On being removed from our food sources

[Chasing Amy]

Some food (ha ha) for thought on this first post holiday workday. Westerners, Americans in particular, have been increasingly removed from our food sources. Yes, we go to Farmer's Markets, maybe have a kitchen garden, etc., but how many of us have either seen or participated in an animal being slaughtered for dinner?

I watched a Bourdain show recently (Ethiopia) where two goats were slaughtered for dinner (one was Muslim kosher). Imagine doing THAT in your backyard!

[merigayle]

Some food (ha ha) for thought on this first post holiday workday. Westerners, Americans in particular, have been increasingly removed from our food sources. Yes, we go to Farmer's Markets, maybe have a kitchen garden, etc., but how many of us have either seen or participated in an animal being slaughtered for dinner?

I watched a Bourdain show recently (Ethiopia) where two goats were slaughtered for dinner (one was Muslim kosher). Imagine doing THAT in your backyard!

Where we live, this is common, many of the families at the school run farms or are homesteaders and slaughter their own animals. I have always said that meat eaters should be required to, at least once, kill their own meal Or at least witness it.

We are connected to the land via our CSA which our friends run. We spend a lot of time there in the 26 weeks of our season and pick a lot of our own food from the farm itself. We also grow vegetables and at DD's school, 3rd grade is their agriculture year and they raise livestock and farm. But I think we are the exception for most of America.

[radial]

I tried to skin a squirrel once.  Once was enough. 

[DocBuzzkill]

Some food (ha ha) for thought on this first post holiday workday. Westerners, Americans in particular, have been increasingly removed from our food sources. Yes, we go to Farmer's Markets, maybe have a kitchen garden, etc., but how many of us have either seen or participated in an animal being slaughtered for dinner?

I watched a Bourdain show recently (Ethiopia) where two goats were slaughtered for dinner (one was Muslim kosher). Imagine doing THAT in your backyard!

I have.  When I was a kid, I was always on hand for a chicken being prepared for our dinner:  from catching the bird to my dad chopping off its head to my mom plucking and gutting it prior to roasting or frying.  I also went to the local butcher's on a few occasions when our steers and heifers were slaughtered.  And you're familiar with my tales of being up-past-the-elbows in pig and cattle carcasses!   

[BonitaApplebum]

We raised a few pigs for slaughter every year when I was growing up. And everyone in my family hunts (and does their own butchering right at the house), so I'm no stranger to where meat comes from. And we always had a huge, huge garden. I'd say we were close to 50% self sustaining. So, I'm probably not average. But, it is important to me that my kids know where their food comes from, it's one of the reasons I'm part of a few CSAs.

I am part of a year-round veggie CSA, which is pretty cool in Massachusetts. And then a friend of mine runs a meat CSA, she raises cows, sheep, chickens, lamb, and turkeys. Her stuff is great. My kids like going to her house and seeing all the animals, even though they know we will eat them.

[Chasing Amy]

I have.  When I was a kid, I was always on hand for a chicken being prepared for our dinner:  from catching the bird to my dad chopping off its head to my mom plucking and gutting it prior to roasting or frying.  I also went to the local butcher's on a few occasions when our steers and heifers were slaughtered.  And you're familiar with my tales of being up-past-the-elbows in pig and cattle carcasses!   

You would make a good ethnic.  

[Run Amok]

Me. Like BA we had animals that were raised for food-- calves, lambs, pigs. Also, lots of hunting. My mom grew everything. She & one of her husbands owned fishing boats. Traded with others for novel protein sources (i.e. things they didn't hunt/fish/raise). Chickens for eggs and meat. Goats for milk & meat.

It is a big part of why I don't eat meat. Those calves were not THAT different from my pony. And the chickens we ate were not different at all from the ones we collected eggs from. It wasn't so much/at all the dying part that bothered me but the eating of something/one with which I was so familiar. I couldn't really differentiate between "pet" and "food" and even my own body in the sense that chicken skin isn't that different than people skin and people skin isn't appetizing, so neither is chicken skin.

The dying part still doesn't bother me. I am OK with people eating meat-- it just doesn't interest me. I know that the animals we raised, or the ones my mom sometimes bought as a half a cow or something, lived a good life and died without fear. That we can't say that about *most* of what we eat bothers me tremendously.

[BonitaApplebum]

I know that the animals we raised, or the ones my mom sometimes bought as a half a cow or something, lived a good life and died without fear. That we can't say that about *most* of what we eat bothers me tremendously.

1

I came back to meat eating when I was pregnant, but I'm picky about my meat sources.

[DocBuzzkill]

You would make a good ethnic.  

As someone who actually grew up on a bona fide working farm (vs a hobby farm) that provided 95% of our livelihood, I can lay claim to an exotic past.    And thanks for acknowledging me, the Incredible Disappearing Woman!

[Chasing Amy]

As someone who actually grew up on a bona fide working farm (vs a hobby farm) that provided 95% of our livelihood, I can lay claim to an exotic past.    And thanks for acknowledging me, the Incredible Disappearing Woman!

The Incredible Disappearing Woman?

[merigayle]

RA-- the biodynamic and organic dairy farm at DD's school does sell the cow meat after the cow has lived a long, happy life on the farm. I feel ok about this meat vs the other meat sold in the market. I do not think it makes it ok, but at least I know that the cow was treated with love til it's last day. DD, as part of her agricultural year next year, will raise chicks from babies to egg laying hens. As vegetarians I am kinda dreading it because i know a hen lives a lot longer than her egg laying years. And seriously, we know WHO will be taking care of the chickens when they come home. At least i have over a year left to plan for this

[Chasing Amy]

I don't like beef, but I would imagine that a cow who has lived a "long life" would result in rather tough meat. 

[merigayle]

I don't like beef, but I would imagine that a cow who has lived a "long life" would result in rather tough meat. 

I tried not to find out any more info about HOW old a cow is when they retire her and slaughter her. I am not sure how old they are when they stop producing milk.

[DocBuzzkill]

I don't like beef, but I would imagine that a cow who has lived a "long life" would result in rather tough meat. 

Yes, it does.  Quite tough.  Old dairy cows are typically made into hamburger.  A couple of friends in WI were dairy farmers, and dining on the steaks from their retired cows was like chewing leather.

Our beef cattle (Hereford and Angus, breeds that are specifically bred for meat) were slaughtered young (less than 2 years old) after grazing in our pasture and being fed a lot of cracked corn, resulting in grass fed flavor with tender, highly marbled meat.  We raised only 4 to 6 steers/heifers at a time, so there was no crowding whatsoever, and based on the fact that the cattle seemed content and peaceful, I'd guess they had happy lives.  The flavor of their meat, from hamburger to steaks to roasts, was amazing.

[RioG]

Some food (ha ha) for thought on this first post holiday workday. Westerners, Americans in particular, have been increasingly removed from our food sources. Yes, we go to Farmer's Markets, maybe have a kitchen garden, etc., but how many of us have either seen or participated in an animal being slaughtered for dinner?

I watched a Bourdain show recently (Ethiopia) where two goats were slaughtered for dinner (one was Muslim kosher). Imagine doing THAT in your backyard!

Funny this is posted now.  DH just had to cull the rest of the asshole roosters from the coop.  He did it himself.  I live to regale them at work with our tale of home butchering (chickens) because they all freak out.  I work in Wealth  Management,  if you have a pre-formed stereotype in your mind.

One coworker in particular likes to discuss her penchant for eating only organic etc.  But hoo boy she doesn't like to hear about dipping that organic chicken in boiling water and plucking the feathers!

Off to read the thread now

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[RioG]

re: eating meat, pretty much nothing turns me off (I've lived in and been immersed via previous work in the ag industry for too long to be squeamish ) but I much prefer the idea of eating a former "pet" that I've remained suitably distant from.  I mean, I wouldn't be bellying up to a plate of roasted Rio, but should the animal be born with the end goal of it being in my freezer,  I would prefer to know it had a nice (of brief), species appropriate life.

One colleague even said (I quote...) "I just like animals too much. I can't bear to know how they're killed"

  I think we are far, far too removed from our food.

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[Chasing Amy]

I bet asshole rooster revenge tastes mighty fine.

My parents told me the story of the time my father shot a problem raccoon (it was tearing the garbage cans apart, etc.). My father had never shot anything in his life (I didn't even know he had a shotgun) and freaked right the hell out when he ended up killing the thing. He waited until my mom came home from work so she could dispose of the carcass.

[RioG]

i give my dh credit.   i don't think i could do the actual killing part!



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[radial]

The only critters who occasionally need killing are people.  And you can't eat them anyway.  So it's hardly worth the effort. 

[Chasing Amy]

The only critters who occasionally need killing are people.  And you can't eat them anyway.  So it's hardly worth the effort. 

Your steak is still alive when you eat it?