Spare A Few For Farm Animals

This Sunday Kevin, Chelsea, Juliette and I are taking part in the Farm Sanctuary Walk for Farm Animals! I know you're asked often to donate and I am sure it's not easy to part with your hard earned dollars, but this organization is soley supported by it's wonderful supporters. Please take a moment, and donate, even a few dollars goes far!

Check out my fundraising page here!

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, New York, and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming.

I hope you will make a pledge of support for farm animals in need by making a donation for my participation in the 2010 Walk.

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Team Meyer-Harley Loves Farm Sanctuary: DONATE!!!

Farm Sanctuary is an organization near and dear to my heart. I've read and loved Gene Baur's book, visited the upstate NY Farm Sanctuary with my husband and supported the organization for years. I couldn't be happier to join in the Walk For Farm Sanctuary this Fall in Central Park. Juliette and Kevin will be joining us for this event (her first work for charity!) and I can't wait! We're working to raise $400 for them so I am reaching out to my lovely and loyal readers to pitch in anything you can, even a dollar makes a difference. Check out some of my posts about Farm Sanctuary for more information.

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Here's the link to donate: http://www.firstgiving.com/lindsaymeyerharley

(Image:Juliette!)

Save The Whales

Next month the new season of Whale Wars begins! So excited! Tune in on June 4th. In the meantime enjoy my latest obsession, whale prints. All prints from Etsy.

Whale 1, Whale 2, Whale 3, Whale 4

My Ethical Journey: The Meat I Eat

There’s a little voice in all of our heads, that voice is the voice of reason, it lets us know the right path in life. Sometimes we drown out that voice and continue down the wrong path. That voice doesn’t give up though, it only gets louder and finally you listen. I am sorry to say I’ve been drowning that voice out for too long, it’s time to listen.

For the past decade I’ve indulged myself in devouring each and every book I could find on the subject of the food industry (a few dozen). With subjects ranging from organic vegetable farming, grocery store politics to the horrors most animals suffer (99%) in their path to our dinner plates. I’ve had the proverbial curtain lifted away and I’ve seen the reality that is modern factory farming. I have learned the pitfalls of agriculture in today’s world and have learned how those who work in the industry abuse the rights of their workers and animals all to turn a buck faster, quicker and cheaper. The things I’ve read about would bring up your dinner in a heartbeat. They enter my mind at odd hours, and speak to me when making food choices daily.

What I have finally been able to admit is that I haven’t done enough, as much as I have wanted to do to end my contribution to that world. We vote with our dollar, literally we are farming with each food choice when you think about it. I have said for years that I want to only eat meat/poultry that has been raised and slaughtered humanely. I’ve explored what the term ‘humane’ means to me, and have come up with a pretty comprehensive definition. Humane to me means that when animals give their life to us for consumption we should in return care for that animal in their life and in their death. This means not only doing the bare minimum but to exceed that and create a happy life for these animals. To allow them to be the animals they are, providing for their most natural instincts. Whether it be a dust bath for a chicken, grazing for a cow, a clean sleeping spot for a pig or the joy of nuzzling their offspring. Just because they end up on our dinner plates does not mean they don’t deserve to live their lives happily, seeking sunshine, companionship and rearing their young. Isn’t this image exactly what we think of farming anyhow?
For too long I’ve accepting and ordered food without really knowing where it came from. I’ve let the inconvenience rule and the desire for the dish take over my true feelings of conviction. I won’t do this any longer. Don’t get my wrong, I have worked hard to seek out meat from responsible sources but when it’s “too hard” I give up and simply eat. This is what needs to end.

Eating humanely is not like any other diet, where you can sneak cookies and only hurt yourself in the end. Giving up your morals in this instance is allowing another animal to be hurt and tortured. There is no doubt in my mind. Some 99% percent of meat/poultry in this country is raised on factory farms. Repeat that out loud, 99%. There is no way anyone is exempt from eating factory farmed meat unless they are a vegetarian or they only eat meat that they have learned it’s source. And there is NO factory farm that treats their animals humanely. NONE. It is an oxymoron. Life on a factory farm is hell on earth. Most animals never see the light of the sun, and if they do it’s only as they peak their head out of the truck on their way to slaughter. They are systematically abused by workers (in ways that would bring tears to your eyes) and often not even killed properly.

Kevin and I have been very active in trying to find our food sources for years, but on occasion we just eat blindly. The voice inside my head has become so loud I can’t not listen anymore. I am in the middle of reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. He describes how being an ethical and responsible carnivore is harder in our society than being a vegetarian because people can handle vegetarians much easier because it makes sense to them. And more importantly it doesn’t shine the spotlight on their eating habits as much. For me to refuse a meal at someone’s house because I am vegetarian seems normal these days, oh, here’s the alternate veggie meal. Even on airplanes you can choose a vegetarian meal, but nowhere can you check of ‘Ethical.’ To turn down food and explain that you are uncomfortable eating this meat because of where it’s sourced is much sticker. Especially if you’ve been spotting eating responsible meat you can’t even lie and say you’re not eating meat anymore.

This journey requires much more than choosing organic labeled items. I've learned those don't show the whole picture. This is about reaching out to companies, restaurants and finding out the truth about what I am eating. I have the right to know don't I?

So, here I go, embarking on yet another adventure. When I look into my 5 month (!) old daughter’s face I see all that is pure, hopeful and beautiful about this world, and the last thing I want to do is start her off with bad karma. It may sound hokey, but so what. I don’t care. I’m her mama and I’m always going to trust me gut. She will eat the most wholesome food that I can afford, and if that means meat only a few times a month, so be it. She’ll learn to love other proteins. Unlike us, she doesn’t have food memories yet. She doesn’t have to ‘kick the habit’ so to speak. Maybe she’ll teach us a thing or two, she already has in many other ways…

I can’t say I won’t stumble and choose to eat blinding again, but I promise myself, and my family that this is a priority worth keeping.

RIP Ady Gil

I am sure many have heard the news of the collision between the Sea Shepard Boat The Ady Gil and the Japanese Whaling boat this past week. I've watched a few different videos from a few different angles, and I think it's apparent that the Japanese whaling boat did in fact ram the Ady Gil. Both sides blame the other, but in my opinion the video speaks for itself. If you pay careful attention to the water you can see that the Ady Gil is barely moving as it's rammed, then you see it rapidly backing away after the collision.


Click here to see video

As a few days had past it became apparent that the Ady Gil was beyond repair. Not only did the Sea Shepard organization loose a major asset, but one of their own members was injured. Horrible. (He's recovering and will be fine) Paul Watson, the Captain and head of Sea Shepard is obviously fuming and vowing to continue their fight with even more vengeance.

One thing that struck me was that while the Ady Gil was sinking is that members of Sea Shepard scrambled to remove the batteries and fuel from the boat so as to avoid environmental damage! That is the type of people they are.

This is not the last we've heard of this story I am sure, stay tuned for a new season of Whale Wars this summer and if you can't wait, pick up a copy of Paul Watson's books or donate to the Sea Shepard organization to help further their cause.

Click here to go straight to their site.

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Don't Forget.....

Food Inc. Opens today in NY/LA/SF!!!

I blogged about this one weeks ago and it's finally here! I can't wait to see it. I've read so much about this topic and really changed my eating habits over the past few years and visually experiencing the impact of this knowledge will be amazing. Support this film, learn something and change your life forever!

Click here to learn more on the movie's website

(Image:alesustainabilityleaders.files.wordpress.com)

Farm Sanctuary Trip

The Beautiful Serene Farm Sanctuary...


Jack, a new addition and my personal favorite...


One of the many cows spending the day in the sunshine...


Some friends saying hello...

Kevin and I recently took a 2 day trip to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen New York. Upon arrival we stumbled into an office and none other than Gene Baur was sitting there in flip flops looking relaxed and happy. I was like a teenager again, blushing I am sure. As we turned to walk over to the cabins, I couldn't contain my excitement and grabbed Kevin whispering loudly "Oh My God, it's Gene!". I just couldn't believe he was actually there, he is the face of Farm Sanctuary, the founder and spokesperson and there he was!

We were the only guests while there, due to the weekday timing so we had personal attention from the staff, which was great. We took a 1-2 hour tour the first morning there and met dozens of animals, learning about their rescue stories and how they came to live at Farm Sanctuary. Stories included slaughterhouse escapees, called in abuse cases, Easter bunny/chick rejects (parents who bought their kids chicks & bunnies for the recent Easter then disposed of them soon after on the side of the road in cardboard boxes), animals from medical testing labs and many more. It was sobering to hear these stories while standing in front of the animal, imagining what they had been through.

We were struck by how serene and quit the farm was, yes of course there was loud ruckuses here and there, roosters crowing and mooing from the cow pasture, but all in all it was a quit relaxing place. I can imagine what a change this is for the animals from where they came from before arriving here at Farm Sanctuary.

I would recommend a visit if you can, it's worth spending a day there. They love animals and are extremely passionate about educating the public about the massive abuses going on at factory (and regular farms) across the country.

They've got a great gift shop, available online as well, so go visit, donate and shop. Click here for their website where you can find out more information, shop and donate.

Farm Sanctuary

I'm off to Farm Sanctuary next week for a 2 day vacation (thanks mama & papa!) and I can't wait to get back to nature, play with some rescued farm animals and see what I've been reading about for the past few years. I just received a letter from Gene Baur, the founder of Farm Sanctuary that I thought I should share. (it wasn't a letter just to me ha ha, it was to all of the email subscribers)
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Letter:

We live in a country where 95 percent of eggs on the market come from birds kept in cages so small they can barely move, where mother pigs are treated like piglet-breeding machines and made to live in crates barely larger than their own bodies, where chickens raised for meat are kept in crowded barns where the air is almost unbreathable, and where castrations, tail dockings, toe clippings, brandings and other mutilations are done routinely and without regard to the pain they cause. Kept out of the public eye, these cruelties and others constitute the daily experience of hundreds of millions of farm animals.

As more consumers have learned about the horrors of factory farms, they have increasingly demanded that farm animals be given better treatment. They have also shown that they are willing to pay a premium for meat, milk and eggs from so-called “humane” farms. This growing demand has led to the creation of more than a dozen animal welfare assurance schemes sponsored by industry groups, food retailers and third-party organic and humane certification organizations. Government-regulated animal welfare labels and marketing claims have also emerged and expanded.

And yet, we must ask ourselves, what do these labels and assurances really mean? What does it mean to be “humane?” Is it humane to keep an animal in a barren, crowded barn for her entire life so that she rarely, if ever, sets foot outside? Is it humane to take a baby from her mother mere hours after she is born? Is it humane to suffocate newly hatched roosters just because they hold no value for egg producers? Is it humane to transport an animal hundreds of miles by truck so that she can be hung upside down and have her throat cut while still conscious?

In Farm Sanctuary’s new report, The Truth Behind the Labels: Farm Animal Welfare Standards and Labeling Practices, we keep these and other questions firmly in mind as we critically examine the claims used to market so-called “humane” animal agriculture. The information presented in this report may surprise you. As you read, I hope you will think about how well the practices that are being sold as “humane” coincide with your own values.

Read the report summary now, or download the full report, then share it with your friends and family.

Sincerely,

Gene Baur, President
Farm Sanctuary

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Take Me To The Movies...

I just got caught up on my daily emails, and had a wonderful Ideal Bite I had to share. Their daily email today focused on all of the eco-movies coming out soon. They included links to their sites where you can watch trailers. I am so excited about all that is to come. Top on my list are Earth, The Cove, Food Inc. and The Age of Stupid.

I've included a cut & paste below complete with links, enjoy and go see!

* The Cove - part whodunit, part eco-educational movie about a team of activists who set out to save fish and dolphins off the coast of Japan. Opens Jul. 31.
* Battle for Terra - stars like Danny Glover, Luke Wilson, and Evan Rachel Wood lend their voices to this animated adventure movie; plays in 3D in some areas. Opens May 1.
* Earth - the cinematographers behind the Planet Earth series bring you a beautifully shot, feature-length film about three animal families - elephants, polar bears, and humpback whales. Opens Apr. 22.
* Food Inc. – unveils the sometimes dirty politics of the food industry; features experts like Michael Pollan (Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schloseer (Fast Food Nation). Now in limited release.
* Fuel - slick docu on new energy sources, featuring interviews with eco-thinkers like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and eco-celebs like Julia Roberts. Now in limited release.
* The Age of Stupid - faux documentary-style drama about a less-than-cheery dude who in the year 2055 looks back over the past few decades of climate change. Premieres in May.

And I urge you to sign up for Ideal Bite daily emails, here.

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As Earth Day Approaches

As Earth Day approaches we MUST look at how what we do effects the planet we live on. One way I think is crucial both in a planetary sense and in an ethical one is the choices of what food we eat. We can choose organic, less packaging and fair trade for sure, but one way I think we need to shine more light on is choosing to eat less meat. And if we do choose to eat meat, that meat needs to be sourced from smaller farms that focus on humane animal care and ethically sound slaughter methods. So if you do one thing this year to celebrate Earth Day, let it be changing how you approach the meat you eat.

Factory Farming has long been a Urban Branches issue. I've explained my obvious disdain for the industry and expressed that I do all I can to avoid purchasing meat from any farm I can't look up online and learn all about myself. It's been years since I've bought meat in the regular grocery store and I limit my meat while eating out to spots I know source locally raised and humanly treated animals. Yes, this is hard, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Some ask if I spend more? Well yes, but no as well. I have cut my red meat to once a week (only that often because I am keeping my iron intake extra high during pregnancy) and have chicken maybe twice. Those are the only 2 meat/poultry I eat anyway. I've long since cut bacon out and never had a taste for the gamier animals anyway. No cold cuts for me either, I like my sandwiches all veggie, packed with buttery avocado and delicious sprouts. So to those who eat meat much more than this per week I beg of you, rethink this, choose meatless meals more often, it's been proven it will be better for your health and your wallet.

We are entering Spring, vegetables are becoming more and more abundant. Pick up a vegetarian cookbook and add some new dishes to your repertoire. Oh, and splurge at the eateries where your favorite dishes are veggie based!

I just watched a documentary on HBO called Death on a Factory Farm, and it was well worth watching. I've done a lot of reading, but there is nothing like seeing something played out visually that puts reality right in your face. It's an undercover look at what working at a factory farm consists of. It's eye opening, especially to those of us who may not know much about this. For more information click the link and check it out.

For more reading pick up a copy of Slaughterhouse by Gail A. Eisnitz, The Ethics of What We Eat by Peter Singer and Jim Mason, Mad Cowboy by Howard F. Lyman or Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Also, check out Farm Sanctuary for more information. They've got material on everything from egg farming to the economy.

Another great source is the Animal Welfare Institute!

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No More Down Cows!

I just got this great email from Gene Baur and I knew I had to share it! And by the way, it's a email to all Farm Sanctuary members, not a personal one to me...

"I am happy to tell you that no downed cattle will be slaughtered for human food under a new rule announced by President Obama this weekend." -Gene Baur

While this is great news there are still other animals being slaughtered, take a moment and click here and choose the first action alert & update to push the government to continue the momentum and ban all downed animals from being taken to slaughter.

Thanks!

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Prop 2 Passes!!!

Another historic moment to highlight! Californians voted YES on Prop 2, which will begin to give a better life to farm animals! I had tears reading this news this morning. Below is the facts of Prop 2, I've posted about this in the last few weeks as well, please give thanks to those who stood up for those who can't speak for themselves, hopefully this will be an indication of the changing tides in how we treat animals and all other states will follow....

The following information (and image above) comes from: http://yesonprop2.com Please check out the website for more information!

Voting YES! on Prop 2...

• Prevents cruelty to animals.

  It’s simply wrong to confine veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens in tiny cages barely larger than their bodies. Calves are tethered by the neck and can barely move, pigs in severe confinement bite the metal bars of their crates, and hens get trapped and even impaled in their wire cages. We wouldn’t force our pets to live in filthy, cramped cages for their whole lives, and we shouldn’t force farm animals to endure such misery. All animals, including those raised for food, deserve humane treatment.



• Improves our health and food safety.

  We all witnessed the cruel treatment of sick and crippled cows exposed by a Southern California slaughter plant investigation this year, prompting authorities to pull meat off school menus and initiate a nationwide recall. Factory farms put our health at risk—cramming tens of thousands of animals into tiny cages, fostering the spread of diseases that may affect people. YES! on Prop 2 is better for animals—and for us.



• Supports family farmers.

  California family farmers support YES! on Prop 2 because they know that better farming practices enhance food quality and safety. Increasingly, they’re supplying major retailers like Safeway and Burger King. Factory farms cut corners and drive family farmers out of business when they put profits ahead of animal welfare and our health.



• Protects air and water and safeguards the environment.

  The American Public Health Association has called for a moratorium on new factory farms because of the devastating effects these operations can have on surrounding communities, spreading untreated waste on the ground and contaminating our waterways, lakes, groundwater, soil, and air. Prop 2 helps stop some of the worst abuses and protects our precious natural resources. That’s why California Clean Water Action and Sierra Club-California support YES! on Prop 2.

• Prop 2 provides ample time—until 2015—for factory farms using these severe confinement methods to shift to more humane practices. Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and Oregon have passed similar laws. The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, hundreds of California veterinarians, including the California Veterinary Medical Association; California family farmers; the Center for Food Safety, the Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the United Farm Workers, and the Cesar Chavez Foundation; Republican and Democratic elected officials; California religious leaders; and many others.

Animal Factories

I'm currently reading Animal Factories by Jim Mason and Peter Singer. Together they also wrote The Ethics of What We Eat and Peter Singer wrote Animal Liberation. Peter Singer is a philosopher who as written extensively on the subject of animal ethics, Jim Mason is an environmentalist, lecturer, journalist and attorney who specializes in human/animal concerns.

I am enjoying the 3rd in this "series" of animal ethics based examinations into animal factory farms, science labs and everything in between. Animal Factories is an in depth look at the details of factory farming covering issues such as the environmental impact of all we do to these poor animals, the ethics of creating "biomachines" and the human health risks of consuming factory farmed meat/poultry/dairy have.

As always, I am going to be sharing interesting things as I read them...

Here's a great explanation of the downfalls of factory farmed eggs. If the environmental benefits of eating organic weren't enough, here's a health reason:

"Most commercial poultry operations therefore use feed additives containing xanthophyll or beta-carotene to enhance the yellow color of skin and egg yolks. The brighter color may be attractive to the shopper's eye, but there is evidence that color additives actually lower the quality of eggs. More important, eggs from caged layers may be lower in some nutrients-particularly vitamin b12 and folic acid-than eggs from free-ranging hens."

-Jim Mason & Peter Singer

(Image: www.historycooperative.org)

Define: Organic Eggs & Forced Molting

When you buy organic eggs you are getting eggs from chickens that meet the following regulations:

Organic Eggs: Chickens are fed organic feed, have access to the outdoors and live in a cage free environment. Antibiotics can only be used during a infectious outbreak (as opposed to all the time like factory farms). Forced molting is not allowed. (see below)

And I thought you might need some further explanation of what Forced Molting is.....

Forced Molting: Chickens naturally molt to replace their old feathers with new ones. This happens at the beginning of winter when chicks are not born. (the hen stops laying eggs in order to stay warm and grow new feathers, this is a natural instinct in all sense of the word). Farms starve chickens for 5-14 days in order to send their systems into shock thus forcing the molt. Egg production and quality peaks after molting this boosting the farms production rate. It is considered cruel and inhumane by many. (For more on forced molting, Google: Forced Molting)

By purchasing organic eggs you are making a statement that you are against forced molting and cages!

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Farm Sanctuary: Quote of the Day

I am reading Farm Sanctuary right now by Gene Baur and I am working on a book review for Urban Branches as well. Farm Sanctuary is the name of a place where rescued/mistreated farm animals go to live out their lives happilily and peacefully, away from the factory farms of their past.

For now though, here's a great quote to wet your appetite:

"In an ideal world, there would be no need for Farm Sanctuary. There would be no factory farms or stockyards, and cattle, pigs, chickens, and other farmed animals would not be abused. They would be free to feel the sun and the breeze, scratch at the earth, and generally enjoy life. Human beings have a great capacity to act with sensitivity and compassion as well as a frightening ability to disgregard the feelings of others. The more we act with indifference and cruelty, the more pervasive and defining these qualities become in our world. But when we behave with understanding and kindness, these qualities can spread and flourish"

-Gene Baur

(Image: nytimes.com)

Label Me Confused

I spent 10 minutes one weekend looking for new eggs for my Sunday breakfast at home with Kevin. What I was looking for was company/farm that insured me the chickens were raised on pasture and had eaten their normal fare (including some grass, insects and grub). What I found was a lot of attempts to be ecologically and animal friendly. Including many touting CAGE-FREE, FREE-RANGE and my favorite RAISED NEAR SUNNY PORCHES AND WINDOWS.

I settled on Organic Valley’s half dozen large brown eggs, cage free and fed on 100% vegetarian feed. Seems nice and cozy doesn’t it. Well after all my reading I am learning to read between the lines. First things first though, what I DID learn about free-range chickens that are raised for meat is this:
The USDA requires the following of chickens raised for their meat; chickens are required to have access to the outdoors in order to be granted the free-range certification. This is great news. What I did find sad and frustrating was that eggs from “free-range” chickens have NO regulations. They are firmly resting on the honesty of the farmer to label themselves. Many egg farmers will sell their eggs with the free-range label simply because their chickens are housed in cages 2-3 inches above the average size or because there is a window in the shed. What this means for you and me is that when a farmer raises chickens merely for egg production there are no rules and they are free to label them as free-range if they so choose in order to help sell their product. This is insane! These farmers are allowed to claim free range on their packaging while doing nothing to back up the claim. Yikes! Note to self, no longer by “free range chicken eggs” unless I know the farmers standards specifically. That being said this is my interpretation of what I’ve learned by reading many books, articles and testimonials on this subject. It is my opinion and how I choose to shop.

Here is what I’ve learned about the different terms I see on packages:

Free-Range: For meat, the chicken is required to have access to the outdoors. You have to be somewhat skeptical about what exactly that means, but feel confident in choosing free-range chicken.

This by no means implies to be that these chickens enjoying a sun drenched afternoon with their fellow chicken buddies, no. But it is a choice
This to me means the farmer does what is required to gain the certification. This could include a porch the chickens have access too. Sorry to be so negative, but I’ve read a lot that has turned my stomach.

Note: Free-Range, according to the USDA only (only!) can be used for poultry. Meaning that there are absolutely no rules for beef, pork and other non-poultry meats. There are no rules stopping farmers and meat producers from writing “free-range”on their package. There is no certification behind the label and to me it might as well not be there at all.

Cage Free: Ohhh this one makes me mad. This means the chickens are not incased in cages so small they can barely move, but that they are inside a concrete (most likely) barn with no windows living in cramped conditions in horribly dirty and retched conditions. Great, I feel much better.

100% Vegetarian-Fed Chickens: This is what I see on the label of eggs at the store. Seems nice, if you’ve read the post on what animals are often fed this label will surely make you sleep sounder at night. But, there’s one thing it’s missing. The hidden reality that these chickens are not living and eating as they should be. Chickens are NOT vegetarians, and by claiming this statement, it implies this chicken is not roaming free, on the pasture. If that had happened, then they would have most likely ruined their 100% vegetarian fed label by *gasp eating a worm! So while it’s nice that they aren’t being fed animal byproducts they still are not eating how they should.

Pasture Raised: This is what I am searching for, this label implies that chickens are being raised in a manner most like their natural habits. It means to be that the animals is living close to a natural life and in some cases quite a good life.

Organic Eggs: Only regulates that the animals cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics and organic feed. (and don't worry a pasture can be certified organic)

My egg choice for the time being by producer Organic Valley had this statement on their website:

"While "free-range" suggests a better life for hens, it does not have defined standards beyond those common to all egg production. There is no independent, third party certification as with organic. Producer's of free-range eggs can use antibiotics, hormones, and non-organic feeds."

I know how confusing this all is, trust me. I spent a long time trying to wrap my head around these definitions myself. There is much more to this post that what I’ve put here. I will address other definitions soon. But for now I wanted to focus on my search for eggs from chickens living as good of a life as possible. You know, like the paintings and children’s stories we read as kids when we believed that farm animals were happy.

Image: www.Jupiterimages.com

Dominion? But at What Cost?

Having just finished reading Dominion by Matthew Scully I felt compelled to share a quote that helped sum up the book's emotion. Dominion discusses the relationship that human beings have take up ruling over all animals and how this is a misuse of power in almost all cases.

In this section Scully is discussing the details of laws being proposed to prevent cruelty to animals he says,

" Under explicit cruelty statutes, and not just industrial regulations, it [the law] would carry specific provisions as to the space afforded to each animal, following no more complicated a principle than that pigs and cows should be able to walk and turn around, fowl to move about and spread their wings, and all creatures on our farms to know the feel of the soil and grass and the warmth of the sun. No more mass confinement. No more veal crates. No more gestation [birthing] crates. No more battery cages. If we cannot do something humanely, without degrading both animals and ourselves, then we should not do it at all."

I couldn't agree more.

(Image courtesy of: http://www.vegetarian-society.org/)

Having just finished reading Dominion by Matthew Scully I felt compeled to share a quote that helped sum up the book's emotion. Dominion discusses the relationship that human beings have take up ruling over all animals and how this is a misuse of power in almost all cases. 

When talking about laws being proposed to prevent cruelty to animals he says, 

" Under explicit cruelty statutes, and not just industrial regulations, it would carry specific provisions as to the space afforded to each animal, following no more complicated a principle than that pigs and cows should be able to walk and turn around, fowl to move about and spread their wings, and all creatures on our farms to know the feel of the soil and grass and the warmth of the sun. No more mass confinement. No more veal crates. No more gestation [birthing] crates. No more battery cages. If we cannot do something humanely, without degrading both animals and ourselves, then we should not do it at all."