Food, Inc.

I just saw Food, Inc. the very informative movie about where our food really comes from. Food, Inc. does an excellent job of unveiling the facts about the so called farms that bring meat, dairy, corn, and soy products to our dinner table. The majority of these so called "farms" are actually mass production factories. Little or no concern is given to the well being of animals being raised at these giant agribusinesses. Even if you are not an animal activist you will be shocked by the inhumane treatment. The use of ammonia and antibiotics, and pesticides, and genetically modified organisms in commercial foods will send you straight to your local organic farmers market or whole foods store. I learned a lot from Food, Inc. I didn't realize that 90% of soybeans grown in this country are genetically modified and protected by a patten put in place by the huge chemical company Monsanto! It's appalling what has happened to farmers across America because of this. You've gotta see this movie! If you eat, you should know the facts!
I saw it at the new Bowtie Cinema in Richmond, VA. It's a great theater. The tickets were expensive, $9.50!! I looked around the sold out show to see 225 people who definitely appeared to already be folks who knew a lot about the subject and who were already probably doing their parts to make changes by either choosing vegetarianism, veganism, or being whole foods advocates. This struck me as a classic "the church preaching to the choir" scenario. I think this film and others like it, Fresh, Fast Food Nation, all need to reach the masses, especially those who can't afford to pay $9.50 to get in. I asked a woman who was on the panel of experts invited to answer questions after the screening if she knew if the film would be shown at a discount anywhere. She did mention that her organization wanted to show it for free after it ran it's course in the theaters. That's good. I checked online and found out that Chipoltle's across the country are also showing Food, Inc. for free! This is great! Below I've posted some links with more info.
Food, Inc. is an excellent resource. Plus the film features one of America's best organic and free range farmers, Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farms, in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.


I could write an essay on this subject but instead I'll just leave you with these links. See the movie, do your own research, and be a part of the solution to the problems by demanding better products by making conscientious purchases and sharing your discoveries with others! :> All of us can help make this world a better place for ourselves, others, the animals, and environment by just refusing to be kept in the dark!

Thanks,

Mary

Food, Inc. Official Website: http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php

Polyface Farm

Free screenings of Food, Inc

Bowtie Cinema Richmond, VA

One Little Jar of Strawberry Preserves

I went home to the Eastern Shore of Virginia this past weekend to visit my Dad and family for Father's Day. I was also home to deliver some household items and clothes to my cousin Kelly who's house recently burned down. Kelly is my cousin on my Dad's side of the family. Kelly's great grandmother and my great grandmother were sisters. Kelly's great grandmother died in child birth and her 3 children were divided up and raised by her 3 sisters. My great grandmother, Nanoo, being one of the sisters raised little Josie. Nanoo's sister, Lee, raised little Nancy. Nancy is Kelly's grandmother. Long story short... My great grandmother, Nanoo, and Aunt Lee, AND Kelly's grandmother Nancy were all neighbors when Kelly and I were growing up. Kelly and I used to have so much fun baking mud cakes in oyster shells, rolling down the big hill that went up to her grandmothers house, eating amazing Sunday suppers with the whole family, and just playing games.
So on this past Sunday when we took the donations for Kelly to her grandmother Nancy's house it felt like going back in time. I hadn't been there in 15 years! My Nanoo died when I was in high school and I just hadn't been over there much after that. Walking in to Nancy's house up on the hill after so long was special. We just popped in and Nancy and Fred A. (Kelly's grandfather) were sitting at the little table in the bay window nook eating a southern meal complete with Lemon Meringue Pie and a jar of homemade strawberry preserves. I saw the preserves on the table and asked Nancy if they were homemade. She said of course and went to the cupboard and gave me the last jar. I didn't want to take her last jar but she wanted me to have them which made me so happy. It's weird how just a jar of jam can send you back to your childhood. When I opened the preserves the next night back at home, I nearly cried they were so delicious. All those women who took such good care of me when I was a little girl, showing me how they baked pies, and singing me hymns, and just letting me ask so many questions about every little thing they did, they're almost all gone now. I miss them dearly.
Those strawberry preserves from Aunt Nancy remind me of my Nanoo, Gaggie, Aunt Lee, Aunt Tabby, and just being a a kid.
Good Memories.

Peter Singer

Most people think of non-human animals as lesser beings based solely on their level of intelligence. A lot of people feel differently. I am one of them. I believe all living beings should enjoy life and that that that is our purpose for being here. Life is the pursuit of happiness. Finding one's inner peace should be a universal right. We are not designed for pain and suffering, and neither are other animals. It is beyond my rational logic that anyone finds it acceptable to mistreat another being, of any kind, especially based on the thought that that being is not smart enough to know any better. If pain and anxiety are felt then that is what is understood. Unhappiness is known. The reasoning behind such suffering may eternally remain a mystery to the sufferer. That sufferer won't understand that it is being denied it's birth given rights to happiness because it tastes good on a bun. Any form of purposeful mistreatment toward another living creature is a sin. If you must kill to eat, do it quickly and in the least painful manor possible. Do not raise another life for the sole purpose of killing it unless you are going to give it the freedom to live out it's life time happily. These are my beliefs. It took me much longer than I would have liked to realize that by eating factory farmed meat and dairy products I was condoning these sins.

My good friend Terry Brown sent me a link to a Charlie Rose interview. The subject of her email simply said "Listen". So, I did. I listened to Charlie Rose talk with Australian Philosopher and Princeton Bioethics Professor Peter Singer. He's fascinating. Singer is very well known, and very controversial, for his views on abortion, speciesism, and euthanasia. Peter Singer became a megaphone for the animal liberation movement with his 1975 book Animal Liberation. As I listened to Peter Singer speak about ones given rights being based on ones ability to feel pain rather than on ones intellect I became excited! Hearing my own true beliefs described so eloquently was fulfilling for me. I love deep thinking and extremely compassionate people. Peter Singer is both. He went on about his ideas of religion and compassionate suicide. He makes some valid and caring points. His own mother is on her death bed. He has said that if it were up to him alone she would not be alive now, but instead at peace. He has a sister who doesn't share his view points so his mother is still alive and suffering, and Peter Singer is helping pay the bill. He has admitted to not living up to all of his own standards especially when it comes to charitable giving. He donates 25% of all his earnings to UNICEF but says he could and should give more. He states that not giving what you have beyond your needs to others living below their needs is like helping contribute to their decline. I have mixed opinions on this subject. Although I believe in charity and helping anyone in need to get themselves back on track, I do not believe in continuous handouts. I feel such systems create laziness and a level of expected donation.

The point is is that Peter Singer is a living Philosopher tackling issues of our time. He spends his life studying us and the way we live. We can learn a lot from his theories or at least bring some excellent questions upon ourselves which usually leads to growing as a person. Peter Singer is definitely someone to add to your informative source list. I need to delve deeper into his philosophies on assisted suicide, abortion, and charitable giving before stating that I totally agree with everything he says, but from what I've gathered through the below listed links I'm very interested to hear and read more especially on his animal rights ideas. I know why Terry sent me the link now. She knows how I feel about animals, and life in general. Thanks Terry B. :>

Info Links:

Interview with Charlie Rose
Interview with Ronald Bailey
Article by Paul Shapiro
Article by Donald Demarco
Utilitarian

It ain't easy going VEGAN!

It's been a few months since I started trying to eliminate all dairy and eggs from my vegetarian diet. I'm having some trouble! It's not that eating vegan foods is difficult, I've been turned on to some really great dishes and products. The problem is turning down food that others prepare for me. I don't want to be a pain in the rear. I feel like my eating habits are already annoying to other people. I have several food allergies and I always get phone calls when I'm invited to functions that go something like this "now what is it you're allergic to? ... Oh, raw garlic, sesame, white grapes, barley, mangos, AND CHOCOLATE, etc. etc. etc... Oh... AND you're a vegetarian?!" I hate making other people go out of their way to accomodate me. Some people are so nice about it but I can tell some others just don't get it. It's okay though. I live and eat the way I do for a good purpose. I love it when someone realizes how easy it is to actually be a vegetarian. I'd like to say that about Veganism too.
I've found I have to think about what is in everything like the bread, and pie crust even if it's a fruit pie. I gave myself this rule that I would eat vegan and shop vegan when doing so for myself, but when I ate what others had prepared I would go ahead and eat milk and eggs. The problem is I wanted to make this big meaningful change in my life and I feel guilty or like I'm cheating when I eat the dairy and egg products. It's a tough line. I think I'm still headed in the right direction. Someone told me it takes a transitional period to go totally vegan. I just wanted to do it Cold Faux Turkey, ya know.
I'll report back on this in a month or so and see how I'm doing then.

I'm off to make myself something I don't feel bad about right now.

:> Mary

5-H

This is just one of the uber cool shirts you can buy from Animal Place Store as a donation to the cause!
Animal Place is an animal sanctuary in California that takes in abused farm animals. Horses, pigs, goats, cows, and other mistreated critters get a second chance to live the life they were born to live if they are lucky enough to end up at Animal Place. The rescue mission of Animal Place is wonderful in itself but that's not all the good they are doing! They also run a campaign called 5-H which encourages kids in the 4-H program to add a 5th H for Humane Choices.
"The 5-H program offers kids involved in 4-H a unique opportunity to truly reach their full potential as caring human beings, which is essentially the goal of 4-H. The difference is that the kids will have an opportunity to extend this level of care to include the farmed animals they are raising. Those animals whom they have cared for since birth and grown to love will not have to be subjected to the ultimate betrayal of trust by being sold for slaughter. The kids will not have to continue the process of desensitization which makes the betrayal easier each year. They can continue to develop loyalty, trust, compassion, empathy—the very traits that are so critical to a child’s (and an adult’s) character and which are integral to the programs offered by 4-H that do not involve the raising and killing of animals. "

I think it's very important to teach children about where their food comes from at a young age so they will grow up to make smarter and more humane choices. I doubt many kids understand how a chicken ends up as a nugget on their lunch tray! I know I didn't have a clue. I explain my vegetarian lifestyle to my nephews. They are all 9 and younger. They still have to eat what their parents put on their plates and I respect that, but I also answer their questions honestly. I am interested to see what choices they will make for themselves later on down the road. I can see compassion in their futures based on their curiosity and love for animals. I hope my crystal ball is right!

My friend Shaun is a vegetarian and has been for a very long time. Her whole family is. I wish mine was. She has a 1 year old and a 10 year old that she is raising to be kind to the earth and all it's creatures. He daughter Carrington has held several bake sales at First Friday's Art Walk in Richmond to raise hundreds of dollars to donate towards humane animal causes. I think that's great! :> This world needs more Mom's like Shaun Aigner Lee! She's amazing.

Sunbear Squad

I used to work at Richmond Camera Photo Lab. Richmond Animal Control would bring their evidence photos in to be developed. I would often see these photos in the lab before being packaged and I was so shocked by a lot of the images that I started to think of the Animal Control Officers as heros. They are great protectors. I saw images of dog skeletons still attached to chains in backyards. I saw walls and floors in basements splattered with blood from dog fights. I saw an emaciated mother dog who could barely hold her head up in a tiny dirty cage. It was just awful and the list goes on, so when I heard this story about Sunbear I knew there had to be more I could do. I already call Animal Control anytime I see pet problems but that's just me. What about everything that I don't happen to see? This is why I want to start a Sunbear Squad in my town.

Sundbear Squad is a neighborhood program to help prevent the inhumane treatment of pets. You can start your own Sunbear Squad in your town too! It doesn't take a lot of effort, just open eyes, a few phone numbers, and the courage to speak up for the animals that can't speak up for themselves.

Sunbear Squad is named after a dog named Sunbear. She was a pet that was left behind after her family fell on hard times and had to move out of their rental. Sunbear was locked in a laundry room for 6 WEEKS with no food or water before she was rescued. Sadly, the damage was done and Sunbear didn't make it. She passed away a few days later. Her story prompted Anna Nirva to start a community alert group which grew into the Sunbear Squad which is a group of people committed to keeping their ears and eyes open to local pets. Sunbear Squad folks check up on yards and alley ways keeping animal control numbers handy to report any instances of abuse such as dogs on chains with no food, water, or shelter. Sunbear could have survived if a neighbor would have reported her constant whining instead of just wishing it would stop. If you think something is suspicious just have your local animal control check the situation out. It can't hurt.

I'm going to get some friends involved and start a Sunbear Squad in my neighborhood. I hope some of you will do the same. Please check out this link for all the great info you'll need to officially get started.
Sunbear Squad

The critters will thank you! :>

A little Something From Wayne Pacelle...

I was just reading Wayne Pacelle's blog, he's the CEO of The Humane Society, and I totally agree with him on this:


The animal protection movement should never confine itself to the Left or the Right in American politics. Opposition to cruelty and the embrace of the human-animal bond are universal values, and people of every background and point of view should find common purpose with the work and programs of The Humane Society of the United States and its affiliates.




To read more from this blog check out his site: http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/

There's always great info and it's always delivered in a smart and peaceful way!
Kudos to Wayne Pacelle and The Humane Society!