The Scoop Out of the Coop
January 13, 2009|Comments (20)
As you may know, I love chickens. From the joy on the faces of my kids when they collect eggs, the comedic antics of our flock, delicious meat, or the many uses of their litter — chickens are just plain wonderful. Unfortunately, the vast majority of our country doesn’t share my opinion. Bummer.
Today, I am dedicating my post to making others aware of the plight of these beautiful birds and other animals who are suffering thanks to factory farming. Visit the Eat Well Guide to start changing the way you eat by learning where to buy wholesome, fresh and sustainable foods. There are recipes, blogs, and all sorts of awesome widgets to post on your blog to spread the word. You can also take the RazorFamilyFarms Challenge and let the world know where you stand. Your money is your vote. Why support factory farming any longer?
We are an enlisted military family which means we are on a very tight budget. I’ve learned how to buy the organic/free range meat and dairy without breaking the bank. Here’s how: we don’t have “just meat” meals any longer.
Instead of serving steaks, I take one steak and cut it into strips and make stroganoff or stir fry. I fix half-sized chicken breasts and cut them up to serve over salad that I’ve loaded up with peppers, onions, olives, almonds, hard-cooked eggs, and more. We eat a great deal of soups, stews, and chili which contain more beans than meat.
Finally, I bake a LOT of bread to supplement our diets. Grains are not the enemy. The French eat many fatty foods, tons of carbs, gallons of wine, and LOADS of fresh locally grown vegetables (meat in small quantities). They sit down and their meals last for hours and they spend a huge amount of time walking for their next meal (from vegetable stand to bakery to vintner). They have FAR fewer instances of heart disease and obesity than Americans. America is not set up for us to walk — in fact they make it REALLY hard.
The mall nearest to us is designed for people to drive from store to store instead of walking. When I go, I park in one spot and walk everywhere — there are no sidewalks linking the stores to the eateries. I get some really funny looks and some less-than-complimentary honks but I walk from the shops to Jason’s Deli and back. When I go to the grocery store with my kids, I park in the spots farthest from the entrance (I also bring the cloth grocery bags I’ve made). We go on treasure walks with the kids and our family rides bikes together constantly. There is no great secret to weight loss and good health: diet and exercise.
Truthfully, we’ve spent more money building shelters, buying feed, and purchasing the chickens than we’ve saved (at this point). BUT in the long run we’ve saved a great deal of money. We plant a vegetable garden each year and can up everything so we can enjoy organic fruits and vegetables the whole year through. We are trying to be the change we seek even if it means that we must make some sacrifices in order to do so. It’s worth it.
What are you doing to change the world around you?
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Way to go Lacy!!
Over the years I’ve changed the way my family eats. Making meat the sauce for their vegetable to paraphrase Thomas Jefferson. I’ve always said half as much meat to twice as much vegetables is the only way to go. I went totally vegetarian about 15 years ago and never looked back. Not everyone can or wants to do this and I understand that but everything helps.
Lacy: The problems with all we do are so hard. I’m glad you are able to deal with all there is. I understand your being on a military budget and working to get by.
Here, meat is so ridiculously expensive, so we very seldom eat it (perhaps 3-4 times a month)… The same goes with cheese. But, a lot of the food produced gets wasted, because of oveproduction! That’s plain disgusting! Our society should have more respect for nature’s gifts and not slaughter poor animal for no purpose.
Cheers,
Rosa
Oh Lacy.
THANK YOU for this post. Animal welfare/rights is where all of my charitable donations go. It is just one of THE most important issues in my entire life and always has been.
Despite what some folks might say about the “need” for factory farming, there is never a justifiable excuse to treat creatures cruelly. Period. In my opinion, our humanity is defined by how we treat those creatures more vulnerable than us.
I haven’t eaten meat in 16 years. My hubby eats meat maybe 2x a week. So, it isn’t hard for us to buy cruelty-free. We ALWAYS buy cage-free eggs, no exceptions.
YOU ROCK!
We eat a lot of venison. In fact, I made venison meat loaf for lunch today.
It’s just pennies a pound and the deer are allowed to roam free until they are harvested.
Also, I just posted a recipe for biscuits and gravy… a great supper for cold winter nights using very little animal products.
Awesome post Jedi Master! Will you teach this young Padowin the ways of organic shopping on our next excursion on Post?
We are still debating building a chicken run and coop with a chicken tractor to get more good out of the poultry. I hesitated to comment on this, stretching a dollar by not featuring huge roasts and steaks is frugal and usually quite tasty. I would never commit to no meat – tried it for a few years. We enjoy a variety of foods and appreciate things which are home grown or locally produced (best doggoned honey from a guy just up the highway from us!).
We’ve enjoyed the antics of ours. And the eggs. But we haven’t actually eaten any. I’m still buying the meat. So much less personal that way…. =P
Very good post Lacy.
We have drastically changed our meals regarding meat as well. So many of the meals I make are meat-free that we usually prefer it that way now. On occasion we do eat meat, but prepare it similar to how you do…over salads, in stir-fry, stuff like that.
I want chickens when we move, but probably just for the eggs…I’m not sure I could eat my own :-/ (especially once you name them…I know…I’m no farm-girl)
Excellent Post Lacy! It is time for many of us to slow down on consumption. With Hurricane Ike we lost our freezers of meat. We shared with everyone in the area but we still had meat that ended up being fed to the dogs.
Now that I’m having to buy meat in the grocery stores I wonder how families can afford it. It is crazy expensive. I would recommend to anyone that can shell out the initial expense of a large freezer to contact a local farmer for half a side of beef or poultry. It is much more affordable in the long run and better for you.
ang.
We love the Meatrix videos. I posted them once on my blog and made a few people none too happy. I think they need to see what really happens!
I won’t take up your space here because I’ve told you what all we do. Plus I am super itchy today with severe eczema and it’s hard to think straight. Hugs, Robin
OH I use reusable grocery bags!
Jake has gout but we still do eat some meat. whenever we eat steak it is always out at a restaurant that way we dont waste the money by it not tasting so good the way I cook it.
I bake my own bread and make lunches for Jake to take to school. We usually eat twice a day rather than three times…with a snack or so.
ok great post to read!!
We are making those changes too. I do have a hunter that fills my freezer with lots of free range venison..but I am trying to get more vegies into our diets.
thanks for this post .
How are the kids?
Wonderful post, as always Lacy. We do the same things you do. Raise our own, buy from local, responsible farmers and we do not eat CAFO meat all. I would like to mention, for anyone considering making a change in lifestyle, or fork-style, Micheal Pollan’s “Omnivores Dilemma” and Barbara Kingslover’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” are great places to start.
I also bake bread from organic wheat that I grind. Composting is a way of life as are reusable grocery bags. As far as chickens we raise our own but only for the eggs. I don’t believe you should have a serious discussion of how to help the planet without at least considering the real advantages of being a vegetarian. The amount of land it takes and the water it uses to raise animals for consumption is so much less effecient than what is needed to feed people directly from the land without the animal being the ‘middle man’.
You have a great post here for a very positive and helpful discussion about our responsiblity to the other creatures that inhabit this earth with us.
We love our chickens! We have them for eggs, not meat, and now that we adore them so much, I’m having a much harder time eating chicken at all. My family won’t let me give it up completely, so I’m just buying organic meat less frequently than I used to buy factory farmed. I buy a whole chicken maybe twice a month, use leftovers for a second recipe, and make our own stock.
I’d really like to start baking our own bread regularly, too. I do sometimes, we still use a lot of storebought sandwich bread.
Somehow, I knew this is how your life goes Lacy,…no surprise to me at all. You are very talented, thrifty, inspiring and intuitive. Keep up with what you have in motion…you are setting by example for your kids, which is a tremendous contribution to society!!
Love you and Hugs to all of you!
Momma Barb
Lacy we garden and can or freeze the bounty for eating. And the majority of meat we eat-is venison. Totally free range until harvested by my husband. Wish I had some chickens too. Maybe someday.
That is a cute video. We are doing many of the same things you are. It is costing us a bit in the short term, but is paying off in the long run. Keep up the good work.