The Case for Farmer's Markets and Cruelty-Free Meat

If you live in a state where agriculture dominates the landscapes, you know there's a lot of local farmers out there making a living by growing healthy foods.  So, why are we visiting grocery stores for products that have been shipped around the country and have lost a great portion of their nutritional value (and often end up on recall for contamination)?  According to the National Resources Defense Council, the average American meal from the grocery store can include products that have traveled from at least five countries outside of the United States.  Think of what's being used to keep that food looking appealing.

Of course, factory farming for our meat has led to some dastardly practices (all endorsed by the FDA) including the use and abuse of antibiotics that are increasing the numbers of drug-resistant bacteria we unknowingly come into contact with on a daily basis.

How can we know for sure how our food is produced and where it comes from?  Why not buy it directly from the person who cared for it since day one?

Local, sustainable food is the wave of the future, and it's putting profits directly into the hands of the people who truly care about what they're putting on your table and theirs.  With farmer's receiving a paltry portion of each dollar you spend in the grocery store, factory farms are consolidating and economizing on waste and pollution through a subsidy program that continues to pay out for profit loss, ignoring the bigger issues factory farms are leaking into the environment through water contamination, leaching nutrients from soils and elevated health risks.

I'll warn you now, this video can be seen by many to include graphic content.  But if you're ready to take the blindfold off, let's take a look at a typical day at Smithfield for breeding sows:

It's a similar plight for chickens, turkeys, cows and other animals who spend most of their lives in confinement.  They are pumped full of growth hormones and many never see the sun.

Know where your meat comes from.  If you're buying at the store, ask.  If the vendor doesn't know, don't buy.

Remember those Smithfield pigs?  What if this was their life?  Which would you prefer to buy?

Find your local farmer's markets and learn about taking back control of your ethics through conscientious consumption.  Your body will thank you, and so will the local farmers you support.  You may even find a handful of urban agriculturalists to trade tips and tricks with!  If you live in Kansas, find more information on farmer's markets here.  Wichita is home to several farmers markets in multiple locations, including Old Town, Haysville and Derby.  A comprehensive list of local markets is available here.