I used to think that going vegan was the ultimate way to live harmoniously with the planet. I tried this philosophy (it really is more than just a diet), but it took more self-discipline than I had at the time. The Primal Blueprint has a very interesting viewpoint. I stumbled upon this philosophy when searching for ways to keep my energy levels continuously up. The trick to this method is to train your body to live off your fat stores instead of a constant stream of carbohydrates. It's very efficient in theory: just think of fat cells as tiny camel humps that can be filled during times of abundance and drained as needed by the body. It is not a no carb diet. Yes, there is a lot of protein consumption going on with all those animals being eaten. Yet there is also a strong reliance on fruit and vegetable intake. The key element is it cuts out grain. I thought cutting out cheese for a vegan diet was challenging, but cutting grain out of an American diet sounds impossible. It's not necessary to completely go without, just cut back. It's a tricky transition, one that I have yet to make, but I believe it's possible. Of course it also helps that the plan only requires 80% compliance, so an occasional birthday cake is completely fine.
But what about the animals? Aren't you hurting them by subjecting them to a fate of slaughter? No. Factory farming is the real enemy of the vegan. Factory farming is the enemy of the human race. The real danger of meat consumption is the poison being dumped into the food supply by unsustainable practices such as factory farming. Plants honestly don't fare much better. Big Agra (industrial agriculture) poisons the food supply to kill weeds and pests and to preserve the food for global trade. That's one of the main reasons why I advocate backyard farming: eat what you grow, and you know what goes into your food.
Backyard farming is not limited to plants. Many cities have ordinances that allow for chickens and rabbits to be kept in the yard, given enough space is kept between the livestock and their human neighbors (including the owner). The Little Rock ordinance allows for the keeping of hens as long as they are at least 10 feet from the owner's house and 25 feet from the closest neighbor's house. I have measured my yard, and I do qualify for this. I can keep up to four hens, but I think three will be a good maximum for me. Each bird requires three square feet of space, so the bare minimum for three birds will be one square yard (or meter for those metrically inclined). From my perspective, a chicken coop sounds like an exciting opportunity to meld engineering with artistic design to create more of a chicken "resort" while making the best use of limited space. Essentially I can't haphazardly add rooms to my own house, but I can design a comfortable home for chickens to lay their eggs. Little Rock does not allow roosters within the city limits, so the eggs are all cruelty free and the hens live a long happy life.
Rabbits are allowed in town as well. Rabbits are useful to keep whether or not you decide to cull them for dinner. They are the perfect garden companion since their waste can be added directly to soil without the need to compost for any length of time. However, it is not so terrible to eat them either. A rabbit provides the same amount of meat as a chicken. Rabbits are easy to breed, take up little space, and are in fact quite healthy. Before factory farming, rabbits were a common dinner in the average household. Rabbits can be raised as humanely as chickens (fenced in rabbit resort), and if you should decide to cull them, that can be handled in a dignified manner as well. If you do it yourself, at least you know how they are treated, unlike the mass slaughter that occurs in the factory farming industry.
If you are unable to keep small livestock on your property due to city ordinances or Home Owners Association rules, you can subscribe to a CSA (community supported agriculture) which allows you to join with others nearby to pay a farmer near town to grow crops and raise bigger livestock. That way you can have eggs, milk, cheese, and even meat from a local source. Some CSAs allow you to pay your share with time spent working on the farm. Either way you pay, you can likely get to know the people growing your food and learn about their practices so you know what is going into the food that will be going into you.
My goal this year is to build a rabbit hutch for one so that I can have instant compost for my garden. If the rabbit keeping goes well, I will build a chicken coop. Breeding rabbits is the last stage of my ultimate urban farm, so until then I will try to purchase organic or natural meat from the grocery store. For now I'm focused more on producing the plant base of my food chain.
No comments:
Post a Comment