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Organic Flexitarianism

Yesterday my son and I were driving on the highway and went past one of those big transport trucks full of live pigs.  Ryan said "I wonder if they know where they're going and what's about to happen to them."  I told him that's exactly what I think every time I drive by one of those trucks too.  Cows and pigs are what I usually see; and I'm pretty sure they have some sense of impending doom.  It makes me sad.  And I eat meat. Then Ryan asked me: "How do they kill animals when they're getting them ready for people to eat?"  And that made me even sadder.  I've been content to stay in my state of semi-ignorant bliss on that question; I have an idea of what's done, but I sure don't know exactly.  I don't really want to know.  Ryan asked if they put the animals to sleep first, and I'm pretty sure they don't do that.  "Why not?", he asked.  "Why wouldn't they at least put them to sleep first before they do it?"  And my sad answer was that probably it had to do with it costing too much extra money.  Imagine how much anaesthetic it would take to put down a cow.  How much do those things weigh anyhow?  And it's probably not good for us to eat meat that's pumped full of anaesthetic.  Though probably no worse than it is for us to eat meat that's been pumped full of steroids, antibiotics and who knows what else on top of it. This prompted a discussion on organic food and vegetarianism.  My friend's twelve-year-old daughter Sara was kind of a self-selected quasi-vegetarian for a bunch of years before officially pronouncing her status as such last August, and she's stuck to it for the six months so far since that time.  I told Ryan that part of the reason some folks do become vegetarian is precisely because of what we were discussing.  The inhumane treatment of mass-produced meat products for human consumption, when I stop to think about it, is really something that makes me think I ought to become vegetarian. Not long ago I was on local television promoting my work, and that day there was also a nutritionist on the show talking about a new term called "Flexitarianism", which is basically a vegetarian that does occasionally include organic meats and seafood into their diet.  An interesting concept, and probably a much healthier alternative to regular meat-eaters' eating habits, and those of strict vegetarians and vegans, who often have deficiencies in essential vitamins, nutrients and proteins in their system. Plus, we are fortunate to live here in Waterloo Region where we have easy access to local Farmer's Markets, roadside stands from the actual farms where food is produced, and a thriving "Taste Local, Taste Fresh" initiative that promotes and markets local providers of fresh meat and produce, organic and otherwise.  I told Ryan that researching and finding these providers and finding sources for our food consumption that were organic and humane was something that I'd been thinking about for a while now, and our conversation had prompted me into actually putting that on my calendar as a current "to-do".  (In my world, if it's not on my calendar it most likely won't get done). I also have a 16 x 20 vegetable garden in my backyard that I put in nearly ten years ago.  In the first years, we had beautiful bumper crops of plump tomatoes, crisp beans and peas and enormous zucchini; it was wonderful!  Ryan would pick the peas and eat them fresh right out of the pods; August brought the mass-production of freezable zucchini breads to my kitchen; and early September always meant homemade tomato sauce-making season.  But the last several years the growth has slowed to nearly nil; even with regular watering, stuff just doesn't grow anymore.  Anything that does bud looks withered and dehydrated at best.  I guess my annual addition of a few bags of fertilizer isn't quite cutting it.  By last summer I was even considering taking the garden out altogether and sodding it over.  But now, on my to-do list is to find out if and how I can revitalize my garden, and continue to grow healthy, un-sprayed un-treated produce to my table from my own backyard. And I've got lots of time to do my research in time to be ready for Spring!

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©2023 by Kelly Wagner

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