Factory Farming: Feast or Famine
Factory Farming: Feast or Famine J.R. Phillips DeVry University
Throughout history, human beings have grouped themselves together in communities. The concept of communities offered two major benefits; first, defense against enemies that might threaten the community. And second, the ability to sustain a constant food source to subsist on year-round. The need for a constant food supply became a major factor in early farming practices (Pollan, 2006) through animal husbandry. The waste from the livestock was used as fertilizer for the other crops that were raised on the farm. These crops were utilized to feed the farmers, sell at market, as well as feed the livestock through the next winter. In this manner, there is a continuous lifecycle on the homestead. The overall mindset is different, first, I will feed my family, second try to make a profit, and third, I will try to keep livestock for the next year in order to grow my farm. When the production of beef became more about profit the respect and love for the land fell catastrophically to the wayside. Modern feedlot operations are creating environmental problems that will affect our country in the future, as well as health issues for consumers, which would to corrected by implementing strong regulations in the handling of feedlot waste and a mandated correction in the diet of the cattle.
Modern Americans who have not been exposed to farm life have no concept of the origin of the meat they consume. When the need arises to prepare a meal they just go the supermarket where the meat issues would needed is conveniently packaged in nifty Styrofoam trays under shrink wrap. There are two very interesting dynamics here; first the thought of where that pork chop came from is disturbing, and so we don't think about it. Alternatively, we know where it came from and we are looking for the best quality that we can find for our family. Most Americans think that meat is magically inserted in those trays;
Throughout history, human beings have grouped themselves together in communities. The concept of communities offered two major benefits; first, defense against enemies that might threaten the community. And second, the ability to sustain a constant food source to subsist on year-round. The need for a constant food supply became a major factor in early farming practices (Pollan, 2006) through animal husbandry. The waste from the livestock was used as fertilizer for the other crops that were raised on the farm. These crops were utilized to feed the farmers, sell at market, as well as feed the livestock through the next winter. In this manner, there is a continuous lifecycle on the homestead. The overall mindset is different, first, I will feed my family, second try to make a profit, and third, I will try to keep livestock for the next year in order to grow my farm. When the production of beef became more about profit the respect and love for the land fell catastrophically to the wayside. Modern feedlot operations are creating environmental problems that will affect our country in the future, as well as health issues for consumers, which would to corrected by implementing strong regulations in the handling of feedlot waste and a mandated correction in the diet of the cattle.
Modern Americans who have not been exposed to farm life have no concept of the origin of the meat they consume. When the need arises to prepare a meal they just go the supermarket where the meat issues would needed is conveniently packaged in nifty Styrofoam trays under shrink wrap. There are two very interesting dynamics here; first the thought of where that pork chop came from is disturbing, and so we don't think about it. Alternatively, we know where it came from and we are looking for the best quality that we can find for our family. Most Americans think that meat is magically inserted in those trays;