Getting Used to Non-Mainstream Foods

I think to a large extent this is true. Television, movies, and productions like Disney's will obviously enhance and influence one's outlook and judgement about animals that are domestic and raised for human consumption, but made pets of. A good example is the pig 'Babe'. Who could eat that little porker after being made a celebrity? I'd say anyone making a choice on their food choices is personal, and the best to do is to follow Dr. Temple Grandin's awareness for animal welfare incuding humane treatment of slaughter animals for human consumption. The book to read is "Animals in Transition". It's a straighforward perspective about how animals view the world in their own way without making them humans, which animals are not, but we like to put human values on the ones we raise domestically for food. Humans, whether we like to imagine it, or not are omnivores. Becoming more carnivourous or more herbivourous (vegitarian) are conscious choices, neither good nor bad.

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The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.

Been there done that. After the first few chapters, it's a very dry read. It's one of the few books I wanted to read that I haden't read from front to back.

Yes, she has good points about the animal's perspective of things looming in front of and over them. She gives good advise as to how the animals perceive the situation and how to make them more comfortable by changing lighting, providing shade or whatever it takes to get them to be willing to go into the chutes but it ends up being a very dry read with facts and figures that become meaningless to the average person.

I think she tried to get into genetics being part of the problem with the animals and how they react. I gave up before I got that far so I can't really say.

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The original point and click interface was a Smith & Wesson.
Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed. -- Sir Francis Bacon

According to a recent TV program, the average American meal travels 1500 miles to get to your plate. That in itself is enough to get me eating from a garden or buying locally grown veggies and meat. Just think of all the fuel costs saved. And then there's the unknowns: pesticides and hormones. YUK.

Another thing I try to practice is to eat foods in season. With a greenhouse and successive plantings you can eat lettuce in the winter. Consider planting dwarf fruit trees so you'll have fruit in 2-3 years time.

I agree with the person who said travel to another country. Most of us in this country are overfed and under-nourished!! I grew up in a family where you sat at the table until you ate what was on your plate. I wouldn't recommend this as I still won't eat mushrooms, liver, venison, olives or eggs. The memories of my mother yelling and forcing the food down my throat is too painful. But I do like variety so I try things like okra (love it) and stock plenty of grains and legumes. One key is to make very small portions of a new food and just sample a few bites. That way there's less waste. Or try blending the new food with another you currently eat. I put okra in goulash the first time I had it.

Please pardon my first post, in case I am breaking some site etiquette rules.

The subject of the thread is one that I have thought a lot about over the years; and I have have developed some ideas that work for me.

I went through a period where I was only eating vegan. This was during a time was trying to figure out just who I was. I read everything I could find on vegetarian diets and vegetarians. I do enjoy eating vegetarian meals, sometimes for several weeks at a time. My realizing that we humans are physically setup to be omnivores was important.

It turns out that what I did not like was the way animals are treated in industry. The life of the animals is not respected. That is what was bothering me. I won't go into any detail, but I'm sure you all understand the that the last month, particularly the last days in transport and commericial slaughtering, of food animals lives ugly. That treatment, commercial antibiotic usage, and usage of diseased animals caused me to change the way I get a lot of the meat we eat. I started hunting food about 5 years ago. I make my own ammunition to be the most accurate I can. I practice shooting at least 15 weekends per year, shoot only what I need and what is in season, only take shots that will kill quickest, process the animal myself in clean facilities, treat the animal and the resulting meat with respect, learned to cook game to taste its best and give thanks for the gift of the animal every step of the way. For me, this all results in healthy, antibiotic-free meat from animals that hav been treated as humanely as possible.

For the remaining meat and poultry in our diet, we try to buy only from sources that provide organic, antibiotic-free and well-treated animals. Some of my friends think I'm nuts (I probably am), but it works for me.

I think a person can raise animals respectfully, organically and anitbiotic-free on their property for food. The key is to remember that the animals life is a gift for which to be thankful.

Just so you know, I'm not a nut trying to force anything on anyone. I just thought I would offer a perspective. I hope you find the answer that works for you.

Jim

We started out with just chickens first, and being an animal lover, I knew I had to face this as "this is going to be our food" and not treat them as pets. We were real excited to start getting our first eggs and found they're far better than anything store bought. The next spring we started raising some to have butchered... the butchering we did together with some neighbors who were doing the same as us. That made the workload much easier. We were amazed how filling our home grown chickens were compared to store bought, and very happy to have meat that was the healthiest possible - not injected with drugs or growth hormones. The next time I was able to find a butcher to do the butchering for us - it was worth it to us.

Two years ago was the first time we raised our own pig and steer for meat. Again we had to remind ourselves this would be our meat and not to get too attached. We now have 3 freezers full of meat: chicken, pork and beef. We also have cases upon cases of canned foods from our garden. It's a joy to only have to go to the store for a few things and be able to bypass the meat counter.

Our next goal is to get dairy goats because I'd like to have the fresh milk and be able to try making our own cottage cheese, cheeses, butter, etc. We have just been doing these things in small steps so we don't get overwhelmed. We wanted to make sure we could handle the workload and expenses.

We have planted our own fruit trees & bushes, and have a large variety of fruit bearing plants on our land, which we take advantage of. I'd love to also have honey bees but DH is against that idea since he's terrified of bees. *sigh*

If we could just figure a way out to raise our own coffee, sugar, etc., we'd be in great shape!

Good luck on your vegetarian menu. It's not for us but I know many prefer it.

Do you have a local food co-op or farmer's market in your area where you could buy some fresh goat's milk and farm fresh eggs? Maybe some lamb or goat's meat? Maybe make a pact with your daughter that you both will try something new each week. Alternate who gets to pick the "new" thing. Some you may never learn to like but you may end up with some new favorites. Anyway, the point is to try something first before it is so personalized and then work up to raising your own. If you and your family would never consider eating goat's meat for example, then they certainly won't do it when you've raised it yourself. Let them try it first before you give it a face.

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People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately. - Oscar Wilde, 1854 - 1900

Thanks!

I also read Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation, and I thought it was an excellent and very interesting read, cover to cover. It's more of a general public interest book than a scholarly work, but she does have some good information on animal behavior and genetics in there, and she also asserts some speculative theories that are compelling, but that she really has very little evidence for. In any event, I'd recommend it.

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And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb.. And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.. They shall not hurt nor destroy In all my holy mountain For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.

I am with you two rose2005 I was a vegetarian when I was 14 (except for a little small game I hunted) after reading a book about factory farming then we moved to WA state and I raised my own meat on a rented farm till I moved overseas and caught my own fish and raised pigs and poultry.

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marching to the beat of a different drummer

Temple Grandin is autistic. Perhaps knowing that will help you understand why she writes the way she does (think Rainman, only more functional).

Kathleen