Awareness Saves (Fuzzy) Lives

I hadn't planned on posting today.  There has been a lot going on here, and a lot on my mind.  So, I decided to do some research this morning.  As you've noticed in other posts I've talked about farming and sustainability and raising my own meat.  My husband and I eat our fair share of meat.  I think as far as my husband is concerned there really should be meat with every meal.  I've heard people talk about animals being raised inhumanely for slaughter.  I've seen links on blogs.  And I have a confession to make...

I turned a blind eye, and I ignored it.

For many different reasons.  I like to think that it can't be that bad, maybe that's not where my meat came from, etc.  However, it's been on my heart a lot lately.  A few weeks ago I approached the topic with my husband in regards to buying a portion of a cow, so that way we could know more about where our meat came from and how it was treated.  Rob agreed, but it is expensive.  And there has been a lot going on, so it hasn't been really talked about again.  Then comes today.  I decided to do more research on what the living conditions were like, the facts and statistics.  And I came upon this video...

!! This is a VERY graphic video !!

I couldn't finish it.  In all my time imagining inhumane treatment of animals, I had never imagined this.  There is no way to justify the actions in this video.  ZERO.  These animals are all innocent, beautiful creatures, that should be treated with respect.

"Proverbs 12:10  A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."

Here are some facts and statistics in regards to the inhumane treatment of animals in case you don't want to watch the video.

• large numbers of animals are usually held indoors in closed confined pens and sheds, and often with physical restraints to control unnecessary movement.  Pigs often get their FIRST breath of fresh, outdoor air while they are on their way to slaughter.
• growth hormones, genetic engineering, and specific breeding programs are used to create more desirable and consistent animal anatomies, and to stimulate faster growth.
• HUGE amounts of antibiotics and pesticides are used to fight the spreading of diseases and bacteria, as farm animals would get sick due to the crowded conditions, dirt, and humidity in the pens.
• All factory farm animals-including fish- are fed grains, mostly high yield corn and soy mixes, which are cheap but low in nutrition.  This same feed can also contain ground-up parts of other animals of the same or other species that did not make it into human food production.
• The typical factory farm worker gets low wages, works severe over hours, and won't complain, as he has no rights.  More often than not, illegal immigrants are used, as they would cope with all conditions for fear of deportation.
• Roughly 1 billion chickens killed each year for KFC are crammed by the tens of thousands into excrement-filled sheds that stink of ammonia fumes.
• Chickens legs and wings often break because they're bred to be too top-heavy and because workers carelessly shove them into transport crates and shackles.
• Chickens' throats are slit and the animals are dropped into tanks of scalding-hot water to remove their feathers, often while they are still conscious and able to feel pain.
• KFC lets frustrated factory-farm and slaughterhouse workers handle live birds, so many of the animals end up being sadistically abused.  At a KFC "Supplier of the Year" slaughterhouse in West Virginia, workers were documented tearing the heads off live birds, spitting tobacco into their eyes, spray-painting their faces, and violently stomping on them.  This was discovered more than two years after KFC promised PETA that it was taking animal welfare seriously.
• A whistle blower at a Tyson slaughterhouse testified that birds intentionally were scalded to death, were blown apart by makeshift firecrackers, and had their legs broken by workers to fit them into slaughter-line shackles.  Tyson is KFC's number one supplier.
• 'Red birds' are common.  What is a 'red bird'? Birds are supposed to have their throats slit in order to kill them and drain their blood.  Then they go through a tank of scalding-hot water to remove their feathers.  But because the system is faulty, and inefficient, many birds--millions each year, according to the USDA--miss the blades that are supposed to cut their throats and end up in the scalding tank while they are still conscious.  These birds are literally scalded to death.
• It is not uncommon for birds to lie on the ground unable to move from broken bones or becoming paralyzed.  In these cases the birds are just left to die, and then placed in buckets around the pens.
• Farmer who killed sick and injured turkeys by beating them with a metal rod and tossing them aside, leaving them conscious and deemed legal and standard by industry.
• They literally cram chickens into crates for transport.
• 5-11 hens are crammed into small wire cages.
• The beaks of some hens are sheared off with a hot blade.
• Conditions so crowded they are unable to spread even ONE wing.
• Cattle are dehorned and castrated with no pain medicines.
• The USDA allows cattle with cancerous lesions and pus filled wounds to be certified as certified pure.
• Cattle often have their throats slit, and are skinned while still alive and fully conscious.
• 40% of dairy cows are lame by the time they reach the slaughter house.
• More than 100,000 cows are unable to walk off transport trucks every year, yet they are slaughtered for human food anyway.
• Most hamburger comes from spent dairy cows.
• Baby dairy cows are ripped away from their mothers hours after birth.  Just a note in case you don't watch the video, this is heartbreaking.  They actually grab a baby cow by the head and jerk him away as he is about to nurse his mother and drag him away.  They also show a baby cow being dragged away by his back legs and his mother (and other mothers) trying to follow.  It's heartbreaking.

These facts are from two other websites and from the video.  The video goes into pigs after dairy cows and their calves, but I didn't get that far.  I watched a little, but had to stop.  I think these are plenty of facts though.

So why am I sharing this?  Society needs to be completely aware of what is happening.  I would also strongly encourage people to do some of their own research.  I just bought, and watched Food Inc. today.  It was such an interesting documentary, and raises really good questions and thoughts.  It made me realize just how little I actually know about the food I eat.

Do you know where your food came from? (before the grocery store!)

Farming & Sustainability

((I mentioned this last week on my facebook, but forgot to put it up here.  I plan on doing a giveaway once I get to 100 followers!!  I love giveaways, so hopefully we'll get to do one soon!))

Farming is nothing new to me.  My grandfather was a farmer, my dad was a farmer.  I just happened to be more of a lazy city kid, even though I spent plenty of time at our farm.  I always said I wanted to run the farm when it was my time, but that never seemed like it right around the corner.  I helped a bit here and there, but was never in depth. I’m saddened to say I didn’t learn much.  When I was little, maybe 8 or so, I checked out a book on farm animals.  I loved looking over the pages at all the animals.  I used to dream about having a farm, having all these animals (because I loved animals) and that I could make my own bread.  Then I grew into a moody teenager, and I became lost as to what I wanted to do.  High school pushed college, but nothing was right to me.  I didn’t want the responsibility of being a vet; a graphic designer was a thought, and even a teacher.  I ended up getting a part time job that led to a full time job in a call center.  I still had far off dreams of someday having some land and farm animals, but it always seemed so impossible, and so much work.  I guess this is a long time coming, this longing, and this realization.  I guess, technically, the seed has always been there, but I never imagined the roots would go this deep.  Its little moments that build up.  So, I guess, why do I want to be sustainable, be a farmer…well, this is why…

I want to do what God meant for people to do.  Work the earth, till the ground, plant and tend seeds.  I want to grow organic, chemical free, food for my family.

I want to be able to preserve my food, whether by canning, freezing, or in some other fashion.  I’m not saying I’ll never step foot into a grocery store, but I don’t want to be stuck being DEPENDENT on a grocery store.

I love animals.  I am very, very compassionate with animals.  I want to raise my own meat.  There are two reasons for this.  1.  Animals raised today for slaughter are abused, neglected, and not given the freedoms God intended.  2.  I want to take responsibility for the meat I eat.  Let it be known I have never, ever, personally killed any animal.  I don’t want to, per say.  But God meant for us to eat animals, and I do believe by participating in the slaughter you appreciate the animal even more.  I read somewhere that it’s no wonder Americans waste 1/3 of the food they buy.  Because they don’t appreciate where it came from.

It’s a simpler life.  No doubt difficult, but simple.  I don’t want to live life rushed by work deadlines, and rude people.  I want to live a rich life, and I personally think this is the best way for me.

I want to train my kids up this way.  I am thankful for the way I grew up, but I would love for my children to be raised in a 100% farm atmosphere.  I would love for my kids to be able to learn what I’m clueless too early in their lives.

It’s in my heart.  It’s not something I’ve always talked about.  It isn’t something I’ve always realized, but living on land, working land, it feels right.

I’m sure people are wondering where this came from.  Why this now.  Why have I never mentioned this?  Well…it’s always seemed impossible.  It’s always been when Rob and I are older.  I’ve always wanted this, but always thought there had to be a step between now, and fulfilling it.  There may be some steps, lots of trial and error, hard work, and failure.  But that’s ok.  Those are the things life is made of.  I’d rather try at it and fail, then to live my life thinking what if.

So, spill the beans, what are your big, bad, dreams for the future?

It's December?

I have been waiting for this month to get here since before Halloween, not that it's here, I just want to tell it to slow down!  With everything that's happened with my  mom, and with me not feeling well, nothing has gone as I had expected it.  Which just reaffirms my expect nothing policy!  Geez.  This last Tuesday, my husband and I went to a tree farm for the first time. (I hate, hate, hate the fact that my retarded, stupid, camera won't work!  I would have taken pictures, but nooooo.) ((Yes, a camera is on my Christmas list!))  It was only 30 or so degrees while we were there.  It was super cold.  We walked around forever looking for "the" tree.  I really loved this particular type of tree.  It looked fluffy.  But they had all been chosen.  I could have settled for one that was about 5 and a half feet, but that just wouldn't do.  Eventually, I just looked at a tree and said, "It's big, it's tall, it's ugly, it's perfect".  And we cut it down and away we went.  We got home, and set it up, and it's almost too tall, and to say the least, it is very full.  Once decorated though, it's magically transformed.  We used lots of multi colored mini lights, and put all our ornaments on.  Then we added lots, and lots of tinsel.  I love tinsel.  Maybe not all people do, but I love it.  It makes trees look so beautiful and magical.  I really wish I was able to get a picture to share!

Today, I plan on cleaning, and decorating the rest of the house.  My grandmother had a Santa collection, which my mom had, and now I have part of it, and my mom has some of it too.  I have tons and tons of various Santas.  I need to find them all homes out and about, and I have some lights to put up, and who knows what else!

In completely unrelated news, I've been thinking a lot about sustainability.  For the last few years, going green, and eating organic have been plastered all over the place.  I've long thought this was ridiculousness.  I long thought our food gotten from stores was safe.  It may be chemical laden, in some ways or another, but our bodies could take it.  If the generations before us could live this way, so could we.  Not too many months ago, I realized this isn't how it used to be.  Back in the day, people had gardens and orchards, they planted their food, and harvested their food.  They raised the meat they intended to eat, or bought it from a neighbor.  There were some things they did buy, like flour and sugar, but even those things weren't as processed as what we have today.  Since I realized this, a need has been placed on my heart to become self sustainable.  I want to grow my own veggies, and I want to raise my own meat.  I want to eat real foods, not chemical laden foods.  I want to be healthy, and strong.  Right now, it's winter.  I have no ability to grow anything.  I do believe this spring however, I will be planting a garden.  I want to grow it all, and I want to can and freeze all the things we can't eat.  I have never canned before, my my mom and dad have.  I want to learn how to do these things.  My goals, are that in 2011 I will plant, tend, and harvest my own vegetable garden.  I will learn to can and freeze, and also learn how to get my husband to eat veggies!  In 2012, I am hoping to have a house on some acreage.  I want to plant my garden, and also raise chickens and goats.  Chickens for their eggs, not really their meats, and goats to take care of all the grass.  ((And cause they are cute, and I think it would be cool to own goats))  I would also, love to have a few cows.  I don't know if that would happen as soon as 2012 however.  I would love to have a cow for milking, but I don't know if I'm ready for the killing parts.  But, I'll wait until we get there to worry about that.  I probably sound like a crazy person talking about milking cows, and growing veggies, it is the 21st century ya know!

Well, I have to get cleaning.  I'll blog more soon hopefully!

(((Also, thanks for praying for my mother, she gets to start walking around today, and should be released by Monday!)))