McGreen says:

I know i will be in the minority but someone needs to address this from a producer point of view . I will say that I raise grass fed beef , natural hogs , range ducks/chickens/turkeys , rabbits and pond fish. I am a "keeper of my land". My grain for the chickens , beef , ducks and turkeys comes from a local farmer who uses( getting harder to find)non genetic alt. seed corn. All of my animals are feed fresh veg. (from dumpster diving) everyday(for a natural feed). Plus a little grain. When the grass and weed grow here in Nebraska that's what they get to eat. We saleour animals for food locally. They are handeled humanly. I scratch my cattles ears and back everyday. I feel badly about slaughtering them. But people eating them keeps people from eating store , feedlot/confined producers meat out of a super chain. These animals from the feedlots/confined producers are physicaly and mentally harmed. I have stood by the  Wallyworld meat displays and told potential buyers how this meat is produced. My cattle do not I repeat do not take 2500 gals of water to produce a lb. of meat. That just plain silly. My 5 head take will take 4500 gals to reach butcher wieght. Granted this does not take into account the water for the corn (it is dry land corn NO irregation). As for fuel it take to raise them it is no more than comes from raising and hauling my organic veg. to town to sale. More water is used by me to raise my garden than by my animals combined. It takes all kinds to make this world and I am not so sure that we all do not only have a small part of the answer.

posted 03/10/09 at 11:18 AM

alorenk says:

Vegetarian 30 years now, sometimes vegan. Environment, health and emotional choice are all reasons, but probably the last keeps me veggie. I also love being able to step out my door and pick breakfast foods! My body is not happy with a lot of grain. Supposedly this is a blood type O, hunter/gatherer legacy, which made sense to me when I ran into the theory. So I am happiest when I eat a lot of vegetables and protein. I mostly eat soy, black beans, eggs and occasionally fish (not happy re fish but seems important for my health).

Take B vitamins and enjoy nutritional yeast. Had some problem with anemia (and craved chicken!) with 1st pregnancy. B vitamins made both the anemia and craving disappear.

Seems there are niches where meat is reasonable; chickens are great compost processors and bug control, ducks can help keep slugs and such down, rabbits are pretty efficient meat production using plants that we don't process well. Home grown, integrated meats produced this way are a probably a healthy addition to the diet in moderation. I considered organic goat meat some years ago when in poor health, thinking it would probably be good for me, but couldn't emotionally. Turned out mineral supplements solved the problem.

posted 12/29/08 at 09:20 PM

ljmills09 says:

I've been a vegetarian for 14 years and I did it only because I didn't like meat that much so it was easy for me to give up. I'm glad to be part of the solution. A few years ago, my mother gave up meat and my niece recently became a vegan and we all feel better for it.

posted 12/12/08 at 04:02 AM

bmehra says:

Substituting meat with healthier vegetarian options is definitely a continuing trend. The latest news is that Madonna has demanded in her 'To Dos' list to Guy Richie that the kids be fed only macrobiotic, vegetarian and organic diet amongst other things!!

posted 11/13/08 at 02:30 AM

thecitizen says:

From supergreens (http://www.creativecitizen.com/solutions/415-Meat-Eating-Global-Warming):

THE TYPICAL AMERICAN DIET ADDS SIGNIFICANTLY TO POLLUTION, WATER SCARCITY, LAND DEGRADATION, AND CLIMATE CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO) FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION STUDY OF DEC.7TH 2006.

ANIMAL FARMING PRESENTS A "MAJOR THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT" W/ SUCH DEEP AND WIDE-RANGING IMPACTS THAT IT SHOULD RANK AS A LEADING FOCUS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.

THIS WAS THE #1 DETERMINING FACTOR ABOVE ALL OTHERS WITH A WHOPPING 18%, CHECK IT OUT.

BOTTOM LINE -SWITCH TO A PLANT BASED DIET A.S.A.P.- IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE A DIFERENCE!

SO SO SO MUCH MORE OF THIS STUDY IS AVAILABLE@

SOURCE  WWW.NEWSTANDARDNEWS.NET/CONTENT/INDEX.CFM/ITEMS/3956-19K

posted 06/10/08 at 03:49 AM

waveman says:

It depends on how the meat is produced. Environmentally sound grazing on natural fields, while not high output, doesn't nearly have the same impact. I'm vegetarian (since 18 yrs.), but it's important to be clear that the target here is mass-production beef.

posted 05/31/08 at 08:15 PM

ktnmunchkin says:

Though I can't say i will cut out meat, reducing my consumption is reasonable. Like the previous poster said, it is better for our health to reduce red mean consumption anyway, so the decision is easy.

posted 05/28/08 at 10:10 AM

mjmontagne says:

@argam - that is a great point. Cows are often times force fed some type of genetically engineered corn feed.  This isn't natural.  I don't eat much meat at all, but I wish there were more options for grass-fed/free range beef. 

I love what Local Burger has done in Kansas.  They only use local, grass fed beef in their burgers:

http://www.localburger.com/

posted 05/25/08 at 11:46 AM

argam says:

Eating less red meat is also better for your health.  All the antibiotics and unhealthy food the cows are given go directly into your body when you eat meat. 

posted 05/20/08 at 09:08 PM