Deconstructing Dinner

Wow that was an interesting piece that really resonated with me and challenged some paradigms that I've been taught and taken for granted - great, I love to have my foundations shaken a bit

Awesome! You guys rock!

Wonderful..

"i'm simply pointing out that an excess of unwanted animals leads to their devaluation. i have heard at least one farm animal sanctuary has had to stop taking backyard chickens - already too many have been turned over (mostly roosters)."

Totally agree that this is a (sadly predictable) problem, and it sucks that animals pay the price when people make decisions on their behalf that don't work out.

Let me just say having spent 3 years a vegan I have thought long and hard about this! I appreciate and value veganism as a way to transition into a new level of food consciousness.

Indiviuals who care for their backyard animals in a respectful and responsible way ought to be able to reap the benefits. You must agree CM, that just because there is a possibility that some might not be suited to keep chickens shouldn't make it wrong for those who do wish to keep chickens.

As far as veganism goes, I realize that there are so many things to eat other than soy, including non-organic vegetables that may have travelled very far and employed the cheap, de-valued labour of illegal workers who were treated unfairly somewhere along the way. (Read Eric Schlosser for more info) If animals products can't be produced ethically in the industrial food system, how do we know that vegetables can? ... Read More
I would be impressed, blown away in fact, to find a vegan diet in this (Canadian) climate that doesn't rely on the industrial food system in some way. While a diet of mostly local organic veggies that can incorporate a small and balanced amount of local respectfully-raised animal products seems much more sustainable and ethical to me. In fact, it seems like a way to begin to VALUE animals even more, because they are helping to sustain you.
I'll take butter or cheese or once in a while beef that came from my local farmer where I know what the cows are fed and can see how they are treated... over fruits and vegetables (bananas, avocados, mangoes, any kind of plant protein) that are trucked in from all over the world, being handled by workers that are poorly treated any day!

Go Bro!