We all eat, right?

I am really unsure about how to start this post… so Im just going to do it, and preface it with a warning of sorts. This is NOT one of those blogs, and I am not one of those people. I just think there is cause to be concerned… and to wake up.

Be open minded. I think thats one thing this generation could really do. We could be the first to do a lot of things, and correct a lot of mistakes the generations before us made. Mistakes made, some in earnest, others in greed. But mistakes that without action will fall on our childrens shoulders. And hearts, and lungs, and brains and any other part of their bodies.

This is a farm.
No seriously. Take a good look. If you have kids, in the next ten years they may not even know what a farm looks like anymore. They may not exist.

I am reading ‘Eating Animals’ by Jonathan Safran Foer. I am about a third of the way through it and have been feeling a little heavy in the heart and head. Its a good book. I would, in all sincerity, recomend it to anyone, regardless of how you want to eat, to read it. Its enlightening. Maybe removing meat completely from your diet isnt possible, thats fine, there are good places and bad places to source your meat. Unfortunately, in this day in age it boils down to money for a lot of families. I get that. But I think, no matter who you are, the health and wellbeing of yourself and your children should always outweigh the health of your savings account. Or the treats and goodies you splurge on. Splurge where its important, and yeah, maybe it means you dont get your kitchenaid mix master this month… but you get the comfort and security of knowing you did what was best for your kids wellbeing.
Theres a good quote in the book from a letter from a poultry farmer that says:

“Just the other day, one of the local pediatritions was telling me he has seen all kinds of illnesses that he never used to see. Not only juvinile diabetes, but inflamatory and autoimmune diseases that a lot of the docs dont even know what to call. And girls are going through puberty much earlier, and kids are allergic to just about everything, and asthma is out of control. Everyone knows its our food. We’re messing with the genes of these animals and then feeding them growth hormones and all kinds of drugs we dont really know enough about. And then we’re eating them. Kids today are the first generation to grow up on this stuff, and we’re making a science experiement out of them. Isnt it strange how upset people get about a few dozen baseball players taking growth hormones, when we’re doing what we’re doing to our food animals and then feeding them to our children.”

Its true. Our kids, hell, even us, are science experiments.

We dont know the long term effects that what we put into our animals, and then into ourselves, can have on us. And some of the things that have already come to light should give you chills. Do we want to wait and see what else there is?

I think that it is simply a matter of putting your money where your mouth is. Demand good, clean, safe meat and other animal products, and the government and the meat industry will turn around. I would never, ever tell someone how to do it (life), all Im saying is that our childrens bodies, and our bodies deserve better than this. So do your research, source out local farms who raise their animals organically, feed their cattle grass, lets their chickens out to run around in the sunshine and use the legs they have for a reason. Do your homework. Where do you think the risks of epidemics and pandemics come from? Birds and pigs. And the environments that they are living in promote bacterial and infection and disease. Theres a reason you can trace those influenzas back to factory farms. Its not healthy.

Anyways, Im not trying to preach vegetarianism or whatnot at you, thats not my intention. I just want to urge people to be responsible to their children. And to themselves. Feigning ignorance isnt cute, or logical, or doing anyone any favors anymore. This is our own doing. We want cheap meat, but there are huge consequences for that. Im just not willing to use my life, or my daughters to pay for that mistake. Not when I can demand better, and turn things around.