Chook Me!

Thinking about vegetarianism, looking for more info about our food system....?

Ok, here is my question....I recently watched the movie "Food Inc", and have done a lot of other kinds of research into the way animals are treated in the US food industry. Having said this, I am very confused about one thing...here is the backstory, as briefly as possible. I grew up on a farm, and just moved to the US 2 years ago. (I am originally from Nelson, New Zealand) As a child, we had many animals, from chickens to cows, even a few pigs that we used to help clean the fields up from the cows grazing. In short, I easily think that we produced 70% of our own food, and nearly all of our own meat. I helped to care for our animals, from taking our cocker spanial out to get the chickens into the coop to milking the cows, even helping to slaughter them when it came time. I always felt that we had a respect for our animals. They had names, were able to roam free on the pastures, minus our keeping them in designated tracts to prevent overeating the grass in a particular area. They lived for a few years before slaughter, and our pigs were normally not slaughtered until they were old enough to aquire joint problems or cataracts (suprisingly, very common in pigs)....I think you get the picture. With all of this in mind, I know I thought along with many others that a farm like my childhood was were my meat came from. I know that this must be a stretch to a degree, but after seeing that movie and doing some reading, I feel like I have been lied to. I read about the CAFO's, the chicken lots, etc...my question is this: What would be a good guess as to the percentage of our food that is produced this way? Is it restricted to certain vendors. I.E. fast food, big chains, etc? Is this kind of thing an isolated blip in an otherwise more "my farm" kind of ranching? What % of cows, especially for dairy, are fed only corn.(That sounds impossible...my cows used to stop eating corn after a few days if no grass was offered. Plus a dairy cow lives a LONG time).... Please help with any info or insights you might have. Thank you!!!

Public Comments

1. you NEED to read 'the vegetarian myth' seriously.
2. In the U.S., the family farm is a very small minority of the agriculture industry. We love to think that cheese comes from happy cows, but nothing could be further from the truth. It's really sad - I was raised on a farm, too, so knowing that family farms is a thing of the past really hurts. It's almost impossible to get meat that was raised humanely unless you go to a farmer's market or go tour the farm yourself to be sure.
3. DEFINITELY read "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer. Talk about research! He spent several years conducting hands-on research into the farming industry in the US. I originally wanted to become a "selective omnivore"-- only eating meat, dairy, & eggs from farms such as the one you describe growing up on-- but I simply CAN'T FIND ONE that is accessible to me. Luckily I've found a local farm that sells pastured eggs (pastured is eggs from chickens that are TRULY "free-range" & "cage-free"- no boxes, no windows on their house-- strictly running around outside all day chickens) at a farmer's market, and family-farmed cheeses are easily found there & at specialty markets as well. I would take a guess that family farms are 5% or less of the market, from what I've read & what I've learned from seeking out & talking to family farmers across the country, but it's truly just a guess.
4. Right there with you! I came from the same background & have difficulty with all that these vegan types are on about. I'm in oz now & we don't see that type of feedlot rearing, so it doesn't impact on us so much. Think if you look hard you will see vegetable production is equally flawed! Te problem is feeding the masses, those people who farm intensively are doing so for profit and to meet customer demand. wether it's meat, cereal or vegetable... Best thing ids to grow your own vegetables, try keeping rabbits, less room than chicken, fast growing & just as tasty!
5. I don't think slaughtering animals is caring for them!!!