A few weeks back Eleanor Baron wrote this post on eating meat. I know that many people who read my blog are interested in this topic and I found her words so elegant and eloquent that I wanted to share not only this post, but her well-written, well-intentioned blog, NourishingWords. Enjoy!
You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson It’s a simple concept, really. Eat it if you know, first-hand, how it was raised and killed. Simple enough, in theory. But, most of us are pretty far out of touch with the raising and killing of our meat. For most of us, meat comes to us skinned, boned, cut in small portions and wrapped in plas … Read More
via Nourishing Words
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Posted by Tammy on January 15, 2011
https://agrigirl.com/2011/01/15/on-meat-via-nourishing-words/
Agrigirl's Blog 
nrhatch
/ January 15, 2011Thanks, Tammy. Excellent post to re-blog.
Tammy McLeod
/ January 15, 2011You are welcome.
souldipper
/ January 16, 2011A great referral. Thank you, Tammy. Even though I don’t eat meat any more, I sincerely hope we can influence those who use unacceptable processes to change or be forced to change.
Tammy McLeod
/ January 16, 2011I think Eleanor raises the appropriate questions and sometimes they are hard to answer.
Cindy
/ January 16, 2011Thanks for sharing.
sartenada
/ January 16, 2011I guess that it must be the same thing there than we have here, that seller must know where and who grew meat.
Another question is how it is grown and how it was transferred (in which conditions) to slaughterhouse especially if it comes from abroad.
Excellent topic!
Tammy McLeod
/ January 16, 2011You might have better processes and regulation than we experience. More information is good when making these types of decisions.
kateshrewsday
/ January 16, 2011Serious food for thought, Tammy. I have rarely paused to think about this and just recently, in about five little incidents, it has been making the way to the front of my mind. Thanks – a brilliant blog to find.
Tammy McLeod
/ January 16, 2011if it has come to the forefront in five little incidents, you may be being called out on it. That’s the way things work in my life. It’s something for you to pay attention to.
Jane
/ January 16, 2011Hi Tammy. I like your last response about paying attention to the messages being sent. I’ve been talking about/thinking about this topic of meat and sourcing for a while now. Fish too, which is a big topic here on the east coast, between livelihoods and sustainability and good farming practices. Without being ponderous or self-righteous, I do believe it is important to think about every morsel we put in our mouths. Food is to be enjoyed and knowing where your food comes from, I believe, is part of that enjoyment. Whether it’s meat, fish, vegetables, or legumes – know your sources. Be comfortable with them and your choices. (And it has taken me a lifetime full of incidents to get to this point where I, too, pay attention.)
Tammy McLeod
/ January 16, 2011I try to carry the safe seafood list in my handbag so that if I’m moved to buy it, I can check the list. I much prefer sending my husband off on a salmon run though. You’ve actually given me a great idea for table conversation at dinner. I need to discuss sourcing with my family too.
authorjaneward
/ January 16, 2011Let me know how the family discussion goes!
isathreadsoflife
/ January 16, 2011This is a great article/blog you shared with us, Tammy, thank you.
There have been so many scandals about these “meat factories” over here that I have stopped eating meat – and my family too – if we do not know its source, transportation, etc. I buy it now and then (twice a week maybe) from the local butcher or from farmers (poultry). I feel much better eating veges, beans, cereals. The same with fish.
Tammy McLeod
/ January 16, 2011You are welcome. I think as we increase awareness about this topic, then it will put pressure on producers to deliver better produce.
Paula Tohline Calhoun
/ January 16, 2011Thanks so much for this thoughtful and beautifully written link, and the link within the link. I have been moving more and more in the direction she has traveled – call me 90% at this point. This has and is happening gradually, over a period of years, and it started one day when my husband and I were driving behind a huge truck that was carting live turkeys to a turkey processing plant. The conditions under which they were being transported were so apalling that we have ceased eating turkey almost completely, unless we KNOW absolutely the provenance, and that it was humanely and organically raised and killed.
Thanks again. Great reading!
Tammy McLeod
/ January 16, 2011It sometimes takes an experience like that which appeals to both your emotional and rational brain. That’s when real change takes place.
croquecamille
/ January 17, 2011I don’t think I’ll ever give up meat entirely, but I tend more towards using it as a flavor component as opposed to the focus of a meal these days.
Tammy McLeod
/ January 17, 2011I think that’s a great way to look at it and especially if you know where it came from and how it was raised.
nancy at good food matters
/ January 18, 2011thanks for connecting us to Nourishing Words. Over the past 5 years, meat has fallen away—almost completely—from my diet. Initially I thought that I couldn’t make such a decision, or that I would miss meat too much. In gradual fashion, it has become almost imperceptable, easy. I am happy that we have more local farmers at our market offering sustainably raised meats and poultry—and I will “treat” us to that meat, for special occasions.
Tammy McLeod
/ January 18, 2011You’re welcome Nancy. I am hoping to go get some sustainably raised meat for my family this weekend.
Naomi
/ January 18, 2011Thank you for the link to that excellent post, Tammy. Most thought-provoking…
Tammy McLeod
/ January 18, 2011Yes, it is and well written. I’m happy that you enjoyed it.
nessa
/ January 18, 2011These thoughts apply to more than just meat.
Tammy McLeod
/ January 18, 2011I agree.
E. Baron
/ January 18, 2011I completely agree with everyone who has mentioned that we need to put the same thought into all the foods we eat. Seafood is a huge challenge, and I don’t feel that I understand it well enough to make an informed decision. I have the recommended list, but there’s so much controversy around the fishing industry here on the east coast, it’s hard to know who to believe. In the end, sadly, I most often choose to not buy seafood!
Tammy, thanks for sharing my post with your readers and introducing me to some great people and amazing blogs.
Eleanor
Tammy McLeod
/ January 18, 2011You’re very welcome. I think everyone really enjoyed it.
Jessie carty
/ January 29, 2011I just pre cooked meat for my husband for next week but I wish he’d start eating a least a few non meat meals
Tammy McLeod
/ January 29, 2011You can be sneaky with beans and tell him that there’s meat. I have the same situation but relentless pressure helps.