Where Does Your Burger Come From?
Last month I wrote a post on the organic dairy debate, posing the question of is it really worth the price to drink the more expensive organic stamped milk. I personally don’t drink a lot of milk but, like many Americans, buying organic everything at the store definitely does not fit with my current budget.
Today though, I’d like to talk a little bit about organic meat. I’m sure most of you have wondered where exactly your burger or chicken wings are coming from at least once in your life.
No?
Well maybe you should. To be honest here, I never really wondered about my meat until I read the book Fast Food Nation in college and then watched movies such as Food, Inc and Super Size Me. After doing some research you might say I became even a little obsessed with where my meat came from. I shunned brands such as Perdue and Tyson and even went through a strict vegetarian phase, filling my grocery cart with tofu and lentils instead of chicken and pork (let it be known that I do love bacon now—very much).
Since that phase in my life, I have started to eat meat again. But now I make sure to read exactly where it’s coming from before I buy. And I always buy organic. Here’s why.
First of all, non-organic cattle can still consume gelatin, fats, oils, poultry and poultry by-products, rendered pork protein and rendered horse protein. No thanks. Call me disillusioned, but I prefer to think of my cows and chickens happily roaming around in tall, sweet grass and taking naps under afternoon sun. I also like to support local agricultural businesses whenever I can. Organic meat is more expensive, but I’d rather make sacrifices in other areas so I can afford my once monthly meat purchase.
What about you?
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[...] If you haven’t read my latest True/Slant article on buying organic meat, you can find it here. What are your thoughts on organic meat? I have to say, reading books like Fast Food Nation and [...]
I switched to organic-only meat about 2 years ago. I have visited all the local farms that my meat comes from (they are all about 45 minutes away), and have been very impressed. That being said, due to price, my meat consumption has gone down probably 50%. And I wasn’t a huge meat eater to start with. It tastes better (especially beef, since the meat is not so fatty), and is better for you.
I do not buy organic vegetable except when I can, as they cost an absolute fortune, and meat is my priority, but every few months, we switch a product over (we now do organic only sugar, ketchup, milk, cream cheese, goat cheese, coffee) and I recommend it for anyone, BUT TAKE YOUR TIME! If you rush it, you will just end up getting frustrated at such drastic changes and switch back… If you take your time and do what you can, you get used to it and end up loving the changes.
Also, do your research. Do you really need organic maple syrup? I think not. It’s better to save the money on food items that actually benefit you and the animals/environment they affect. Food companies, eager to jump on the organic bandwagon, will certify their products when it really makes little difference for some items.