some other great non-soy sources of protein - whole grains (oats, brown rice, pasta), nuts and seeds (tahini, almond butter, peanut butter), and legumes (tofu, lentils, split peas, beans).
Hey Tamara, nice to see you here :) Yes, I have. I already eat lots of steel cut oats, brown rice, pasta, nuts and seeds - and I love almond butter. I can't do tofu, but I also love lentils and beans.
I'm definitely seeking, making eating more meatless meals than before. I'm just flabbergasted by what I've learned on your blog last night. I thought that at least, I was supporting a better way of raising animals and I don't mind paying a high premium for it if it supports the right way of raising animals for consumption. Of course, not consumming the products in the first place will help, but we need to hold governements and producers accountable - we need to eliminate loopholes and tighten up the system with strict guidelines.
I'm sure there are some producers who would like to raise the animals the right way, but that costs more money and with the regulations being so lax, then they cannot compete and survive. It's a real twisted world we live in.
Wow! I knew none of this. I'll be finding a new source of protein. Thanks for getting the work out, Nath!
Nath it's always good to see someone who is open and accepting about newer, kinder ways of life. Especially nice to see that learning the horrible truth is making you consider that someday you *might* turn Vegan.
Just know that if you need ANY help/tips towards that path, I'm right here! :)
Hi Nat, I'm new to your blog. Susmitha turned me on to the fact you are considering turnig vegan. If it's any help to push you in that direction...I once heard someone say when you are choosing to eat meat it's your vote. Say if you eat chicken, you are voting for the beaks to be cut off without numbing them first and voting that it's okay to have their toes cut. If you eat pig, you are voting that it is okay for the pig to be in a crate so small it can't turn around and forced to be pregnant over & over again until it dies.
Sorry, I don't want to be negative, it's just something that made sense to me and I thought I would share that with you. Good luck to you! I wish you the best no matter what you decide on.
Hi Vegan Girl! Thank you for stopping by - I hope you will come back and visit often... Glad Sus contacted you. She's a doll, I love the girl.
I understand what you are saying (and it does help), but I think that I'm like most people out there that we don't know the procedures of how things are done. I thought I was making better choices by only/mainly selecting to purchase Free Range, as to me, this was the equivalent of animals having lots of space to live indoors and outdoors, being able to roam freely, be normally feed with high quality grains, be well treated (i.e. no suffering, no ablations, etc ) , and that's why I said in my post that if I hadn't been sitting down, I would have fallen flat on the floor from the utter shock.
I think I was living in an uneducated Nirvana-bliss (I don't know what else to call it) and that many people are like me. I surely cannot be the only person who had no clue like this, and I consider myself fairly well educated in two languages (my mother tongue is French) and I've never read this information before in either languages. I will be posting more on the subject and on my journey about this. I have a show to get ready for on Saturday so I'm a bit pressed for time right now, but rest assured, I'm not done with this topic. Far from that.
I know exactly what you mean. I have been a vegetarian since 1984. I always thought that if you didn't have to kill the animal it was okay to eat dairy. It wasn't until 23 years later that I learned about cruel standards in factory farming. I was naive the whole time and thought the animals lived in bliss on the farms. So yeah, even though I didn't eat meat I had no clue about all the other stuff. I just learned last year! But still nothing can happen over night. It does take time. I suggest to take your time, read all the facts and decide for yourself. You sound like a wonderful person and have probably made many diffences in lives thus far! Please keep in touch.
Oh yes Roni, Nath is truly a wonderful person and a highly valued friend in my life. She was one of those online friends I was thankful for in Molly's thread at the Vegan Etsy group. The kind who never brings up meat in my presence and makes sure to warn me in the subject line not to look at the message if she has mentioned a non-vegan recipe in it :)
Thank you Roni and Sus. I will take my time and read and research, and I already have a plan of action that you will be able to follow (if you're interested) on my blog here - so stay tuned :)
Sus, you are such a dear and wonderful caring friend. I am very thankful to have you in my life. You too are opening my eyes and my heart, and I do care about the welfare of animals, all of them, and I will take steps to help them and improve my eating habits and educate others with what I learn during my research, as of right now. I didn't blog very often in the past, because I didn't know what to really talk about, but now there is no doubt in my mind, I have found exactly what the purpose of my blog will be. I have already started by adding some great Vegan blogs & Vegan cooking to my list of blogs (for all to see on the right hand column, if you scroll through, you will see them) and I'll revamp that further during the month of December. Thank you for your support and help. I really appreciate it girls :)
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