Eating Animals

On Sunday, I was privileged to be part to a panel presentation at the Clarkson University Convocation.

All incoming freshmen at Clarkson has red the book, Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer.
The book makes a strong case for a vegan lifestyle, although I did not feel it was too "preachy" on the subject.  It did provide examples of both animal farmers and slaughter operations that maintain high standards of animal husbandry and humane treatment and encouraged those of us who will eat meat to consider those options.

The panel responding to the book did not, interestingly enough, include any vegetarians or vegans.  We were all omnivores, a couple of whom might describe ourselves as "selective omnivores."

Fair warning if you do intend to read the book, the descriptions of conditions at many large factory farms and slaughterhouses are quite graphic and stomach-turning.  And, I am sure that the things described really do happen at large factory farms and large slaughter houses.  Which is why I count myself among those selective omnivores who wants to know where her meat is coming from.

Although I was not raised in any of these traditions, I feel a deep connection to the Jewish, Muslim, and Native American traditions as it relates to animals and meat.  I believe that when we do take an animals life for food, we need to treat it with reverence and as the gift that it is.  Offering a prayer of thanks to the spirit of the animal that is providing food for us has always seemed appropriate, indeed important, to me.

Sadly, our modern food system does not allow for that for most of us.

Which is just one of the reasons I want to see a vibrant, sustainable, local food system here in the North Country.

Gloria