Caring for our environment and animals we choose to eat leads to healthier food and better sustainability. You can “vote” everyday by where you spend your money. Please let the big food manufacturers know that you believe in humane treatment of animals and you care about the Earth and the soil and how our food is grown, you can do this by caring where you buy your food. Sadly most grocery store food (including many “health food” stores) sell overly processed foods that are not real food, even organic pop tarts are still bad for you. Most grocery store produce is heavily sprayed, and the meats are from large confined animal farms, even if they tout to be organic.
You don’t have to be vegetarian, though I’m all for it, if you want to eat meat avoid the manufactured meats known as CAFOs which stand for Confined Animal Feeding Operations. Choose to pay more and buy meat from local farmers and butchers who love their animals. There are more and more smart butchers and meats available that are all grass fed and pastured, living happy normal animal lives … up until they become food. Grass fed meat is much better for you than grain fed meat; better health is only part of the reason for choosing to purchase humane meat and vegetables grown in earthy soil.
Suffering animals = suffering us. The huge suffering food animals must endure we will feel also, one way or another. Choosing to make wise purchases with your food dollars is the best way to ensure the safety of our food supply and the reduction of suffering for us all. I understand the rising cost of everything these days, however cheap food is part of the problem. Be willing to spend more on food and save other places, like making your own toiletries, cooking at home, and buying less plastic stuff.
When buying produce look for the words biodynamic, sustainable, organic, or locally grown without pesticides.
It is getting easier and easier to find small local farmers markets and butchers who grow and raise food right. If you live in Maui or the Central PA area I can make some suggestions: Here are just a few:
Maui – Upcountry
Government listing of Maui Farmers markets I noticed the Wednesday markets up Olinda Rd. are missing, there are two every Wednesday from 8am-1pm at Pookela Church and Oskie Rice Area. There are just a few blocks apart from each other. And there are also local fisherman selling local, wild pole caught fish at these markets.
Here are a few of the local organic farmers that are at the farmers markets:
Rancho Relaxzo
Coca Farms, LLC
Okoa Farms
Lokahi Farm
Tooheys Butcherty & Bistro in Haiku
Lapa’au Farms CSA – serving Upcountry and Central Maui
Mana Foods in Paia
South Central PA
Organic fresh local vegetables:
www.jadefamilyfarm.com
Humane, Pastured, Dairy, beef, and pork and other organic options:
www.applevalleycreamery.com
Sunset Valley Farm
www.keswickcreamery.com
chicken and turkey:
Dancing Creek farm 717/543-8393
www.absolutepasturedpoultry.com
If you are unaware of how food animals are treated here is Paul McCartney to tell you about it:
http://www.peta.org/tv/videos/celebrities-vegetarianism/86975251001.aspx
Here is a much shorter little piece by an artist wanting to bring awareness to how animals suffer on their ride from the farm to the butcher — they spend many many hours on the road with no food or water, under extreme temperatures — many animals die on their way to the butcher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDIz7mEJOeA&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWDIz7mEJOeA&app=desktop