A task force sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trust has just released their findings in a thorough and balanced analysis of the current state of industrial animal production. The summary of the report can be found here.
The introduction of the report states:
Over the last 50 years, the method of producing food animals in the United States has changed from the extensive system of small and medium-sized farms owned by a single family to a system of large, intensive operations where the animals are housed in large numbers in enclosed structures that resemble industrial buildings more than they do a traditional barn. That change has happened primarily out of view of consumers but has come at a cost to the environment and a negative impact on public health, rural communities, and the health and well-being of the animals themselves.
Reading something like that makes me feel pretty good about spending a little extra for locally raised grass fed beef.
I read the cover article in the Sacramento News and Review and thought about you guys. The Sacramento Valley is such an agriculturally rich area but increasingly the land is being sold for housing developments etc. The article in the paper proposes using inner city abandoned lots as sites for gardens and sources for urban farmer's markets. Wouldn't it be nice to see a garden instead of an abandoned piece of property with junk in the front yard? The URL for the paper and article is http://www.newsreview.com/gyrobase/Entry.
Hillary
Posted by: Hillary | June 01, 2008 at 07:55 AM