The cognitive dissonance was too much. In the past few months I've driven I-5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco at least 6 times, and each time I've had to pass two CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations- more commonly known as "factory farms") right along the highway. I look out at the cows, terribly unhappy cows, standing in their own manure, waiting out their days at the corn-filled feed trough, never to graze again on their beloved grass, the food they were meant to eat. And I realize that every day I eat beef that was not grass-finished, I am directly supporting these animals' misery. And yet I have continued to turn a blind eye, ignoring their suffering because it was convenient for me to do so.Well, no more. As of a week ago I decided to give up factory-farmed beef. When I go to the grocery store, all this decision means is that I'll spend extra (and have to look a bit harder) when shopping for beef. But the other implications of my decision include: no more Trader Joe's carne asada, no more In-N-Out, and no more eating beef of any kind at almost all restaurants. (Soon I hope to publish a list of links to restaurants that offer only grass-finished beef on their menus.)
Needless to say, G thinks I'm crazy (especially for giving up In-N-Out). But what I think is crazy is how we Americans have allowed these farms to develop in the first place, let alone become the dominant system of agriculture in the U.S. And since not even Nancy Pelosi can get a better farm bill passed, I'll vote with my wallet instead.
(Photo by Kent Kessinger and used by permission.)
4 comments:
I always feel sorry for those cows, too
let me know how your stand against sad cow meat weathers. i tried to go veggie once, and gave up after less than a year. perhaps lowering my ethical standards from not eating any meat to not eating sad meat will increase the likelihood of my maintaining a stance against something that tastes so darn good.
oh jilly. you will miss the in-n-out, but i admire the cause. trader joe may not do there carne asada up right, but they do have really awesome grass-fed burgers that i discovered soon before i left cardiff. i love your blog and i am noting down your book reading suggestions for my xmas list. go, jilly!
This vegan is very happy to hear that you will not contribute to the misery suffered by factory farmed animals. We have dominion over the animals, but look what we're doing with it...It speaks very very poorly of our species.
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