Want to go half veggie

lostinrates

tilly2484 wrote: »

I've seen plenty of UK practices as well. My uncle used to work in a cattle farm and basically said that was what happened there- policies or not. The video didn't make me vegan- a combination of things did. I was already veggie and then went vegan. I was not suggesting the video should be used to make people veggie, I was saying it was once of the things that affected me and helped my decision to go from veggie to vegan. The video is american so yes it is all based on US premisies.

I'd just like to say there are good farmers about. Farmers working to raise the level of welfare on farms. There are also good animal scientists working to increase level of knowlegde of welfare through faming and slaughtering practice. I used to be one of the latter, specialising in behavior, ethics and welfare.

tilly2484

lostinrates wrote: »

I'd just like to say there are good farmers about. Farmers working to raise the level of welfare on farms. There are also good animal scientists working to increase level of knowlegde of welfare through faming and slaughtering practice. I used to be one of the latter, specialising in behavior, ethics and welfare.

Oh yes I know this, of course. We actually live on the farm (rent a cottage on it) and the animals there are not badly treated. My OH is a meat eater and the meat he has is from farms that are not involved in bad practices.

For me though the choice to be vegan was personal and i just didn't want any part of it, but completely respect others choices:)

I praise the farmers who are trying to do this as there is no way everyone will become vegan but it would be nice to wipe out the places that are horrid:mad:

hartleysjam

um....Hello! :wave:

After a long period of deliberation I have decided to be veggie now, I haven't eating red meat for 10yrs but i am now ready to not bother with chicken,turkey & fish.

I love quorn stuff but have never braved tofu...yet...

quick question Veggies, do/did you get really funny looks and people questioning you about why you want to be a veggie? it's really winding me up :mad: and i've also had people tell me how natural it is to eat meat blah blah blah grrrrr.....I have always hated red meat but I won't lie I do like chicken and turkey but I feel ready to not have it.

My reasons for being veggie are my own! how rude are people!!?!!:mad:
anywho...anyy money savng hints would be fab

lostinrates

tilly2484 wrote: »

Oh yes I know this, of course. We actually live on the farm (rent a cottage on it) and the animals there are not badly treated. My OH is a meat eater and the meat he has is from farms that are not involved in bad practices.

For me though the choice to be vegan was personal and i just didn't want any part of it, but completely respect others choices:)

I praise the farmers who are trying to do this as there is no way everyone will become vegan but it would be nice to wipe out the places that are horrid:mad:

Ironically, the best way to raise welfare standards, IMO, is to eat meat/dairy/eggs from good sources...only when the market seeks these out is there a reason to move to better production.

Good welfare, caring handlers are found even in intensive farms...even though it isn't a source I'd choose. I was talking to a neighbour who runs a ''higher welfare'' intensive farm and talking about the changes they'd made. Interestingly, the provision of windows, he feels, has increased stress for flock when its time to take for slaughter...so he's had shutters made for that time. Any shot taken at the time the shutters were closed would suggest welfare standards there are worse ...but he genuinely feels at this time its better, and I can see why.

I've been hands on in all stages of production, including abbatoir, and this is why I choose where I buy my meat from as carefully as possible.

Tonight we're eating lamb with a total of 12 food miles. 3/4 of that post slaughter, as the farmer opted for a separate butcher from abbatoir as he felt the abbatoir offered better conditions for the live lamb. This on paper looks worse...more food miles, and costs more (fuel and labour to move carcass to butcher) but is better.

My milk has less than a tenth of a food mile And happens to be organic, though for me welfare is more important than organics (even though we are about to go organic ourselves.) I know exactly how the cows are cared for as I can watch them all day long and sometimes pop over to help milk.


I admire vegetarians and vegans...I was a vegetarian myself BEFORE moving into the field of work and seeing that it didn't actually reflect the way I felt about farming, animal welfare (and in fact, it didn't suit me healthwise, though I like vegetarian food), and I'm glad to meet people who recognise there is more than one method to improved animal welfare. All too often this gets lost in militant views in either direction, and then the welfare really suffers

Justamum

Lotus-eater wrote: »

This is a crazy video and no way should a UK person become a veggie on the strength of it. I've hardly seen a thing that is done on any UK premises.
I'm not saying there isn't a point to it, but it has to be viewed whilst knowing the UK policies on slaughter and other legal acts.

Try this one then http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DCxdQKvp-S0Q

lostinrates

hartleysjam wrote: »

um....Hello! :wave:

After a long period of deliberation I have decided to be veggie now, I haven't eating red meat for 10yrs but i am now ready to not bother with chicken,turkey & fish.

I love quorn stuff but have never braved tofu...yet...

quick question Veggies, do/did you get really funny looks and people questioning you about why you want to be a veggie? it's really winding me up :mad: and i've also had people tell me how natural it is to eat meat blah blah blah grrrrr.....I have always hated red meat but I won't lie I do like chicken and turkey but I feel ready to not have it.

My reasons for being veggie are my own! how rude are people!!?!!:mad:
anywho...anyy money savng hints would be fab

I'm amazed this attitufde still exists. I did point out to a local pub recently the reason I never ate there was the (excellently sorced, same suppliers as mine) menu was so meat heavy and there was never a veggy option when I don't want meat or am taking veggy friends. But the first time I've ever had to do that.

Unnatural is defunct . So is most of the way we live now. Disease is natural, who wants that!

tilly2484

hartleysjam wrote: »

um....Hello! :wave:

After a long period of deliberation I have decided to be veggie now, I haven't eating red meat for 10yrs but i am now ready to not bother with chicken,turkey & fish.

I love quorn stuff but have never braved tofu...yet...

quick question Veggies, do/did you get really funny looks and people questioning you about why you want to be a veggie? it's really winding me up :mad: and i've also had people tell me how natural it is to eat meat blah blah blah grrrrr.....I have always hated red meat but I won't lie I do like chicken and turkey but I feel ready to not have it.

My reasons for being veggie are my own! how rude are people!!?!!:mad:
anywho...anyy money savng hints would be fab

yes sometimes it's tough to have people questioning. I just say it's my own choice and i'm trying to do what I can to minimise animal death. Sometimes I turn it round on them and ask them what their reasons are for eating meat. i don't engage in arguments about it. i don't try to convert people and i don't appreciate people trying to convert me so if I see a conversation turning into an arguement i say politely say "i respect your choice to eat meat please respect my choice to not eat meat". Colleen patrick Goodreau has some good tips on dealing with these types of coversations. She has a book called Vegan's Daily companion. not sure if i can post links? So tell me off if i can't! http://www.compassionatecooks.com/#

jamespir

lostinrates wrote: »

I think its such a shame this myth exists. As a meat eater I think this. I think any pre-made food is off my ''want to eat list'' and that's the expensive way to eat anything. Some of my favourite meals happen to be vegetarian, cheap..especially if you grow your own, very healthy and absolutely delicious. More exciting than many meat staple meals people consider standard fodder.

my gf a vegetarian so i know its not just a myth

tilly2484

jamespir wrote: »

my gf a vegetarian so i know its not just a myth

Just because you are veggie doesn't mean you are having a healthy diet.

My veggie diet is very healthy and much cheaper. What kind of things is your girlfriend buying?

Tofu weight by weight is much cheaper than meat for example. Obv veggies are cheaper- esp if you grown your own:j

lostinrates

jamespir wrote: »

my gf a vegetarian so i know its not just a myth

your girlfriend may be a vegetarian it doesn't mean she is a gourmet or a good cook. Same goes for meat eaters.

I am a carnivore, but I will only defend that position from a truthful basis. Good food can be vegetarian, cheap food can be vegetarian. Most of us carnivores eat more meat than is healthy and often very poor quality food, especially if eating cheap meat often.