Saturday, March 6, 2010

What's on your plate!


I've been debating whether or not this will be a craft blog or an "anything" blog... well... I'm about so much more than just crafts...so off it goes...

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I was mildly confused lately about the reasons and the differences between organic meat and dairy versus conventional meat and dairy.
I've heard all sorts of stories about how Canada isn't like the United States , and that there are no growth hormones allowed in Canada ! Ya right … Well I thought... hum... Everyone always says ...check the source... Well what source? Everyone's got their own agenda...

So I went to the SOURCE... Here in Quebec all pesticides, fertilizers, growth hormones and antibiotics are distributed through the agricultural CO-OP.

They already know me there, 'cause I'm buying my grain and feed from them every week ! THE ONE WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS IN IT !!!

Did you even know that? You can buy grains with it's antibiotic ration already mixed into it!
Disturbing...

After standing at the counter, and talking with the sales person, well exactly the information I was looking for, walked in through the door.

A dairy farmer … and a beef farmer. (One raising cattle for milk and the other for meat)

I start chatting away , and both seem very pleased in communicating with me. They start bragging about how well they're doing with their 800 head ranch (beef) and 450 dairy cows !

They were both extremely proud in stating that if they went “organic” they'd be out of business !

So here's the rundown :

DAIRY COWS : GET ANTIBIOTICS … HOWEVER NO GROWTH HORMONES ALLOWED IN CANADA ! (ok I see were the confusion lies) and of course ALL THE FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES IN THEIR PASTURE FEED (ie HAY)

BEEF COWS: GET THE WORKS !!!
GROWTH HORMONES (It's a patch on the ear, from day 1)
ANTIBIOTICS
PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS.

Pork and chicken … the same as beef …

Then I asked if they were just held inside or if they got to be out once in a while !!!

OH MY GOD ! You should have seen their faces ! They thought I was crazy even asking this question!

“Ya right, do you know what kind of work one has letting 800 cows outside !!!”

Again, from their perspective, they are doing it the best way !!!

When I mentioned were I get my pork and veal from , they laughed... “Ha ha those guys are small time!”

Yes I have to agree.. The veal farmer only has about 60 heads at any given moment , and has a beautiful pasture for their “beasts” . I see them when I drive by every single day! And they still manage to support their family of 3 children.

The pork farmer has about 100 heads at any given moment and has it's own “butcher shop” and “cold cut counter” right on the farm's site! And also a family operated business, they seem to be doing so well they've just added 3 employees!

Bottom line, the “co-op counter guy” (the one who sells the stuff) as well as farmers have all confirmed what I knew already … Growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and fertilizers are used commonly. It isn't a myth, it isn't the organic community trying to get us to pay more... It is totally happening every second of the day ... And then one must wonder... All these chemicals, were do they end up?

Whether we are eating them or not... they end up around us anyway...
In our water and our EARTH !

Eating organic is a lot more than just a “selfish health question” ...


ps: The picture I took visiting a conventional dairy farm, look at the chain... these cows can't even stretch out ! Rows and rows of cows attached to poles, and attached to the milking machines ! Never moving from their places , until they get sick (usually 2-3 years) and so no more milk... so they become the next hamburger...

4 comments:

  1. we get our beef and lamb from a local family farm, who lets their animals range free and they don't use growth hormones or feed the animals antibiotics. I wish I could find a local source of free range chicken. there are eggs to be found but not meat. after watching shows like Food, Inc. it really turns me off of eating commercially raised meat of any kind!

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  2. Same here :)
    There is sure a huge demand for free range/ naturally raised chicken. I have a farm close by and she has just not stopped multiplying...
    Seems everyone's looking for some of that yummy chicken ! The taste is just so different too, and knowing all those chemicals aren't polluting our bodies and planet is just worth it, if you ask me ...
    Thanks for posting
    :)

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  3. Food Inc caused me to ask qquestions from the biutcher and I got the same information. Only thing that differs is that for b eef you need to know if it's Angus that the beasts are butchered at 400 days instead of at 280., Kobe is at at 600 and fed exclusivly on barly.

    One major issue is that cows are fed corn meal wich causes excessive salmonila in thier gut, hence the antibiotics. Add the fact you now have 3 meat packers in canada left and that they all cater to 1 major customer; Mc Donalds. Just look at both Olymel and maple leaf and how they got those great listeriosis outbreaks last year.

    A freind recently told me eating organic could be worse for you than eating regular food. I tried to explain thats for processed food (too much salt) but hey if folks all cooked real food rather than pre prepared (shake & bake) ... well we'd all be healthier. We'd also cut Colon cancer chances in half I speculate.

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  4. I'm glad to hear that you attempted to get an education. As an organic farmer, my constant frustration with food and eaters is that people think their food comes from a store - not a farmer. Did you know that most beef sold to you through your supermarket comes from Uraguay, Brazil or even Australia! Go ahead and ask. In all likliehood, the beef farmer you met with doesn't even know where his beef is sold. He just sends live animals to auction and they are likely exported anyway. Here is my suggestion to all. Buy your food from local farmers. It takes some patience and some gettings used to but this has the best effect on your farmer, your local economy and environment. Small farms and farmers are good stewards of the land and want the best quality of life for an animal that they raise from birth.

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