Archives for "food supply"

This week Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. of Chino, Calif. recalled 143 million pounds of beef, only a half a months shipment, enough to feed 2 burgers to every single man, women and child in the United states. They got busted when the humane society shot videos(link to videos) of how their cows were being mistreated. How lucrative is the business of cattle raising that a company can recall that much hamburger and still have a healthy business(no pun intended given that their cows are the ones that are not healthy?).  I’m sure there are many in the vegan/vegetarian camp, or those who’d prefer we all did not consume meat so that we’d reduce our Co2 emissions, all  who are ready to point out how this latest tragedy is a reason why we all must stop or reduce our consumption of meat. I’m not a vegetarian or a vegan, though I appreciate the benefits that such a diet can bring to those that need it or that feel good in it, however I don’t think this is the event that should be used to have us kick the meat habit cold turkey (pun intended). The main reason being that I have seen how a diet complimented with the right amount of animal products(see the book Nourishing Traditions in my book list) can be very healthy. We have the analysis of some of the healthiest populations in the world to point to this findings.(see history of Dr. Weston Price).  Lastly we shouldn’t lump all beef/meat together when we are looking to make conclusions about this industry.

Today is a more fitting occasion to truly rethink the real cost of meat/beef. Beef that is most healthy for human consumption must possess the following qualities. First and foremost the cows must be humanely treated and humanely slaughtered. We know far too well the effect of our own psyche and spirit on our health and body, and that concept applies equally to the bodies of the pets we keep in our homes to the bodies and the flesh of farm animals that we raise. Secondly cows must be grass fed, not corn fed, not vitamin fed, not organic-feed fed, but simply allowed to graze freely on organically maintained grass pastures (to find out more about the benefits of grass fed beef and milk check out the Weston Price foundation’s website). Lastly they must not be treated by pharmaceutical interventions such as antibiotics and certainly not fed any hormones. What is the impact of this form of animal husbandry? My sense is that it will mean an increase in the cost of beef. We recognize this phenomena full well at the meat counter at our health food store or farmer’s market where grass-fed beef is a premium. Once beef is produced in this fashion, we wouldn’t be able to buy 99 cents Whoppers or 50 cents cans of chili. This reality alone will drive down the consumption of meat. The “slow food” movement is already creating a new market for locally and sustainably farmed animal meats.  Some may feel this is an elitist viewpoint and that I am proposing that only those who can afford to go to store such as Wholefoods should be able to buy beef. What I am putting out there is a belief that the meat supply at its current low price in the US is unhealthy by design. Unhealthy in how it is farmed, unhealthy in how it is pushed by fast food chains as a cheap caloric source and ultimately unhealthy in the final product we introduce into our bodies. The current glut of beef in the market is not providing our bodies with healthy food calories. A reduction of beef by volume yet available at a higher quality will ultimately mean healthier citizens, reduction in green-house gases, and a happier healthier world for both people and animals. This shift of course will not happen overnight. Most people are not going to quit their daily McDonald’s run for a bi-weekly run to Wholefoods for organic grass-fed beef. It will require education at all levels. Side note: as humanity collectively begins to raise its consciousness and our bodies reach higher and higher vibrational levels, much like some of the gurus in the east and the west who must maintain a vegan diet, it may well become necessary to reduce our consumption of highly energy-dense foods such as beef or other animal-foods but till that time, and till we can formulate a “completely” healthy vegan diet that does not include soy, some of us may still need nourishment from this preferably humanely derived food-source.

Now with more and more companies of all shapes and sizes delivering organic products, it is important that consumers recognize the “quality” and the “real-ness” of these organically produced products. We can’t forget that processed organic food is still processed food which ultimately ceases to resemble food. That truth goes specially with milk and here’s a new video of Mark McAfee founder of Organic pastures giving a quick lesson about the difference between Raw milk, pasteurized and homogenized. Next time you think OrganicValley milk, Organic Straus Milk, or Organic Clover milk, or any of your favorite organic milk brand is the healthier way to go…think again! Soon I’ll have a section on this blog with links and there I’ll include plenty of information on milk.