While at university I became mostly vegetarian and explored a
vegan diet also; due to the economic, ecological, and social justice
issues mentioned in previous posts on this issue.
Then I spent three years in Bangladesh, where I was exposed to
the common Third World attitude toward meat- a rare, special treat; to
be shared and feasted on when oppoertunity provides. I recall
distinctly being served the head of a chicken once in India with my
rice!
Then I moved on to, in two different places now, explore
creating a sustainable life on the land- mostly through organic
gardening and fruit. In this situation the value of domestic and wild
animals quickly became apparent. If one seeks a system not dependent
on mechanized tillage and powered food processing- the common ways in
this country of growing and processing grains and grain legumes; small
numbers of animals and poultry in the system are so very beneficial.
They can eat wastes and produce manure which is equivalent to the
highest quality compost, otherwise taking weeks or months and much
work to produce without the help of animals. As a food source, on
sparsely populated/managed lands, they find a niche too. It is
difficult for me to imagine the hand labor involved in growing and
processing by hand any significant amount of a grain legume, such as
soybeans; whereas keeping a few free-range goats and poultry is a
matter of a few chores twice daily. And here's another fact; animals
can turn stuff we can't eat into something we can. I found it little
short of a miracle how my goats could browse all day on poison ivy,
pine needles, cactus, privet, heoneysuckle, chinaberry; and many other
things actively poisonous or useless to me, if I were to attempt to
eat them directly; and convert them into milk, meat, useful manure,
weed control, hides, etc. etc.
In other words I think vegetarianism makes a whole lot of sense IF
one must access most of one's food from the mainstream economy. But
for those in a position to design their own food system from the
ground up, on the land, livestock again find their place.
Another aside: Tons and tons of meat and other animal foods(in
addition to many other things edible and not)are thrown out in this
country every day. Just take a peek into any grocery store dumpster.
If you like what you see, check it out. Dumpster diving is an
underground art of subsistence which supports a significant portion of
the American, and world, underclass. Combined with some basic food
preservation skills; I would never need to grow or raise a thing; if I
did not have concerns about the toxics and nutrition, and if I did not
believe that one day the dumpsters won't be full, because the grocery
stores won't be full, because the planet's resources are being so
swiftly depleted as one very thorough list of statistics published on
here makes clear. So, we call the dumpster our 'transitional subsidy'
till we get infrastructure up (including livestock fencing and
housing!), and some garden soil decently improved (mostly through
quantities of that wonderful animal by-product!).
I think anyone who has lived on the land respectfully and has
taken the life of an animal for food can relate to the
sacred/spiritual aspect alluded to in several posts. I certainly do.
Usually I say a short prayer- something like-"You had a good life, now
you will have a quick and useful end- may my life and my death be as
good." I read that in Tibet, the people call their yaks their
parents; because the animals provide them with so many of their needs.
From the Georgia wilderness-
respectfully,
Bob the treeplanter-
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