The Eat with Care blog
Writing about humane farming issues by Caroline Abels, founder of Humaneitarian. Your comments and feedback welcome. (All replies are screened and posted, if thoughtful and respectful.)
You’re humane to farmers, too…
Would you take a selfie in a factory farm?
As a new farmer, I’ll be the first to tell you that farming is tough. From the uncertainly over weather, to handling sick animals that can’t tell you their symptoms, to never knowing what a “weekend” is, to needing mastery in everything from soil science to irrigation systems to Instagram — it’s a lot.
The last thing that farmers — and the employees who work alongside them — need is […]
What’s the Amazon got to do with humanely raised meat?
A fire in the Amazon rain forest in Brazil this week. Credit: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters via the New York Times
An update to my thinking on this topic can be found here.
Hi folks – the Humaneitarian blog has been on hiatus, while I’ve been busy starting my own farm. But seeing today’s alarming photographs of the Amazon rainforest burning for miles on end has got me wanting to make the connection between choosing humanely raised meat and protecting this […]
Is this the year? Make the switch to humanely raised meat
What is your personal barrier to consuming meat from humane farms? Is it the cost? Confusion over meat labels? Not enough time to cook meat at home? Not enough space for meats in your freezer?
Next time you’re on the subway, or taking a walk with your dog, try figuring out what’s keeping you from truly “going humane” — which, here at Humaneitarian, doesn’t mean going vegetarian but means choosing humanely raised meat as often as possible. (Here are some reminders […]
Thank a humane farmer… here!
In the midst of this week’s holiday hub-ub, take a moment to thank a humane farmer by mentioning their name and farm in the comments section below. Could be a farmer who sells meat at your local farmers’ market, a neighbor who raises animals, even a company whose farming practices you have come to know and trust. Whoever they may be, they always “keep the animals in mind,” as we like to say here at Humaneitarian — they provide their […]
Greetings! It’s been a while…
Hello, humaneitarians –
I trust you’ve all been making valiant efforts to choose humanely raised meat in your daily lives. I say “valiant” because it really does take determination to turn down factory farmed meat and choose alternative products, doesn’t it?
Not many people have such determination, which is why I started this website. I wanted to meet people who eat the way I do, and inspire those just starting on this path. Now, after six years of running Humaneitarian, I can […]
What makes a great meat label?
I know, this topic sounds like a snooze, but humaneitarians should get really excited when they see a helpful label on an animal product. By ‘helpful,’ I mean a label that provides meaningful info about how the animal was raised.
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need labels. We’d all shop at farmers’ markets and talk directly with farmers about their animal welfare practices. We’d even visit their farms. But most of us shop at grocery stores. And so we’re label-bound.
Recently […]
What my cat teaches me about humane farming
My cat, and his fabric mouse
If you aren’t sure what humanely raised meat is, or which farms or food companies to buy from, think for a moment about your cat or dog (or someone else’s).
You probably know that a household pet engages in some pretty quirky behaviors during the course of a day. Since I’m a cat person, I’ll list a few fascinating things my cat likes to do but doesn’t have to do for his survival:
He chases […]
Meat vending machines?
24/7 meat vending machines at Applestone Meat Co.
I usually buy humanely raised meat from sunburned farmers or hipster butchers — so the unique prospect of getting ethically raised cuts from a vending machine proved too irresistible.
I’d read about these vending machines in a Hudson Valley food magazine. My parents live in that region, so after visiting them in March, my partner and I drove to Accord, NY — home base of the Applestone Meat Company, a business launched […]
3 tips for cooking a pasture raised turkey
You’ve done the right thing and bought a pasture raised turkey for Thanksgiving. You’re pleased that your Tom had a normal, active life eating bugs and using its legs in the fresh air and sunshine.
It would be terrible if you then cooked your humanely raised turkey the way you once cooked factory farmed turkeys. If you did, the meat would be dry and bland. Your guests would be turned off of pasture raised poultry forever – and we don’t want that […]
New survey: How can we improve?
You probably want to buy humanely raised meat more often. You want to cook it more often and eat it more often. But something is getting in the way. Is it cost or convenience? Is it all those confusing meat labels? Is it a lack of knowledge about how farm animals are raised?
I want to provide the kind of information that helps you choose humanely raised meat as often as possible. But first I need to know what you need […]