Mary Had a Little Lamb

I’ve been working really hard at making a change not only in my life but in other’s lives as well. As Asher Organics takes hold and begins to grow, I find myself questioning more about my food sources and the practice of the food industry on varying levels. And I question these issues almost every day, usually multiple times per day.

I remember in college I did a report on vegetarianism and the ethical treatment of animals. I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve never been a vegetarian. I might in the future. I’ve definitely cut out 95% of my meat consumption. And I never eat red meat anymore. Back to the point. I did this slideshow/video presentation on vegetarianism and the ethical treatment of animals. And I remember finding all of this gruesome, disturbing evidence of the atrocities of meat packing plants, hen houses and overall slave-like conditions of both animals and workers. I had my then-boyfriend, now-husband help me with the project. He had been a vegetarian based on animal rights principles. 

Through my research and video viewing for this project, I realized how truly awry our food system has spun out of control. But at the time, it really didn’t seem like a big deal. Now? Now it does. Now things like my child’s safety, health and well-being are at risk. Now I look at cows being hauled on big rigs on I-70 and realize they are 300 pounds heavier than they were 30 years ago, and are likely going off to the slaughter. Or worse — they are one-year olds being taken to a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) to plump up about 600 more pounds yet. Now I see how detrimental and destructive our food production system has become on our Earth.

There is a plethora of information, study after study, investigation after investigation, pointing too all sorts of indignities that we have developed to destroy our home over the last 30 years. Pesticides, antibiotics, hormone injections. All for what? More money? It hardly seems worth it. What started with a mass rampage and public outcry against the manufacturers of pink slime (aka Beef Products, Inc.) has ignited a public awareness of food and food production that will hopefully not stop for a long, long time. 

We need to make changes. And we need to make changes now. We are hurting ourselves, we are hurting our animals, and we are hurting our planet. If you don’t want to be a vegetarian, fine. But seek out a farmer who raises grass fed cattle, free to roam and graze as nature originally intended. Find a small chicken farmer who uses humane practices for poultry and eggs. Look for a CSA or farmers market to purchase fresh, organic produce. Try to find ways to nourish your mind, body and soul that are kind to the planet, your pocketbook and your body.

No one wants the big corporations to go out of business. That would be bad for everyone. But we need them to find better ways to do business. We need healthy food options, without the use of GMOs. We need companies that care about the health and well-being of us and our children, and our lovely planet. I don’t want to be just another dollar in their paycheck. Do you? 

With Earth Day coming up, I think it’s an appropriate time to start (if you haven’t already) questioning any and everything about where your food comes from. Where does it come from? How did it get there? How is it processed? Is it safe to eat? Is there a better (healthier) alternative? What can I do to make a change?

Look, I’m not telling you how to live your life. I don’t want to be that person. But I want you to be healthy. I want all of us to be healthy. Most importantly, I want our children to be healthy. They deserve to live free from fear of food. To be quite frank, I don’t know the average age of my readers, but I’m going to be 32 this year. Since I was two years old, the food production industry has changed dramatically. I’m sure my mom didn’t question every single item she put on my plate and fed to me when I was a toddler. Why would she? The shift was quiet — secretive almost. No one knew what the outcomes were going to be of what they were doing. And we are just now finding out the consequences.

Food for thought. Literally.

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