Veganism, Big Ag and Farmland

So I saw this article on Huffington Post this morning titled, "Veganism is a Woman's Lifestyle." Not knowing what to expect, I clicked through. It had an infographic and I LOVE INFOGRAPHICS even when they aren't centered around sports, agriculture or meat.

 

See? We eat veggies and fruits too!



 I'm not going to repost it here but you can easily go over and see the graphics for yourself. The results, based on a survey of more than 8,000 vegans, were interesting yet unsurprising:

• 51% became vegan after seeing a film, education video or movie
• 69% became vegan on behalf of animals
• Americans consume 1/6 of the total meat consumed worldwide (the U.S. produces 30% of the world's food with only 2.5% of the world's population).
• 79% and 59% of vegans and vegetarians, respectively, are female
• Celebrity herbivores include Al Gore, Usher and Bill Clinton, all who adopted the lifestyle for health benefits - they must not know about the 29 cuts of lean beef!
• Some of the most influential films that veganism adoption is based on are: Food Inc., Supersize Me and Forks Over Knives.

Those movies, I'll use Food Inc. as an example, depict animal abuse as the norm and demonize any farm that is large, uses technology or is efficient with their land, resources and livestock. If you are a large operation, apparently you don't care about animal welfare. I often wonder why 'Big Ag' is bad. Obviously, these assumptions are not true.

 

Guess what? Farmers and ranchers - large and small, organic and conventional, beef and potatoes - care about their land, families and yes, their livestock. I own farm animals and I care about their well-being. I have worked on what animal rights activists would deem a 'factory farm' yet I saw no one filming me riding pastures in the pouring down rain to count cows and make sure that sick cattle were found and provided with care. Methinks there is a bias but that's sort of a given considering the moniker 'Big Ag.'

Need further proof that farmers and ranchers from all types of operations truly care? Have you heard about the new film Farmland by Academy Award-winning director James Moll? It releases in theaters on May 1 and will open your eyes to the similarities between all types of farming and ranching.
 

 

Questions that will be answered while you watch the film:

• Do organic producers use pesticides? [spoiler alert, yes]
• Are large operations family owned?
• Are organic farms and ranches small compared to conventional counterparts?
• What do farmers and ranchers think about undercover videos?
• Do farmers have choices regarding seed purchases?

If you are able to, I strongly urge every reader who sees this post or hears about Farmland, to go see the movie. It will be opening nationwide on May 1 and regardless if you are a longtime farmer, new to the agriculture scene or are looking for more information about food, you will learn something from this film and I guarantee you'll leave feeling inspired and good about the food we produce in the U.S.

 

If you've already seen the film, I'd love to hear your impressions! I have heard varied opinions and of course have my own :)

 

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

 

 

 

I'm a Meatatarian



No veggies? No problem.

I'm a red-blooded, God-fearing, feisty American and I like meat. I know how it's produced, I'm comfortable with the sacrifice made to yield it and I can prepare it 154 ways to amaze even the most skeptical foodie. I eat it at almost every meal and even snack-time if some beef jerky is handy. That's right, I'm a meatatarian.

 

You might be wondering what a meatatarian is, so pay attention while I drop a profound answer in your lap:

meatatarian: a person who, for a variety of reasons, eats mostly meat and very few vegetables. This dietary 'lifestyle' may be due to allergies or could be attributed to a sincere distaste for most vegetables.

I fall into the latter of those two descriptions - I have eaten a lot of vegetables in my twenty-somethings years, in fact it was a rule in the Buzzard household that you had to clean your plate before getting up for dinner. I actually tested this rule to the max when I was seven and fell asleep at dinner because I didn't want to eat spinach.

 

In spite of my avoidance plan, leftover spinach graced my plate at lunch-time the next day. The only thing worse than spinach is leftover, re-warmed spinach. Gag.

 

However, upon leaving the parental castle for college I vowed that I would not continue to eat another food that I despised, thereby depriving those who enjoy vegetables from what they view as an exemplary eating experience. Hence, my diet consists of meat, dairy, grains -- sometimes whole, others not -- and fruit. Often times, my plate contains meat, cottage cheese and a potato/green beans/corn/squash; however, if said potato dish includes peppers or other contemptible vegetable intruders, I quickly jump off the veggie train.

 

It's worth noting that I have tried almost every vegetable in the grocery store so I'm not condemning them without actually having tried them. You name it and I've *probably* tried it and subsequently, disliked it.

 

Bear in mind, I do have vegetarian friends. They are insanely awesome and although we poke fun at one another about dietary choices, I have never seriously tried to convert them back to meat-eaters and they have never tried to persuade me to stop gorging on bacon and steak. They have their reasons for choosing their lifestyle and I have mine. We can all coexist and co-eat in peace.

 

I often wish that I did like vegetables. I see commercials for fresh salads chock full of crispy fresh peppers, cucumbers and carrots. I would love to partake, really I would, but my most recent attempt at ingesting crunchy, fresh salad-type foods led to a near vomit experience in the local Olive Garden. I doubt they would have viewed me as family if I had spewed in the garden.

 

My ordering process at restaurants drives my husband insane but I fail to understand why my palate restricts his meal experience. I challenge you to find a restaurant in existence in which I couldn't suss out at least one thing to eat - plain is always an option - therefore, my food preferences should in no way affect his options.  I profess that I am not a picky eater; I know what I want and I eat a lot of it. Steak, bacon, burgers, chops, wings - bring all the smokey, spiced and sauced goodness to me on a silver platter and I shall demolish it in one fell swoop.

So, to my fellow meatatarians, here are some survival tips for navigating through an increasingly veggo-filled world:

• Do not be ashamed of your choices - God made you this way and no one can argue with that.
• Keep a close eye out for veggies that are added but not disclosed - i.e. the bacon and cheese hot dog in a pretzel bun at Sonic does not make buyers aware of onions in the mix but they are sure 'nuff on the dog.
• When the day arrives that you're tired of defending your choices (and it will come, no fail), claim to be allergic to specific vegetables. This strategy will immediately stop whatever heckling you're receiving. I have used this at Taco Bell in order to stop the staff from ignoring my requests about a lettuce-less burrito.
• Pose the question, "If I were a vegetarian would you be giving me this much guff?"
• Refer to one of any number of Ron Swanson classics - here, here and here.
• Bonus info: if you order fajitas and ask for no onions or peppers, they will often double the amount of meat you're getting so the portion sizes are equal. Huzzah!

I imagine, in the distant future, there will be a support group for folks like myself who, despite society's need to interrogate and force change upon our dietary choices needs, have chosen to eat mostly animal products mixed in with a few whole grains and some fruit.

Stand strong, fellow meatatarians, and let protein drive the force.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

PETA is Happy Detroit Went Bankrupt

image credit

 



Why? Because it gives the animal rights organization the opportunity to get some good press. PETA president Ingrid Newkirk offered to give $100,000 to the city of Detroit, which filed for bankruptcy recently, if the city will offer vegan only meals in government buildings.

No lie.

Furthermore, Newkirk offered to purchase ad space on government vehicles like firetrucks and police cars to keep those public works funded. Obviously, this is great opportunity for PETA to get some face time and I'm guessing the organization is more interested in publicity than helping out the city of Detroit. Read here for the full story but you get the idea.

I think I'd rather be broke than in cahoots with PETA. Stay strong, Detroit. Like a rock.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Does PETA cross a line with new ad?

picture courtesy PETA

I think the new PETA ad crosses the line and is pretty bold considering it puts a different spin on a form of domestic abuse (disclaimer: I am not saying they promote/condone domestic abuse. So please don't flood my comment stream with stuff about how I am reading into things and exaggerating). I also don't think this type of advertising is successful in converting people to vegetarianism/veganism.  It's more for shock value, in my opinion. Read the short article and watch the video by clicking the link below.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/does-peta-ad-featuring-young-pantsless-woman-neckbrace-222920818.html

I can't find the ad on YouTube so hopefully you clicked the link and watched it.

What do you think?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Vegetarian Lifestyle Doesn't Always Mean Healthy

I like to read the headlines on Yahoo!....a lot.  That's where I find a lot of my fun nutrition and health facts. Recently, I found this gem: 10 Diet and Exercise Myths That Pack on Pounds. Guess what #8 is? “Myth: Becoming a vegetarian will help me drop a size.”

Thaaaat's right - ceasing meat consumption does not make one automatically lose weight. Why? Many vegetarians substitute cheese and dairy to get their protein, which also provides the daily requirement for calcium, however, dairy products generally have more fat than lean meat. That alone can work against one's weight loss goals significantly.

I've pasted some key elements of the article below:

Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet, explains common vegetarian beginners’ mistakes that may cause weight gain. Vegetarian “types” to avoid becoming:

Cheese-aholic vegetarians: They cut out meat from their diets and turn to cheese as a protein source. But cheese is a high-calorie, high-fat food and should be eaten in moderation.

Faux-meat fixators: All they eat is boxes of frozen faux meats, such as soy chicken nuggets, vegetarian sausage links, and veggie bacon strips. These products are okay once in a while, but they are heavily processed and can have a lot of sodium, resulting in bloating and water retention.

No-veggie vegetarians: A lot of vegetarians don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. They eat only grains, beans and veggie burgers, all of which can be high in calories.

Same-meal-minus-the-meat vegetarians: These people eat the same meals they did before, but without the meat. If they’re not replacing the protein, they’ll probably have a ferocious appetite and may be missing out on essential nutrients.

“Vegetarian” food label fans: These people find any recipe or packaging that contains the word “vegetarian” or “meatless” and then overeat that food. They often wind up taking in too much junk food. Be aware that the word “vegetarian” is not synonymous with“healthy” or “low calorie.”

Blatner recommends replacing meat with beans in recipes for an easy, healthy—and inexpensive—protein source. She advises new vegetarians—and those who want to dabble in a vegetarian diet—to start having fun with vegetarian recipes. “Find ones you like that you’re going to keep eating. Enjoy the journey of it.”

So if weight loss is your goal, don't automatically drop meat and expect to drop pounds as well. Consulting a nutritionist or dietitian is the best way to build a diet program that is best for you.

Are you a cheeseaholic? Or a meataholic? Vegeholic? What food could you absolutely not live without?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

**Disclaimer: I have nothing against vegetarians, I have several friends who don't eat meat. However, sometimes the myths that have become associated with giving up meat need to be dispelled.

Image from here

Vegetarianism is in my blood...

Sort of.

I have a cousin who, a few years ago, decided she wanted to become a vegetarian.  She adopted this lifestyle because she had a some friends who were vegetarian and had given her some information about animal welfare and cruelty. While she did read the information, she didn't explore all educational resources before making her decision.

She continued this lifestyle for two years before returning to her carnivorous ways. When I asked her why she reintroduced meat to her life she said that she had forgotten why she had given it up.  She also said she didn't believe the same things anymore, and didn't see any point in continuing with something she no longer believed.

This is a great example of how sometimes trying something for yourself is more influential than simply reading some pamphlets. If I liked any vegetables besides green beans, corn and potatoes I would try to eat only vegetables for a week.  Maybe I should only eat those three things for a week and see how I feel.....interesting.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Vegan Tries Beef

Ok, so the vegan didn't really try beef, but he did take a tour of a cattle feedlot in Wiggins, Colorado.  To be exact, it was the Magnum Feedyard owned by my friend Christine Gabel's family.  The vegan, Ryan Andrews, visited the feedyard and wrote about his firsthand experiences with cattle nutrition, feedlot health systems, the myth behind corn fed cattle and E. coli.   You can read the article by clicking this LINK.

It's absolutely spectacular to see people who don't eat meat getting a firsthand look at how it's raised and produced for human consumption.  Andrews stated he still probably won't eat meat but now he knows the truth about beef production and can say that it's not the horrific process he previously thought.

I can only hope that more reports are done in a similar fashion.  These types of articles exemplify the food production industry to the urban consumer.  Congrats to Gabel and the Magnum Feedyard on being a shining example of the beef industry!

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

KSU Collegian Speaks Out Against PETA!

That's right - you heard it here on Buzzard's Beat!  The KSU Collegian published an article speaking out against PETA for the organization's blatant disregard for morality.

The article, Puppy Love: PETA seeks limelight, uses attacks for promotion, written by KSU junior Leslie Campbell, cites the immature acts that have taken place at various PETA appearances.  Most recently, a PETA member threw a tofu cream in the face of the Canadian Fisheries and Oceans Minister - Gail Shea.  Although Ms. Shea brushed off the incident with a laugh and commented on the "blandness" of the pie.  This act is just one of many outlandish occurrences that PETA whips up.

PETA has a long history of outrageous advertising to try to persuade people that eating meat and wearing fur is wrong.  For example take this billboard

Obviously, this was put up to influence people to think that eating meat will lead to extreme obesity.  We agriculturalists know this to be not true -- especially since there are 29 cuts of lean beef, including the T-bone and tenderloin, which contribute to a heart healthy diet!  Additional instances of attacks on meat eating are the numerous accounts of scantily clad women holding signs saying "Go Vegetarian."  This is supposed to imply that being vegetarian is sexy and will keep you super thin. 

I think Leslie Campbell says it very succinctly when she states, "PETA is nothing more than a vicious organization, seeking out the limelight every chance they see possible."  Yep, I'd say that just about sums it up.

Until next time,

~Buzzard~

Science needs to outweigh slander

Meat is not to blame for obesity.  You know this, I know this.  But there are a ton of vegetarians, vegans, anti-ag activists, etc. proclaiming that if we quit eating meat our obesity problems will end.

Bologna.

Take a look at all the fats, preservatives and processed food products in our diets.  One of those 'heat and eat' meals can carry over 800 calories (Hungry Man Beer Battered Chicken).  Obesity stems from eating too many calories and not burning them through exercise.  The average person needs approximately 2000 calories per day to maintain their body - the average United States citizen consumes 5000-6000 calories in a holiday meal!  That's ridiculous - if that doesn't show that we're overeating in general, instead of just eating too much meat, then I don't know what will.

Read this blog post by Raoul Baxter from meatingplace.com - he talks about how we need sound science to show consumers that they're not eating too much meat; they're just eating too much, period.  Just so you'll get interested here is a portion of his post:        

"People in fast food sell products people are going to eat and eat repeatedly. Sugar, fat and portion size bring them back. In food consumption, like most things in life, the secret is balance, sometimes even moderation. 

What scientific experiments have been done which shows the effect of a diet that mixes meat, vegetables, fruits and some carbohydrates? Not many. Also, humans are very individualistic in their lifestyles and physical makeup. A diet for one may not work for another."

I think after reading Raoul's piece, you'll start looking more closely at the ingredients of the food you buy.

I encourage you to sign up for the free membership to meatingplace.com. They send out a newsletter everyday that has articles/posts about current events in food safety, animal agriculture and agricultural policy.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~