The thing that hits me the hardest is how sad it is to see animals living in those conditions. It sucks that we are eating low-quality meat but having our eyes opened to how terribly the animals are grown is just as bad. There is only a small number of people that are benefiting from this terrible system and yet it continues to happen.
One thing that gives me hope is the small farmers that are trying to provide an alternative to this system. My friend has located a small farm in Northeast Ohio that raises chickens. This farm allows customers to come to their site and see how the chickens are raised; afterwards they can go to a different site and learn how to cut their own chicken. She said she has never tasted such delicious chicken and the feeling she gets knowing where her meat is coming from and how humanely the animal was raised is irreplaceable.
If only we spent more time and effort promoting such farming styles and farmers, the terribly managed system we have now could change.
As an advertising major, in a year or so I will be in the "real world" and will be able to adequately make consumers aware of their available options such as these small farms. I hope I can find a way to do such a thing.
"The thing that hits me the hardest is how sad it is to see animals living in those conditions." Me too! Especially watching the cows stand in their own manure. It was horrific.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could feasibly go to a small farm like your friend has found. I just don't have the transportation, time and money to make the change. I guess in that case the best bet is to try to buy all organic...
I like how you advocate for the small farmers. Though they are not making anywhere close to as much money as they deserve, they are surely doing their part for the community. I wish it wasn't so expensive though. As a college student, it is easy to see how the poor would rather spend their money on cheap food than healthy food. It is a matter of becoming full, not eating healthy for some. It's a challenge that will not disappear anytime soon.
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