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For resources check out Veggie Links! Wendall Berry said "Only by restoring the broken connections can we be healed. Connection IS health...We lose our health by failing to see direct connections between living and eating, eating and working, working and loving". Why eat a vegetarian diet?
Our Current Food System (by John Hendrickson -MACSAC - 2000)
What about a plant based diet? Yes, vegetarian or vegan diets are more "earth friendly". But there are many reasons why someone chooses to eliminate meat from their diet. Plus, many people do not know why vegetarian diets are good for the environment. Reasons to become a vegetarian or vegan: Ethical, spiritual, religious or health reasons lead individuals to adapt to a diet full of vegetables, fruits and legumes. Many individuals with a background routed in science firmly believe in several Darwinistic ideals and was enmeshed in the history of the hominids. Believing as we descended and evolved, an important factor in our success story was that fact that we could transform living things into food. One of which is such an issue today, is that as more and more people are converting to vegetarianism, we leave behind the fact that our early ancestors were omnivores and this was necessary for their survival. Human beings of nearly every culture survived by eating both plants and some form of meat, be it fish, poultry or some type of mammal. Many years ago being a vegetarian was thought of a radical way of eating, really putting one’s health at risk, since the norm was a meat and potato diet. Many people don't realize the full connection between a plant-based diet and a decrease in environmental problems. Many believed that not only would a vegetarian diet increase pesticide use, it might increase genetic engineering to a dangerous extreme. Most families firmly believe meat makes a meal. There are many ways to prepare meat that can be still of benefit to the heart, liver and other vital organs. Yet with age, more knowledge and individual health problems, many individuals have changed their mind. Vegetarism is not some New Age fad nor is it necessarily against our development as modern beings. Reading about early history, anatomy and vegetarism, all important nutrients can be met by cutting meat from the diet. Although, a vegan diet is extremely difficult to maintain for most and many vegans must take supplements because they often lack vital ingredients in their diet. A diet that consists of no meat but contains a wide variety of grains, dairy products, vegetables and fruit can "do the body good" and the mind, too. Although many people can transform themselves into a vegetarian overnight, most have found the process slow and often difficult given cultural and family values. Many families believe that meat and meals were often the center of family gatherings. One ate everything one could from a source of meat; nothing was wasted. As a child growing up in this situation, you learn to just go with the majority – family knows what is best for the growing youth. Most individuals never question this philosophy. Unfortunately, many think vegetarianism is a simple concept. It can be considered very complicated with, political, ethical and moral decisions involved with changing one’s diet. After choosing to become a vegetarian, many people pay a lot more attention to marketing, the processing of food products and health articles. Although many would not be considered strict vegetarians, the process can be slow and one of discovery. Vegetarian meals are filling and can leave you with a new sense of vitality. The process of forming a position of thinking that vegetarianism was not a viable or feasible concept was due to many outside influences. First, your assumptive world did not take into account the values or perceptions of others that felt vegetarianism was important in improving health and the environment. You maybe neither sympathetic nor empathic. But "We cannot know what we know without the participation of another", you are influenced by family, friends and college professors who may not have been open minded nor had the ability to see other possibilities. Also, you may not have the insight to see the implications of a non-vegetarian diet. The health risks, the environmental issues, the political issues and the moral issues all ties together to make the main issue very complicated. Your old paradigm was small and with boundaries. We can be much greater and truer to ourselves when we are open to more possibilities. Perhaps, seeing life through "rose colored glasses" may have its advantages, in the end we only deprive ourselves of the true reality. The process of changing your decision in becoming a vegetarian (almost nearly), will result in an exposure to new ideals, empathy and an analysis of assumptions. As Wendall Berry said "Only by restoring the broken connections can we be healed. Connection IS health...We lose our health by failing to see direct connections between living and eating, eating and working, working and loving". By expanding your knowledge base, you have the opportunity to meet new people, gain better health and appreciate the complexity the issue of vegetarianism has on our world. Although many do not try and convert others into adopting a more vegetarian lifestyle or diet, it can be the best of many worlds; ethical, environmental and personal. Reflecting on a reading by Miriam Therese McGillis, you will realize a "shift in perspective"; "Knowing that the earth is alive and that we are an expression of its life and its capacity for awareness and freedom, is the most critical awakening we can have. It changes the core of the way we sow our fields, bake our bread and spend our money". Indeed, thinking out of the box of our culture and embracing new ideas can greatly enhance our everyday lives. You will be glad you changed your mind, not only for selfish or environmental reasons, but also for those reasons you have yet to discover. Consider joining Community Supported Agriculture
Community Supported Agriculture is a partnership between agricultureal producers and consumers. It is part of a social movement that engages urban and rural citizens in taking responsibility for the land on which their food is grown. Consumers or shareholders (or members) pay in early spring to help meet a farm's operating expenses for the coming season, in exchange the shareholders receive a portion of the farm's produce each week for the entire season. Shareholders usually only receive what is grown on the farm (unless they have a partnership with another organic or IPM (integrated pest management) farmer that only sells one product like strawberries, peaches or honey). The shareholders must consider that farm crops can fail. Both farmers and shareholder share in the risks of farming. CSA's were first developed in Germany, Japan and Switzerland in the 1960's. These were developed because of concern over rising costs for farmers and because of imported food. CSA were first founded in the U.S. in 1986. There are now over 1,200 CSA in North America. Each farm organization consists of farmers, members and land. Typically family operated, the farms vary in size from 1/2 to 300 acres and involve anywhere from 10 to 500 members. Most CSA farms use only organic or bio-dynamic growing methods and provide their members (or shareholders) with a wide range of fresh produce. Most supply fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits and some will even supply honey, eggs, meat or other farm products. Members have the opportunity to volunteer at the farm to also help offset the cost of labor. Many of the CSA farms have developed into something unique, be it the market they serve, the produce they grow or the their unique location. CSA's have many social goals designed to assist the farmer to get a more equitable return for their labor and investment while relieving then of the burden and uncertainly and impersonality of conventional marketing, for the members it is a response to the environmental issues and economic aspects of modern food systems. CSA are wonderful focal points for education and community building. In addition to receiving fresh produce, members usually have several opportunities to visit the farm. Many CSA farms host field days and workshops to educate members about sustainable farming and healthy food choices. Festivals and potlucks bring people together socially throughout the season. At the same time, these members/consumers gain a new voice in how their food is grown, processed, and distributed, while choosing where their food dollars go. (Reproduced from John Hendrickson and Marcy Ostrum from MACSAC)
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