Curiosity has the best of me - Vegetarians.

[redhen]

mom'sfolly :

C-Community S-supported A-Agriculture

It is basically a farm share. You pay up front for part of the crop for a farm, and you assume some of the risk if the crop fails. Basically, it allows the farmer to plan better and get the money in hand sooner. In our case it is a weekly box of organic veggies. Last week it was a variety of peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, onions, hard squash and zuccinni, collard greens, radishes and okra (which I swapped for more peppers and eggplant). I also have a CSA for beef; pastured Angus beef, raised by someone I trust, that I buy in 1/8 cow lots.

OOh.. neat!

 

[Organics North]

Quote:
Warning Americans.....do not open the link if you have a weak stomach....

With that said my nephew sent us some Thai deep fried meal worms as a treat for us...

I saw a recent National Geographic that was giving nutritional data for various insects. It seems grass hoppers are very healthy, and soon we will all be encouraged to include insects in our diet.
ON

 

[PineappleMama]

That cow is looking more and more attractive...

 

[coffeelady3]

My path to vegetarianism started with the movie Babe (seriously!). The very beginning where the pigs were so excited to go to the place that was so wonderful they never wanted to come back....which happened to be the slaughterhouse! Not long after that I saw a documentary on HBO about how humans treat animals. It showed some pretty disturbing things, but what got to me was when they first showed some meat markets in China, where any animal you could think of was lying out there to eat. They then showed a restaurant where they had cats in cages for people to pick out which one they wanted to eat (kinda like lobsters or fish in a tank) and then showed the chosen cat being prepared for dinner. Now, as disturbing as this was, it's not what tipped me over the edge. That came when they were interviewing a rabbi who explained that here in the US we give a kind of hierarchy for animals. Some species are elevated to almost human levels. (How many times have you heard someone say their dog is like their child!) Others are meant to be on the dinner plate. The only difference between them and us is that where we differentiate between species, they believe that if it's an animal it's purpose is sustenance. It just made me feel a bit hypocritical to feel the way I do about my pets, but then go eat some poor cow who was killed simply because it was born a cow.

Now all that being said, I don't have any problem with other people eating meat. It's just a personal choice that I've made for myself. It's been well over 10 years since I made the switch, and I don't miss it at all.

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
If the way that animals are cared for is the issue for a veggie, that can be dealt with. I don't understand the Chinese and their attitude to food animals. Their culture, I thought, was different from that. Apart from the type of animal eaten there might not be much difference between Chinese markets and Western abattoirs, except that the latter are hidden from the public gaze.

Perhaps there's a niche in the market for small processing businesses that guarantee humane treatment. Who's prepared to pay the extra price?

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
Warning Americans.....do not open the link if you have a weak stomach....

With that said my nephew sent us some Thai deep fried meal worms as a treat for us...

I saw a recent National Geographic that was giving nutritional data for various insects. It seems grass hoppers are very healthy, and soon we will all be encouraged to include insects in our diet.
ON

There's a lot of protein in that stuff but we leave bugs to the turkeys. It's possible that bugs are even more wholesome than a McD ground gristle burger.

Some SE Asians still love their fried bugs but I think that habit is dying out except amongst the very poor during the dry season. The roadside stalls give off an alluring odour as you pass but I'm never tempted. In fact, I don't know anyone who eats the stuff other than a few expats. However, when invited to eat at a local home I always ask Mrs. Thaiturkey what is in each dish, just to be sure.

 

[debilorrah]

I really do agree with you veggies that have an issue with animal treatment, because I do too. Just not enough of one to take the steak off my plate. That being said, in a perfect world, I would go around and visit, Moran Farms, Foster Farms, etc to see for myself if they are humane. For now, though, I rely on reports from the internet. I suspect that is more than most people do, but it's what I can do.

Can you tell I love steak?

 

[BunnyMomma]

I was a total vegetarian for the better part of 10 years. I think I was more healthy then. When I met my DH for the first date, he took me out for prime rib and I have been eating meat ever since.

I still eat less meat than most people. I like veggie burgers sometimes too. I do enjoy Bacon. Sorry, I LOVE Bacon! I can't have it very often, but there is nothing like a Bacon and Tomato sandwich with a fresh yellow tomato from the garden!

I haven't wanted to be totally vegetarian again, but I know it is a very healthy way to live if you eat the right foods.
Bunny

 

[rabbithaus]

I'm a veggie because I think normal factory farmed meat is inhumane and unethical and I'm too lazy and cheap to track down pastured/free-range/etc raised meats.

 

[coffeelady3]

Quote:
Here in Western Washington there's now a mobile abattior truck to process animals for small family farms. (Which I think is a fabulous idea. I'm not a fan of huge meat producing feed lots!) However, even though these animals have good, happy lives up until the end I still have no desire to eat them.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/07/1138248/from-field-to-table.html