Why I am Vegan

[TrystInn]

We are trying very hard to switch over our household to cruelty-free and sustainable food. Its a process and we're on it.

I'm a city girl turned farming woman. I wouldn't eat something I wasn't willing to process and I'm hoping to get better at processing. I fish sustainable seafood. I will admit, though, my fishing buddy cleans the fish! He's an old fashioned guy, what can you do?

My tough as nails military NCO husband can't bring himself to process any of the poultry. He took all these fancy hunter education courses, bought the guns and equipment, then joined a gun range where he shoots at paper targets. He even re-homed the pig.

I sure do love him, though.

 

[magicpigeon]

Quote:
I wouldn't blame him!

I could kill a cat, rat, dog, anything except the "rats of the sky", pigeons

 

[PaulaSB12]

I am an omnivore, because I believe for me that is more natural than vegan. we seem to assume that all land can be turned from raising animals for slaughter to raising vegetables which is not true at all. In Wales for example they are mostly hill farmers the land is not good for growing much more than the grass that feeds the sheep. Also a lot of land is good for dairy farming but not arable. If we tried to turn the farmers in the UK away from raising animals but only crops that is over half the land which isn't suitable and would be wasted.

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/geography/agriculture/revise-it/farming-types

Many of the poorest people on the planet depend on livestock to keep them alive, we in the west have the luxery to choose they do not
http://www.ifad.org/lrkm/factsheet/valuechains.pdf
I like this persons view and he is a vegatarian
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/412209
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y3542E/y3542e04.htm

For these of use in the west who have the luxury to be able to go vegetarian that is a good choice for them but for many poor smallholders livestock is vital to them so to expect them to stop producing what keeps them alive is selfish. I am going to keep chickens for their eggs and I will be processing chicken meat as well. I buy my meat from a good butcher who is more than willling to tell you exactly which farm he buys is meat from and a gross as it sounds I like the feel of raw meat, whould I go through an abattiors and still eat meat yes. Would I keep pigs, sheep and bovines for their meat if I could yes they would have to go to the abattior as well as I believe that the law requires it.

 

[halo]

Im not even close to vegan. However, the only beef I like is ground beef, which I get from my local organic store. Its grass raised, and ground right in front of me. At $4.50 a pound, and absolutely delish, Im all over that.

Now I just need to figure out how to put my own chickens in the freezer, and Ill be good to go.

 

[bluere11e]

Quote:
I know what you mean. I've been gardening for years and raising chickens and goats for milk and eggs. When I have had too many bucks. I would have a Jamaican neighbor slaughter (kill) them and I would help butcher and give him a share of the meat. I am trying to build up the emotional strength to grow meat birds and put them in the ice box myself.
I can kill any predator without batting an eye. It does make me feel bad that I killed something. But dammit. I'm the mommy and I gotta protect my kids! But how coypu steel yourself to kill something you raised that's innocent?

 

[chickened]

I just meant that being a vegan does not make you live any longer, when your number is up it is up. Quality of life meaning having health issues like obesity, high cholestrol and other diet related health problems. Of course vegans have thier health problems also like anemia, pale skin, no physical strenght etc.
Quote:
LOL!! Why do you assume that vegans have a better quality of life than meat eaters?

 

[ChickyLaura]

Hmm, another interesting thread here. I am not a vegetarian; however, we are trying to become more sustainable ourselves. We live in town, but I have gotten away with having chickens for 2 years now - but I cannot have roosters. I do have one roo out in the coop now that has had a good life running around and "spending time" with the girls, but in order for us to keep the girls, he's gotta go. And I do believe he'll be visiting the soup pot. He's had a heck of a better life than any bird that Tyson or Perdue has raised. I spent hours yesterday reading the meat bird thread, and I learned a lot. I do believe a lot of people on BYC have similar attitudes about raising their own birds and giving them the best life you can while they're alive, then thanking them for their sacrifice, etc. That way their diet can be controlled as well. It's a choice I do believe a lot of people are making, me included. If you would've asked me 3 years ago if I'd be raising my own chicken for eggs and meat, I would've said no way!

I also will be planting 3 self pollinating fruit trees in my yard. We grow our own tomatoes and peppers. We tried our own corn, but every year we seem to fail at that. Anyway, point is is that we're trying to become more self sufficient. When our children are out of high school, we are moving out to "the boonies" so we can expand our endeavors.

 

[farmerlor]

I'm so glad to see that this thread is still civil. Woot! I was a vegetarian for years not so much because of any ethical dilemma as I'm a farmer's daughter from a long line of farmers but because I just don't like meat. No matter what I did to get protein from other sources I was always seriously anemic and the doctors railed at me for years. This last year I've finally started putting some local grown, humanely raised meat back into my diet and good golly I may finally be getting healthy! I am very happy that there's a big movement out there to treat the animals who are used to feed us in a more respectful manner. Even as a child I remember my grandpa and grandma slaughtering only after they thanked the animal for it's sacrifice.

 

[PaulaSB12]

The only vegan that get my goat are the idiots who think its ok to have a cat and turn it into a vegetarian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[melody123]

As a former vegetarian, let me add something to offend some people on this board.

The main reasons why people are listing that they are against eating meat is because they are against GMOs and Factory Farms and junk food. But that has nothing to do with being a vegetarian. I'm against the use of many of the sprays that are used in our nation, and the GMO plants grown, but that dosen't meant that I choose not to eat fruits,vegetables, and grains. (And asserting that junk food is bad for you is just the plain truth, and has nothing to do with eating meat or not.)

There are still many of us who choose to raise animals in a sustainable manner where the animals live a good life while alive, followed by having one bad day. My farm is not a factory farm, and I seriously object to anyone here lumping all meat producers in the same catagory.


Especially for the first poster who seems to assume that all meat producers fight their animals to the death. You insult many good people in your ignorance!!!!