Food Inc.

[LordJezo]

Watched Food Inc over the weekend.

What am I supposed to do now? The American food industry is a horrible place and now I don't want to buy anything but locally grown grass fed meat and live in some hippie compound growing my own fruits and vegetables.

[Don Stugots]

buy some steaks from Chip. his beef is the best.

[Dan 'Hampton]

Eat locally produced food. Pretty simple. Finding local meats that aren't insanely expensive but worth it.

[Chigworthy]

Eat locally, shit locally.

[Dan 'Hampton]

Amazingly though I imagine that it's hard for the hayseeds to get "locally" produced foods. I'm guessing that most of their local food is stuff produced by large companies like Monsanto.

[LordJezo]

Eat locally produced food. Pretty simple. Finding local meats that aren't insanely expensive but worth it.

Finding local produce is easy in the spring and summer but now in the depths of winter its tough. We try to buy only USA grown but who knows what that even means in months like now.

Meat is something I need to work on, there are some places in NJ but I have never been to any, trying to locate some now. Even the "good" butchers around only have corn fed meat from non sourcable farms somewhere in the midwest.

[Chigworthy]

Amazingly though I imagine that it's hard for the hayseeds to get "locally" produced foods. I'm guessing that most of their local food is stuff produced by large companies like Monsanto.

This hayseed lives in California, and it's just as easy and almost as affordable to get local organic produce up here. There are also local farms and ranches that offer subscription food. For a monthly fee, you go to a drop off location and pick up a box of vegetables/eggs/meat/mik/bread every week. But there's still plenty of brontosauruses grazing the pap sample tables at Costco and going home with 5000 count cases of microwave deep-fried pizza pockets with alfredo bacon sauce and mayonnaise-cheddar bits .

[Dan 'Hampton]

Same here. Locally there are a few small beef farms. A good local pork farm. But I get my meets from a butcher who i'm sure is giving me chlorine washed meats. Unfortunate.

[Chigworthy]

Finding local produce is easy in the spring and summer but now in the depths of winter its tough. We try to buy only USA grown but who knows what that even means in months like now.

Meat is something I need to work on, there are some places in NJ but I have never been to any, trying to locate some now. Even the "good" butchers around only have corn fed meat from non sourcable farms somewhere in the midwest.

Buy season-appropriate vegetables. Learn about your food.

[Dan 'Hampton]

This hayseed lives in California, and it's just as easy and almost as affordable to get local organic produce up here. There are also local farms and ranches that offer subscription food. For a monthly fee, you go to a drop off location and pick up a box of vegetables/eggs/meat/mik/bread every week. But there's still plenty of brontosauruses grazing the pap sample tables at Costco and going home with 5000 count cases of microwave deep-fried pizza pockets with alfredo bacon sauce and mayonnaise-cheddar bits .

I would imagine Cali would be great for that with an awesome growing season. I was refering more to people in the midwest. Those large companies prettymuch own states like Iowa and Kansas.

[Chigworthy]

I would imagine Cali would be great for that with an awesome growing season. I was refering more to people in the midwest. Those large companies prettymuch own states like Iowa and Kansas.

Yeah, it's unfortunate, but those farmers have kind of made their own bed with the monoculture of corn, potatoes, soybeans, etc. The dustbowl taught us that we should be diversifying our agriculture, but that lesson seems to have been forgotten.

[LordJezo]

Buy season-appropriate vegetables. Learn about your food.

What is season appropriate in NJ with half a foot of snow on the ground and temperatures of 17 degrees?

http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/results.asp?state=31&season=3

NEW JERSEY: EARLY FEBRUARY

No fresh, local produce available in New Jersey at this time. See the list of produce available in bordering states below.

[underdog]

Amazingly though I imagine that it's hard for the hayseeds to get "locally" produced foods. I'm guessing that most of their local food is stuff produced by large companies like Monsanto.

My wife's family lives in Western NY. They're surrounded by cows and farms, yet they cannot get a good steak anywhere. It's sad. Their food sucks.

Jezo, look up CSA shares.

[KingModem]

This damned movie turned my house upside down.

[Furtherman]

5000 count cases of microwave deep-fried pizza pockets with alfredo bacon sauce and mayonnaise-cheddar bits .

I so want that for lunch.

[Chigworthy]

What is season appropriate in NJ with half a foot of snow on the ground and temperatures of 17 degrees?

http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/results.asp?state=31&season=3

I forgot you live in Jersey; gmo food is perfect for you.

[Aggie]

This damned movie turned my house upside down.

so do you eat better now or was it a knee jerk reaction? i never see these kinds of pieces.

[KingModem]

so do you eat better now or was it a knee jerk reaction? i never see these kinds of pieces.

I thought all this content was widely known, just gracefully ignored. I grew up around farms, farmers, cattle, dairy, etc, and none of this information was strange to me.

My girl, who grew up in St Paul, completely oblivious to her food sources, was shocked into virtual nunnery. She now wants to buy organic milks, eggs, veggies, etc. We are joining a CSA share to receive an abundance of organic produce during the summer (which is great).

I certainly encourage organic produce and welcome it wholeheartedly, but the extreme that my partner might get to (complete Organic Veganism) is right around the corner and scares the hell out of me. :glurps:

I know that I eat crap once in a while, and I like it.

[Thebazile78]

Finding local produce is easy in the spring and summer but now in the depths of winter its tough. We try to buy only USA grown but who knows what that even means in months like now.

Meat is something I need to work on, there are some places in NJ but I have never been to any, trying to locate some now. Even the "good" butchers around only have corn fed meat from non sourcable farms somewhere in the midwest.

The NJ Dep't of Agriculture has a link on its site to places that carry locally grown produce:

http://www.state.nj.us/jerseyfresh/

You may have to change your eating habits to become more seasonal, too. Right now, winter squashes and root veggies are "seasonal" even if they're not being grown because they keep for longer periods of time. Other stuff, not so much.

As for meat, I know there are lots of producers in my area because of the Greenfields program, but am not sure where else to get information about locally raised/slaughtered meats.

Also, bear in mind that "local" for someplace like Whole Foods can mean it comes from places as "far away" as PA or MD, even in season, while "local" for the NYC Greenmarket means a day's drive (which ends up being mostly in-state.)

[happytypinggirl]

Watched Food Inc over the weekend.

What am I supposed to do now? The American food industry is a horrible place and now I don't want to buy anything but locally grown grass fed meat and live in some hippie compound growing my own fruits and vegetables.

me too. seriously. i get the most insane excitement when i find markets where i can get these things. it costs more but i'd rather cut out most of my other expenses to pay for better food.

[happytypinggirl]

Also there's a great book about food in NJ and where to get stuff. I cant remember the name but the cover is all red...i think with pics of tomatos. If nobody knows the name, i'll dig around and find it.

[Thebazile78]

Also there's a great book about food in NJ and where to get stuff. I cant remember the name but the cover is all red...i think with pics of tomatos. If nobody knows the name, i'll dig around and find it.

Like an actual book or a giveaway by NJ Dep't of Agriculture?

There was a 'Jersey Fresh' cookbook out within the last couple years, published by RU Press, if that's the one you mean.

[Chip196]

buy some steaks from Chip. his beef is the best.

Thanks Stu!!

As far as meat goes, I would say the most important thing you can do is make sure it's Grass-Fed AND Finished. Turns out, you can label your product Grass-Fed as long as the animal spends time out at pasture, but it doesn't prevent the farmer from finishing the animal on grain. I've also seen products labeled only as Grass Finished ... which means it's been raised on grain and then put out to pasture to try and capture some of the health benefits of grass. Both of those scenarios are better than purely corn fed cattle in feed lots, but they aren't nearly as a pure grass diet.

[Snoogans]

Watched Food Inc over the weekend.

What am I supposed to do now? The American food industry is a horrible place and now I don't want to buy anything but locally grown grass fed meat and live in some hippie compound growing my own fruits and vegetables.

AUSTRALIAN FREE RANGE GRASS FED BEEF


you're welcome

[Chip196]

AUSTRALIAN FREE RANGE GRASS FED BEEF


you're welcome

Ughhh!!!!! Not only does that kill the environment to have your food shipped from Australia, but you have no idea how they raise the grass they're feeding their animals. Do they indicate that it's a pure grass diet? Do you know what breed of cattle it is?

[Snoogans]

Ughhh!!!!! Not only does that kill the environment to have your food shipped from Australia, but you have no idea how they raise the grass they're feeding their animals. Do they indicate that it's a pure grass diet? Do you know what breed of cattle it is?

relax fag it was a call back to another thread. And yes it does specify that it is a 100% pure grass diet with no hormones or any shit added. As to the breed, no idea. I just know its delicious.

And yea im killing the environment buy buying stuff that gets shipped at some point. You know, LIKE EVERY OTHER FUCKIN THING MOST OF USE

[Chip196]

relax fag it was a call back to another thread. And yes it does specify that it is a 100% pure grass diet with no hormones or any shit added. As to the breed, no idea. I just know its delicious.

And yea im killing the environment buy buying stuff that gets shipped at some point. You know, LIKE EVERY OTHER FUCKIN THING MOST OF USE

Alright ... no clue it was a call back. Having coffee shipped is one thing, it's another to have something shipped that you can get locally.

[Snoogans]

Alright ... no clue it was a call back. Having coffee shipped is one thing, it's another to have something shipped that you can get locally.

yea sorry, i should just go to the massive free range cattle fields in NJ.

[Chip196]

yea sorry, i should just go to the massive free range cattle fields in NJ.

I have people from all parts of Jersey either come to our farm or to the Farmers Markets we're at in NY ... but whatever ... I'd rather people ship it in than eat stuff from a Feedlot.

[underdog]

AUSTRALIAN FREE RANGE GRASS FED BEEF


you're welcome

Does that arrive frozen?

[Chip196]

Does that arrive frozen?

Here's a link to farms in MA via Eat Wild if interested

http://www.eatwild.com/PRODUCTS/massachusetts.html

[Snoogans]

Does that arrive frozen?

as I addressed when it first came up. 99% of meat is frozen from the processor and sent to the butcher. Thats why it fucks it up so bad to freeze it again

[underdog]

Here's a link to farms in MA via Eat Wild if interested

http://www.eatwild.com/PRODUCTS/massachusetts.html

We already get (mostly) local, organic produce delivered to us. My wife and I have looked into CSA shares, but haven't pulled the trigger on that yet.

I was just asking snoogans if it's frozen because I can't imagine buying meat from australia when you have great meat around here.

--thanks for that link

[underdog]

as I addressed when it first came up. 99% of meat is frozen from the processor and sent to the butcher. Thats why it fucks it up so bad to freeze it again

Whatever Matty.

[LordJezo]

As for meat, I know there are lots of producers in my area because of the Greenfields program, but am not sure where else to get information about locally raised/slaughtered meats.

What do you normally do for meat here in NJ? Or do you mean you dont know what to do at all about local meats?

Are the NYC markets the best bet for winter veggies? As I said before, spring, summer, fall, no problem, tons of local places, but now that it's winter the best I can do is USA Grown in Shop Rite. Haven't looked into these CSA things, do they do stuff in the winter as well?

But would the CSA be worth it for us as we have a bunch of farms down the road from us we can buy food directly from?

[Snoogans]

Whatever Matty.

dont think i wont drive up there and kick your black ass

[opie's twisted balls]

as I addressed when it first came up. 99% of meat is frozen from the processor and sent to the butcher. Thats why it fucks it up so bad to freeze it again
Frozen/thawed/re-frozen meat is awful. Even if you use it in a stew it takes on a funky texture.

Best way to go is buy as close to the source as possible. Most of my beef comes from these guys (http://www.hovenfarms.com/) and its fucking fantasticly good!

If you buy at the farmer's market their fresh meat has never been frozen and their frozen has only hit the cooler once.

[underdog]

What do you normally do for meat here in NJ? Or do you mean you dont know what to do at all about local meats?

Are the NYC markets the best bet for winter veggies? As I said before, spring, summer, fall, no problem, tons of local places, but now that it's winter the best I can do is USA Grown in Shop Rite. Haven't looked into these CSA things, do they do stuff in the winter as well?

But would the CSA be worth it for us as we have a bunch of farms down the road from us we can buy food directly from?

CSA uses local farms to bring you your shares, I believe.

dont think i wont drive up there and kick your black ass

Should you really be kicking anything right now?

[Snoogans]

CSA uses local farms to bring you your shares, I believe.



Should you really be kicking anything right now?

whatever i can still do it. Itll just hurt tomorrow. as opposed to you who will hurt today

[LordJezo]

CSA uses local farms to bring you your shares, I believe.


I read into it a bit more and it seems like a fantastic thing to do if a person does not have easy access to local farms. Being that I have some pretty decent farmers markets right down the road for me I don't think I need to go this route just yet. The eggs from the farm stand are also tremendous, can't wait for them to open back up again in the spring.

Now meat is a whole different story. Some of the mail order places are good but what I really want to do is find somewhere local. I have been looking around for NJ farms, found some on the eat wild site, and will start looking into PA Dutch country next as that is not too far away.

I know I wont be able to afford it 100% of the time but it will feel good to at least try to buy a little more local than I am now with my meat, which is at 0%, so any increase would be good.\


----


Well to update this I just got off the phone with a farm near Princeton and they have everything that I want..

http://www.cherrygrovefarm.com/

Locally grown meats, all grass fed and butchered in a local shop, non industrialized and also offers free range eggs and cheeses. They will be scaling back on their beef offerings as they are switching towards more dairy and chickens but will offer a grass fed beef from an organic farm in PA they are partnering with.

I shall be heading there this weekend.

[Chip196]

We sell at the Union Square Farmers Market on Friday and Saturday year round. I am usually set up by 8:00 AM and leave somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 this time of year. Sunday's we're uptown at 77th and Columbus (Museum of Natural History) from 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM year round. In April we'll be back at the Carroll Gardens market in Brooklyn (Carroll St. between Smith and Court).

It's Grass Fed and Finished Black Angus. Pasture Raised Chickens from June through October, and Pasture Raised Chicken Eggs year round based on availability.

www.grazinangusacres.com

[Thebazile78]

What do you normally do for meat here in NJ? Or do you mean you dont know what to do at all about local meats?

Are the NYC markets the best bet for winter veggies? As I said before, spring, summer, fall, no problem, tons of local places, but now that it's winter the best I can do is USA Grown in Shop Rite. Haven't looked into these CSA things, do they do stuff in the winter as well?

But would the CSA be worth it for us as we have a bunch of farms down the road from us we can buy food directly from?

Lots of farms do CSAs; just ask them!

Depending on where you are, it's a year-round thing depending on what's available ... during the winter, it's probably going to be like I described - winter squashes, greens like collards & kale (if at all) and root veggies. I think there's info at the Jersey Fresh site about CSA options in NJ. (Not always cost-effective here because of the relatively short growing season, but definitely a step towards supporting local farms and farmers!)

I'm only starting to really give a shite about local meats, and didn't learn about Eat Wild until today. Here's the link for NJ:

http://www.eatwild.com/products/newjersey.html

[Ocho Cinco]

everyone should watch this movie. it's amazing how willfully ignorant people can be about food they eat nonstop everyday. i say that as someone who is still learning how to eat right but also realizes 95% of the garbage i ate most of my life is just that

i'm def doing better as far as eating well but like i said i'm still learning. i don't know what these CSA's you are talking about are, i'll have to google that and find out i guess. but man some of the food i've been eating my whole life is scary, how people can eat the "meat" at fast food places is f'n crazy. i mean obviously i've had a crave case or 12 in my time but i've given up fast food this year and maybe for the rest of my life, it's just too scary

[happytypinggirl]

There are more and more great resources available now than even a year ago. Chip got me started on this kick by recommending to me the book that was a big part of the movie-- The Omnivores Dilmemna by Michael Pollan.

If you eat in NY a lot, i HIGHLY recommend a book called clean plates which is a guide to restaurants that care about this sort of thing.

The NJ book is The Food Lovers Guide to NJ and has REALLY good resources for farmers, farmers markets and tons more. Its not specifically geared toward finding local sustainable food, but that information is definitely in there.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Food-Lovers-Guide-to-New-Jersey/Peter-Genovese/e/9780762747757/?itm=1&USRI=new+jersey+guide+to+food

[JerseyRich]

Grass fed beef is just a marketing gimmick.

You're all getting ripped off.

I'm gonna go eat some of my Frozen Steaks from Wegmans that came from as far away from where I live as possible and probably killed some children on its way to me.

[Snoogans]

Grass fed beef is just a marketing gimmick.

You're all getting ripped off.

I'm gonna go eat some of my Frozen Steaks from Wegmans that came from as far away from where I live as possible and probably killed some children on its way to me.

dont worry, its vacu sealed

[JerseyRich]

dont worry, its vacu sealed

Perfect. That way the child's blood won't get on me.

[opie's twisted balls]

That way the child's blood won't get on me.
hmmmmm....veal

[JerseyRich]

In all seriousness...local food is the way to go. If you have a market in your town that promotes the distribution of local food, I urge you to use them.

And check out lists of sustainable fish...try to avoid the overfished ones.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx) has some pretty cool info.

Get yerself some Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon and start cookin! Just like I did!

http://richstillwell.com/images/salmon8.jpg

[Snoogans]

In all seriousness...local food is the way to go. If you have a market in your town that promotes the distribution of local food, I urge you to use them.

And check out lists of sustainable fish...try to avoid the overfished ones.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx) has some pretty cool info.

most fish people buy in the US is farmed. Alot of them are healthy farmed, like trout. Salmon and a couple others are pretty bad though

[JerseyRich]

most fish people buy in the US is farmed. Alot of them are healthy farmed, like trout. Salmon and a couple others are pretty bad though

Stop pretending you know EVERYTHING for one second...and read.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx

[Snoogans]

Stop pretending you know EVERYTHING for one second...and read.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx

i know the site very well. Most of the fish that have best choice or good choice are still farmed

[JerseyRich]

i know the site very well. Most of the fish that have best choice or good choice are still farmed

Agreed.

[Chigworthy]

dont worry, its vacu sealed

He prefers vest-u-sealed.

[JerseyRich]

He prefers vest-u-sealed.

That would be so cool, if it existed.

[Chigworthy]

That would be so cool, if it existed.

Maybe you should invest?

[underdog]

I watched this movie tonight, and now I'm glad I started eating locally and organic a while back.

Jesus, I had heard of Monsanto before and how evil they are, but this movie really portrayed them as such.

[happytypinggirl]

love wegmans.

[AF Mike]

A talented hipster once summed it up best - " Fuck Monsanto "

[LordJezo]

This fucking movie has now got me on Youtube watching PETA videos of abuses in pork processing facilities.

And I feel really bad for some of the animals unlucky enough to be around the morons working at some of these places.

I am a liberal hippie now.

[Thebazile78]

This fucking movie has now got me on Youtube watching PETA videos of abuses in pork processing facilities.

And I feel really bad for some of the animals unlucky enough to be around the morons working at some of these places.

I am a liberal hippie now.

No, you're still you, but you've changed your attitude towards food. That's great for the future of the planet, especially if you plan on having kids. (Remember, they've still got to live here, so if you trash the place, you're not providing for their future as well as you could!)

BTW, one of the staunchest conservatives I know is also a locavore, so it doesn't matter what your politics are, just your values. If you value knowing how your food gets to your plate, absolutely go local!

[Chigworthy]

Understanding where your food comes from and what makes most sense for your body and your environment is good. Watching PETA videos that have no provenience or date on them while they lead you to believe that every person that uses an animal product is killing the equivalent of a human is silly.

[underdog]

BTW, one of the staunchest conservatives I know is also a locavore, so it doesn't matter what your politics are, just your values. If you value knowing how your food gets to your plate, absolutely go local!

Yeah, I don't know how eating locally grown foods became a "hippie" or "liberal" thing.

[Chigworthy]

Yeah, I don't know how eating locally grown foods became a "hippie" or "liberal" thing.

It's not. But watching PETA videos is. I think that's what he meant.

[Thebazile78]

It's not. But watching PETA videos is. I think that's what he meant.

No, PETA is off-the-charts, moon-man, batshit insane and much MUCH worse than your average, liberal hippies.

[Thebazile78]

Yeah, I don't know how eating locally grown foods became a "hippie" or "liberal" thing.

I think if you look at how much coverage it gets in liberal media sites, like the NY Times giving people like Michael Pollan or Alice Waters a soapbox, it can be perceived as liberal/hippie.

[happytypinggirl]

i always hated the word organic. It reminded me of sprouts and flax seeds and soy and things i associate with that negative connotation of 'hippie' that tends to turn people off.

But foods raised and grown in the cleanest most natural way, and raised and grown to have the best flavor and/or be healthier appeals so much to me, and reflect the more positive side of the hippie culture.

And you cant beat the feeling when you find a perfect peach or pineapple or taste vegetables that have so much flavor without adding salt or sauces or cheese.

[midwestjeff]

But foods raised and grown in the cleanest most natural way, and raised and grown to have the best flavor and/or be healthier appeals so much to me, and reflect the more positive side of the hippie culture.

How do those things reflect promiscuity and heavy psychadelic use?

I'm confused.

[underdog]

i always hated the word organic. It reminded me of sprouts and flax seeds and soy and things i associate with that negative connotation of 'hippie' that tends to turn people off.

But foods raised and grown in the cleanest most natural way, and raised and grown to have the best flavor and/or be healthier appeals so much to me, and reflect the more positive side of the hippie culture.

And you cant beat the feeling when you find a perfect peach or pineapple or taste vegetables that have so much flavor without adding salt or sauces or cheese.

So you like organic food?

Also, here is my wife tonight holding two of the largest carrots (organic) I have ever seen :

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs159.snc3/18678_300397585847_568780847_3975543_4224762_n.jpg

[Devo37]

watched it and ate at Burger King the next day. yes, it's a fucked up production process we have, but it seems to be a necessary evil of trying to feed a population that's growing out of control.

the part of the film that angered me the most is what a big bag of cocks Monsanto is. their terminator crops and suing anyone that dares to not buy their seeds every year, along with being allowed to trademark biology(!!!!!), is worse than anything the meat industry is doing. :furious:

[underdog]

the part of the film that angered me the most is what a big bag of cocks Monsanto is. their terminator crops and suing anyone that dares to not buy their seeds every year, along with being allowed to trademark biology(!!!!!), is worse than anything the meat industry is doing. :furious:



Monsanto is evil.

[LordJezo]

Found a place right here in NJ to get local buffalo meat.

http://www.njbison.com/

Neat. Never knew all these options existed.

[aceofspades7]

we are watching this tonight on the roku

[aceofspades7]

very good documentary - the chicken part was most disturbing to me. does anyone know if empire chicken is better than perdue or tyson?

[StanUpshaw]

My favorite part was when the people were talking about traveling several hundred miles by car to buy their organic meat.

The made up FDA statistics (http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/eating-up-food-inc/) were pretty cool, too.

[happytypinggirl]

very good documentary - the chicken part was most disturbing to me. does anyone know if empire chicken is better than perdue or tyson?

kosher is almost always better because they impose additional more stringent standards above and beyond what the us requires. but im not sure how the kosher brands stack up next to bell & evans and other smaller local 'organic' farms.

[sailor]

very good documentary - the chicken part was most disturbing to me. does anyone know if empire chicken is better than perdue or tyson?

i'd assume kosher chicken had tougher standards

edit: damn you.

[LordJezo]

Well to update this I just got off the phone with a farm near Princeton and they have everything that I want..

http://www.cherrygrovefarm.com/

Locally grown meats, all grass fed and butchered in a local shop, non industrialized and also offers free range eggs and cheeses. They will be scaling back on their beef offerings as they are switching towards more dairy and chickens but will offer a grass fed beef from an organic farm in PA they are partnering with.

I shall be heading there this weekend.

Went to this farm yesterday, dropped a bill on meat, cheese and eggs, figured we'd try everything.

Made the bacon this morning with some of the farm eggs we bought, the bacon was phenomenal. Might be just because it's not store brand cheapo stuff, but it tasted great. Bought some ground beef that I made burgers with tonight. Tasty and moist. Would have been better if I had more skill at making burgers and could figure out how to make them medium rare on the griddle, but once I put some of the blue cheese we bought on them it was quite nice.

I could never afford to eat like this all the time but its a nice treat every once in a while.

[underdog]

Made the bacon this morning with some of the farm eggs we bought, the bacon was phenomenal.

cage free, free range eggs and non-packaged bacon are two of the greatest things ever.

[sailor]

Chickens don't like to range freely.

[disneyspy]

Chickens don't like to range freely.

why? are they chicken?

[LordJezo]

cage free, free range eggs and non-packaged bacon are two of the greatest things ever.

We bought fresh eggs for the first time last summer at a farm around here, laid right down the street from a bunch of chickens in someone's backyard. They were tremendous. Since then we get them whenever possible.

[Chigworthy]

Chickens don't like to range freely.

Is that why they stay in their roost all day long and never roam and forage?

[Chip196]

Is that why they stay in their roost all day long and never roam and forage?

All of our Egg-Laying birds are out on pasture all day long and as long as it isn't raining hard or snowing they prefer to be outside of the egg-mobile. The roasting chickens we only raise in the warm weather and they're always out at pasture and never roost. The older the egg laying birds get the braver they are when it comes to distance from their home.

[Chigworthy]

All of our Egg-Laying birds are out on pasture all day long and as long as it isn't raining hard or snowing they prefer to be outside of the egg-mobile. The roasting chickens we only raise in the warm weather and they're always out at pasture and never roost. The older the egg laying birds get the braver they are when it comes to distance from their home.

I was being sarcastic.

[Chip196]

I was being sarcastic.

HA ... sorry ... I literally had a conversation at a market today with a farmer who put his chickens next to a bunch of smaller trees and they roost all the time ... so much so that he has to climb up and get them down. weird!

[aceofspades7]

kosher is almost always better because they impose additional more stringent standards above and beyond what the us requires. but im not sure how the kosher brands stack up next to bell & evans and other smaller local 'organic' farms.

Thanks. We checked out empire's website - it looks like they are pretty legit - esp the organic chickens. We've been buying our steaks from heardbrandbeef, have a CSA with a farm in PA, and also have a garden - so we're doing alright as far as food inc goes...

[Chigworthy]

I just got to wondering. California passed the organic foods act in 1990, and it set a legal definition for what organic is. Do other states have this?

[Thebazile78]

very good documentary - the chicken part was most disturbing to me. does anyone know if empire chicken is better than perdue or tyson?

kosher is almost always better because they impose additional more stringent standards above and beyond what the us requires. but im not sure how the kosher brands stack up next to bell & evans and other smaller local 'organic' farms.

Thanks. We checked out empire's website - it looks like they are pretty legit - esp the organic chickens. We've been buying our steaks from heardbrandbeef, have a CSA with a farm in PA, and also have a garden - so we're doing alright as far as food inc goes...

Thankfully you did your homework, but a lot of people think that Kosher automatically means "better" ... and it really does depend on what you mean by "better."

Kosher doesn't apply to the way in which the animals are raised, but rather to how they are slaughtered and prepared for market. Kosher poultry often has pin feathers still in the skin because they don't blanch the birds for fear of cooking blood into the flesh (bloody flesh is against kashrut) for example.

Glatt kosher has a higher standard for what kind of meat they'll continue to process than plain kosher. The way it was described to me was the word "glatt" is related to the word for stomach so they cut open the guts of the animal to check for tumors, etc., and discard the animal if a blemish is found, among other things. (Yeah, that's really over-simplified, but I don't know enough about kosher butchery to speak in a truly knowledgeable way.)

Is it environmentally friendlier than, say, Purdue or Tyson? Not necessarily, but a lot of people believe it is.

Don't fall into that trap.

They're starting up a few kosher AND organic brands, but, unlike CA (which someone else asked about) there's no real "standard" about what makes meat animals "organic." Yet.

[Thebazile78]

I just got to wondering. California passed the organic foods act in 1990, and it set a legal definition for what organic is. Do other states have this?

No.

Some regions do, though. One of my BFF's gets her produce from a CSA that's run out of the Hudson Valley and they have their own regional standard "Hudson Valley Organic" policy.

You can pretty much label anything "organic" as it's a largely unregulated term. Some brands advertise that their practices comply with CA Organic 1990, but that could mean a lot of things.

[KatPw]

I watched this movie tonight, and now I'm glad I started eating locally and organic a while back.

Jesus, I had heard of Monsanto before and how evil they are, but this movie really portrayed them as such.

Check out The World According To Monsanto, it is truly eye opening.
http://twilightearth.com/environment-archive-2/the-world-according-to-monsanto-full-documentary/

[Serpico1103]

I just got to wondering. California passed the organic foods act in 1990, and it set a legal definition for what organic is. Do other states have this?

If I am correct, the large food producing corporations got involved and pretty much made the term "organic" meaningless as anything but a marketing tool.

[happytypinggirl]

Read anything Michael Pollan wrote. The only problem with his books, is that there is so much overlap so by your third book it can get a little repetitive. (or even by your second) but pick anyone...I'd go with 'in defense of food' or 'the ominvores dilemna'. Very enlightening.

[Chip196]

If you're concerned with the condition that the animals are in, you can also check out if they're Animal Welfare Approved.

http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/

[Chigworthy]

If I am correct, the large food producing corporations got involved and pretty much made the term "organic" meaningless as anything but a marketing tool.

Here is the CA page containing the actual codes:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=2857371859+0+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

There does seem to be some horseshittery in the code.


Read anything Michael Pollan wrote. The only problem with his books, is that there is so much overlap so by your third book it can get a little repetitive. (or even by your second) but pick anyone...I'd go with 'in defense of food' or 'the ominvores dilemna'. Very enlightening.

The Omnivore's Dilemma is a great book for anyone who liked the movie. Another great movie based on Pollan's work is The Botany of Desire. It's got sections on man's deep involvement with 4 plants: Potatoes, Marijuana, Tulips, and Apples. Each one focuses on how one of the plants appealed to a specific human desire, and the results of that appeal. I found the Tulip section pretty amazing.

[LordJezo]

Found a farm up the road that sells their own grown chickens, 3-4 lbs each, @ $4.85/lb.

Guess I am going to have to take a drive over to Hackettstown and try it out.

http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M33541

[Serpico1103]

10 minutes in to Food Inc. and I want to stop eating all corporate food.
"What's wrong with growing a chicken twice as big, twice as fast?"- Maybe the antibiotics, hormones, no sunlight in its life, unable to walk because of unnatural size, impact on flavor, and other unhealthy practices.

[StanUpshaw]

10 minutes in to Food Inc. and I want to stop eating all corporate food.
"What's wrong with growing a chicken twice as big, twice as fast?"- Maybe the antibiotics, hormones, no sunlight in its life, unable to walk because of unnatural size, impact on flavor, and other unhealthy practices.

Just out of curiosity, can you even explain why you think these things are bad?

[Serpico1103]

Just out of curiosity, can you even explain why you think these things are bad?

Antibiotics- how will I react to eating food treated with them? Will I become resistant? How does it effect the water supply? By having all those animals' waste seeping into the ground.

Hormones- How will I react to them (I am sure this and antibiotics are more a problem for kids), but it needs to discouraged by everyone. Same as above, how does it effect water supply.

Living conditions- I can tolerate eating meat that was raised and slaughtered. I am troubled by factories of meat. Chickens never seeing day light, living in their waste, unable to walk because of unnatural growth, pushing them with forklifts, many other cruel practices simply to save a nickel.

Flavor- by other methods and feeding animals corn and meat by-products we have changed the nutritional value and flavor of the food. Cows are not made to eat corn. They get sick because of it. We have changed the make up of beef. It used to have a balance of of omega 3 and omega 6 fats, now it has little omega 3, making beef unhealthy. So, that cheap cut of meat isn't cheap, they just externalized the costs. More hospital visits, more supplements to make up for what used to be in the meat. Feeding fish corn? Fish farms are becoming a problem.

Pollution- run off from corporate farms is having a major effect on oceanic ecosystems.

Corporate farms- using lobby to crush small farmers and subsidize the corporations operations.

Bacteria- Food poisoning kills more people every year in America than terrorists. How is food not safe? Because safety comes with a price. It's cheaper to lobby the government to lower requirements than to make food safe.

We assume we understand everything about our food. But, it wasn't long ago that we thought dietary fat made people fat. The government thought grains should be the base of a healthy diet. That couldn't be more wrong.
We used to think all that matter was macro-nutrients. With chemical fertilizer we could contain to grow crops, but they lacked micro-nutrients that we were unaware of.
The government (neither do the corporations) doesn't understand enough about this unnatural practices. Even when the government is aware, it allots too few resources to policing the corporate farms because they basically write the laws that govern them.

Brief summary of my feelings.

[sailor]

I'm calling shenanigans! No way you got that in first ten minutes.

[StanUpshaw]

They don't even use hormones in poultry. I was planning on debating more, but I have a pounding headache now. Sorry for making you type all of that.

[Serpico1103]

I'm calling shenanigans! No way you got that in first ten minutes.

No. That was my opinion about the whole issue. The first ten minutes when I saw the conveyor belt of chicks and chicken carcasses made me want no part of that system.

Kick a dog and you are a horrible person. Treat a chicken like a twinkie or any other manufactured food and the government rewards you.
Ignorance is bliss.

[LordJezo]

Went to the farm I just posted about this afternoon. No conveyor belts, no chickens with bodies so big they couldn't walk, just a field, hens pecking at the grass, and a border collie looking after them. Farmer Dave walked me around the fields, explained to me his whole operation, and let me see everything.

Picked up two whole chickens. Cost $37 but whatever, felt good to buy them.

[Serpico1103]

They don't even use hormones in poultry. I was planning on debating more, but I have a pounding headache now. Sorry for making you type all of that.

Sorry, yes in chickens it is just the antibiotics that cause them too grow unnaturally large. Hormones are introduced into the food supply in many other ways.

What is the debate over? That I should like these practices? Without them food would be too expensive?
I want natural food. I don't want unnatural food subsidized.

[StanUpshaw]

Went to the farm I just posted about this afternoon. No conveyor belts, no chickens with bodies so big they couldn't walk, just a field, hens pecking at the grass, and a border collie looking after them. Farmer Dave walked me around the fields, explained to me his whole operation, and let me see everything.

Picked up two whole chickens. Cost $37 but whatever, felt good to buy them.

How much gasoline did you use?

[LordJezo]

How much gasoline did you use?

Less than would have been used if I went to the supermarket 2 miles away that has chickens shipped in from 100s of miles away by large trucks.

[StanUpshaw]

Less than would have been used if I went to the supermarket 2 miles away that has chickens shipped in from 100s of miles away by large trucks.

Not per chicken.

[Serpico1103]

Not per chicken.

Which could be solved if the government stopped subsidizing the other side. Then naturally grown chickens could be sold to a mass market because the price difference would be less.
Also, it might encourage more small farming, so people don't have to drive so far to find a farm.
How's the headache? Does it even hurt?

[underdog]

How much gasoline did you use?

What's you point? Most people don't drink gasoline (can't speak for Jezo, though).

I don't eat organic food or hormone free meats because I want to save the earth.

[sailor]

No. That was my opinion about the whole issue. The first ten minutes when I saw the conveyor belt of chicks and chicken carcasses made me want no part of that system.

Kick a dog and you are a horrible person. Treat a chicken like a twinkie or any other manufactured food and the government rewards you.
Ignorance is bliss.

Apology accepted.

[lleeder]

treat a chicken like a twinkie? I eat twinkies for breakfast

[sailor]

treat a chicken like a twinkie? I eat twinkies for breakfast

queer.

[Hamey]

I thought it was interesting when the beef was zzzzzzzzzzzz. What a bore fest!

[Serpico1103]

I thought it was interesting when the beef was zzzzzzzzzzzz. What a bore fest!
Sleepy, go buy advanced tickets for transformers 3, real entertainment.