Family Farmers Don't Mistreat Their Animals

Did anyone see this story in the paper today? (http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/16/abused.pigs.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview)

Undercover PETA investigators found that workers at a factory pork farm in Iowa were disgustingly mistreating their animals. Rods stuffed in sow's vaginas, picking up and throwing piglets on cement floors--I mean some really vile stuff.

Now, I am not a red-paint-throwing advocate of PETA, however this does bring up a somewhat lost point that is extremely relevant to this blog: Family farmers DO NOT mistreat their animals.

I obviously cannot speak for every family and small-scale farmer in the country, however, in my experience this claim is 100 percent true. Where factory farms raise 1000s upon 1000s of animals, most family farms only raise a few hundred (at the very most). It is in the best interest of the farmer to treat their animals as caringly and lovingly as possible in order to produce the highest quality products and highest quality offspring. Some of you may be turned off by me describing the treatment of animals that will eventually be killed and eaten as "lovingly," but if you've ever seen a farmer care for his animals then you know this is true.

I guess my point with the entry is to highlight yet another benefit of eating locally produced products. This benefit being that you know the pork, beef, poultry, lamb, etc. that you are eating was treated humanely while alive and raised sustainably.

So if you eat meat, and are the least bit concerned with animal welfare, you should consider buying your products from local farmers who, if you ask them really nicely, will usually even let you come out to their farm and see how they raise their animals. NO factory farm in the country would ever allow that. This way you can feel completely secure with your choice.

Another bonus: Meat isn't seasonal!! It is available at your local market all year long (that is, if it stays open all year).

Now, I imagine that there are vegitarians/vegans out there who will counter with, "well, if you don't eat meat at all, you don't have to worry about how your food is treated. Eating meat is wrong. Blah, blah, blah." Stay mute for now and wait for my entry on how living a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle CAN BE (notice how I don't say is) one of the most unstainable practices imaginable.

Look forward to your comments.