Free-range chickens are usually treated more humanely, are healthier for you, and taste better. Despite these benefits, it is not always easy to find free-range meats served in restaurants. (The Epoch Times)
The first problem, I am not going to address today. As a wellness coach, I don’t believe people must ban ham from their lives. We can talk about that later. But the second problem needs attention because it’s a dilemma I am struggling with today.
For many years I have been eating mostly organic. During those years, I have also been aware that free-range and organic animal products come from farms where the animals have access to the outdoors and are supposed to be treated more humanely than conventional produce. Free-range and organic farms don’t guarantee that the animals were raised humanely, however, which complicates matters further. To truly know how the animals are treated requires knowledge of the farm.
But, one step at a time.
I grew up on a small farm in Ohio. We didn’t sell what we raised or grew; the food was for our personal comsumption. The only livestock we had on the farm were chickens.
The chicken coop sat right behind our house in the backyard. In the early morning, we would be alerted to dawn by the rooster’s crow. Not long after, my mother would open up the door to the coop and the chickens would poke their beaks through the opening, clucking and bobbing their heads as they stepped out into the grass. My mom would give them fresh water and toss food onto the ground. They would roam in that general area until dusk, when on their own, they would make their way back inside. Before we went in for the evening, we would shut the door to keep them safe at night.
As a child, I adored the chicks and loved to interact with them. I enjoyed the adult chickens almost as much. I especially remember one black hen that I became close to. She was sweet and calm, and would allow me to hold her in my arms.
Those chickens provided us with delicious eggs as well as delightful entertainment from the back windows of the house. Though my father had intended to use them for food, my mother and I couldn’t bare to let him do it. They were like pets to us.
This was what I thought all farms were like. When I began to see videos of factory farms, my heart broke. I could not understand how farms could subject animals to torture for their entire lives? When I discovered that this was happening, the decision to purchase only organic animal products was my way of making a difference. However, this resolve did not carry over when I ate out.
In the last few months, I have become more affected by the reality of inhumane treatment on factory farms. As individuals living in industrialized societies, we are mostly disconnected from our food sources, be they fruit and vegetables or meat. We don’t have to see the animals raised; we don’t have to see them slaughtered; we don’t have to see anything that resembles a carcass. By the time it gets to us, it doesn’t even look like an animal. We know that it’s meat and that it comes from an animal, but we have no sense of that animal’s history.
Many people would say the solution is to become vegetarian. I respect their decision. I can’t say that is where I am at though. But I can say that sitting at the deli today, I felt that it was not fair for me to eat the product of an animal that had to live a horrible life just for me to enjoy a sandwich.
So, now what? When I returned from my summer vacation set to implement change in my life by refusing to eat animal products in restaurants that don’t come from humane farms, I felt stuck. Eating humanely raised products in my home is easy. At the grocery store I am able to choose. I know exactly where to go to find them. However, finding free-range products in restaurants is not so easy. I am not on the kind of budget that would allow me to patronize my favorite organic restaurants every time I desire to eat out. Furthermore, while those places offer great menus with delicious food, they don’t always offer the item that I happen to be craving at the moment.
Nevertheless, today I am renewing my vow. Since I have not been able to find an online list of restaurants carrying free-range products (restaurants moving towards sustainable operations, yes; organic restaurants, yes; vegetarian restaurants, yes; but not free-range), I am making an effort to compile one.
Again, there is controversy over the fact that free-range or organic labels do not guarantee that farms are humane, but we have to start somewhere. CertifiedHumane.org is a great resource for finding humane farms. An additional step to take is to begin requesting that your favorite restaurants carry options sold by these farms; let your voice be heard. If we, as consumers, show demand for humanely raised products, we will likely be offered them.We’ll keep you posted when that list comes out.
Melissa King is a life and wellness coach in New York City. She works with women on weight loss, better success in dating, and career satisfaction. Her Web site is www.myheartdances.com Contact her at melissa@myheartdances.com
If you’d like to contribute to places you know that serve free-range products on their menues, please visit Melissa’s blog, read the instructions, and help to form a resource of choices we can all use: http://myheartdances.blogspot.com/2009/09/restaurants-offering-options-from.html
