Every organization has to get started somewhere, and our story goes like this: Rebecca lent the book 'Eating Animals' by Jonathaan Safran Foer to Emmy a few months back. The result was the following email, and the beginnings of GoEO...
To: Rebecca LeMaitre
From: Emmy Bernard
Subject: Thank you....
....for not EATING ANIMALS and for opening my eyes and encouraging me to educate myself about the US meat and dairy industry. I am increasingly disgusted and angered by what I am learning (and have been, since Monday evening when I dove into a research project way over my head, which managed to take up 100% of my free time, involved sorting through tons of conflicting data, and involved a two-hour panicked planning ritual for weeknight dinners). Of course a complicated spreadsheet (which still needs lots of organization) with a bunch tabs and random data has recently been created by yours truly, essential to helping this family make sense of it all....
I have come to the realization that being a vegan or vegetarian - as difficult as it would be for a foodie like me - would be MUCH EASIER. MAKING THE DECISION to eat non-factory farmed products, only pastured animals, heritage bred and raised humanely was super easy - in fact, it was made I would say at about page 25 of “Eating Animals”. While the decision was easy, IMPLEMENTATION of the decision has been a dire task (but one that must be done properly and whole-heartedly in my opinion). I have identified a few local farms where we will be ordering all our meat and dairy from. We went to the Union Square Market yesterday - we bought all our meat for the month from the farmer I had researched the day before, and bought all our eggs and dairy similarly. I would like to visit these farms in the very near future as a final check. Today was "Trip to Whole Foods" to get the egg-less mayo and acceptable (sustainable) canned tuna. (BTW, I’m not at all a fan of the mayo)
I know it is a learning process and until I figure out what everything means, it may mean some (I hope very few) slip-ups. But I think its a move in the right direction......don't you? (I'm not sure as a vegan if you can agree with the former statement, but I hope you can agree with the fact that YOU WERE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR A MASSIVE CHANGE in me and my husband's eating habits).
As I had predicted, the real challenge for me is the dairy - milk, cheese, eggs..... which seems to be in everything which I adore. The milk chocolate hanging around the office that I used to devour every afternoon around 3PM has gone untouched by me..... Boy this has been hard, but I believe if I cut corners and make too many exceptions, it would be a lame, half-hearted attempt that I can no longer justify. Eating out remains very difficult, and in those cases I have accepted that it will be mostly vegetarian fare for me in restaurants (the only way I can be sure).
Anyhow, feel free to share your thoughts or any helpful information with me. I cannot extend to the vegan or vegetarian realm, I probably never can, but I know it is my duty to eat responsibly.
I don't know what they call people like me, nothing I guess as I’m not doing anything super noble except trying to eat real meat from animals raised responsibly. But I refuse to put one additional US Dollar in the hands of what I believe is probably one of the nastiest, dirtiest, most corrupt racket this country is keeping from the public. No wonder everyone is fat, diabetic and allergic!!! BUT HOW DO WE GET THIS MESSAGE OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, HOW DO WE EDUCATE THE POOR WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO EAT BETTER FOOD - DO WE LET THEM CONTINUE TO EAT IN IGNORANCE?
I don't remember the last time I have thrown myself so whole-heartedly into a project. Nor did I ever think I would have the self-discipline (given my deep love of food) to not ingest anything unless I knew exactly where each component came from. I have surprised myself.
Anyhow.....Just wanted to say thanks ;-)
I am highly respectful of your vegan philosophy, and although I am not a convert, I hope you can still understand how appreciative I am of how you have influenced 2 people on this planet to be at least the most humane-conscious meat eaters possible........I know its a small step, but a step in the right direction nonetheless.....I really believe we need to support our local, sustainable farmers so that they can thrive and prosper and hopefully someday overtake the monopolistic factory farm system currently in place!!!!
-Emmy
No comments:
Post a Comment