Ethically sourced meat

HelenYorkshire

Wig wrote: »

What I would find difficult to believe is that a soil assoc organic farmer would allow their animals to suffer at the end if there was anything they could do to stop it.

I find it difficult to believe that any good farmer would allow their animals to suffer.

There are many reasons to not go for organic certification; perhaps the grazing land is rented so they have no absolute guarantee on past or future chemical use etc; the inspections all cost money, maybe there is a local disease that needs a non-organic approved medicine (are there many organic wormers?)

Not meaning to pick on you at all!
"Organic" is fantastic as a legally protected label. However, it is not the only thing to consider

redlady_1

Which is why I havent gone for organic as I explained. It was all about the welfare for me rather than the organic label. Would rather have meat taken 8 miles to slaughter than 60.

Wig

There are reasons not to be organic. But the point is, that the minimum requirements will be better under the organic label. That is not to say that any particular non organic farmer may choose to follow very good animal welfare standards but they are not required to do so and there is no certificate to say that they have done so.

Organic = guaranteed good welfare

Non organic are wormed routinely even if there are no worms.
Organic use field rotation and clean fields to graze, if they do get worms they have to get permission to worm
and then it is a certain type of wormer they use.

Not feeling picked on

devildog

Wig, so ok I am still talking abbatoirs here but nevertheless organic soil association approved ones, if you are interested take a read
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/slaughter//2419// source animal aid and maybe watch the recordings too.

Even if you are correct in that organic is guaranteed good welfare (and I beg to differ) does that mean that it doesn't matter if at the end they suffer abuse?

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_factory/ALL/2558// Freedom foods(RSPCA approved)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242503/Think-going-organic-lets-eat-meat-clear-conscience-This-shocking-investigation-humane-slaughterhouse-make-think-again.html

Wig

I don't see what your reasons are to say that you don't think organic is guaranteed good -on the farm- welfare....(because you didn't tell us). Of course there can always be physical abuse & neglect but I find it more unlikely to occur on an organic farm, and the maximum flock and herd sizes and field rotations and pig pen standards add a lot of value in welfare, and they can't be ignored by the farmers.

I never said it doesn't matter what happens at the end. It's obviously very important what happens.

threemuttleys

One thing I will say...once you have tried true beef, from proper beef herds, (not Dairy Cross...more like Dexter, Aberdeen Angus etc) properly raised, properly hung, and properly butchered, never again will you even consider eating supermarket Beef. Lushness!

redlady_1

Well, I requested the meat for today and it is here. As it has been delivered to the office I haven't unpacked it but it is well sealed. I will give a further update when it has been unpacked and the beef will be cooked on Sunday so will report on the taste.

redlady_1

OK. Meat turned up all well packaged. It lasted all day and until I got back from the gym. However, it does come frozen and vac packed so any idea of cutting it down can be forgotten. It comes wrapped in iceblocks and an absolute shed load of shredded paper. This I am using in toilet roll inners as firelighters. Nothing had defrosted.

This morning I have tried out the bacon. I ordered smoked and you can certainly tell the difference between supermarket bought bacon and this. It was lush, but I have tasted some equally as good from a butcher or farm shop.

The ham is currently on the wood burner cooking away and I am looking forward to eating that. The chicken was mahoosive but it was the one thing I wanted to cut into half and I cant so whenever I eat it, I will be eating chicken for ages.

Mojisola

redlady_1 wrote: »

The chicken was mahoosive but it was the one thing I wanted to cut into half and I cant so whenever I eat it, I will be eating chicken for ages.

Thanks for the update.

Once the chicken is cooked, you could freeze parts of it to be used at a later date.

redlady_1

The plan is to make some chicken and mushroom pies, thai curry and a few other bits. The thing that really stands out about the chicken is the size of the legs. They are really huge and plump. You can definitely tell that these chooks have been running around alot. The breast also is lean and not pumped up. It just looks different from normal chickens.