Comments on: Most Important Food Story of the Year http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/ Food and Family in the Research Triangle of North Carolina Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:48:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Pam http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1664 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:37:30 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1664 I grew up on a farm and remember the first time I realized our pet cow (I’d named him ‘Friendly’ of all things!) was about to be my dinner. I vowed I would never it him, or meat. Of course I did.

I do respect your desire to teach kids where their food comes from and to appreciate that, I however prefer to live in my own little world where everything comes from the store as is and never had a face. :)

]]> By: tracey http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1641 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:58:51 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1641 Dean get the youngun a set of Little House on the Prairie books…every girl should have them anyway

tracey

]]> By: Matt http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1631 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:41:06 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1631 Agreed. Great Smiths reference.

You know, I was probably 30 before it REALLY hit me about where food comes from. Trust me, I knew before, but it took a french cafe to really drive it home. It was when the fish I ordered came out with the eyes staring right back at me. I’ll admit, it kinda freaked me out.

But it sure was tasty.

]]> By: Jeff http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1620 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:45:33 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1620 A Kraft salesman once told me about visiting a pork slaughterhouse…not sure where. He said they were playing “Zippidy Do Dah” over the loudspeakers to keep the pigs calm and happy before being offed. So next time you reach for that package of Oscar Mayer center cut bacon, know that it is a former Disney fan you are about to consume.

]]> By: chef colin http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1619 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:13:22 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1619 Chris at http://www.offalgood.com has a pictograghy of the humane slaughter of a cow. It’s pretty gruesome but if you eat meat you should really watch. If you can’t watch I’d recommend not eating meat. here is the actual link to the blog.
http://www.offalgood.com/site/photos/humane-cow-slaughter/

]]> By: PolitiPornster http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1618 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:52:11 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1618 Hat tip for the Smiths reference. I loved that band.

I saw the Observer article this weekend, but didn’t have the guts to read it. Looks like you’ve forced me into pulling the thing from my recycle bin. I did see the picture of the piglet they followed and it was really cute.

As I’ve been known to say, “If God didn’t want us to eat animals, then why did he make them all outta meat?”

]]> By: Varmint http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1617 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:42:58 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1617 I only wish I had warned her, but frankly, I had completely forgotten about the clubbing of the fish. Nobody likes it, but I suspect it’s a lot more humane than letting the fish suffocate. She had seen that happen before, but because the fish doesn’t show outward signs of struggling or suffering, it wasn’t traumatic. Beating the crap out of a fish was another story, however.

]]> By: Hayden Tompkins http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1616 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:36:53 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1616 “Many of you are thinking that I’m an awful father for thinking it’s a good thing for your child to hurt”

No way.

]]> By: seahawg http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1615 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:33:09 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1615 I thought it was a great article as well. It opened my eyes on the economics aspect. Pork chops at 2.99 a lb at the supermarket vs 9.99 a lb at the farmers market, and the farmer’s still aren’t making it. It’s tough to compete with the factory. As the author said “Carnivorous consumers are caught between conscience and pocketbook.”

We are no doubt too far removed, from where our food comes from. Most kids will never experience slinging the head off a chicken, and plucking it’s feathers. They will never experience the festival atmosphere of several families getting together for a hog killing. Scraping the hide and rendering the lard. Not a bit going to waste.

I hope your daughter is fine, and have no doubt she is. I’m with you, in that she needs to see the connection between us and our food. Not a bad life lesson, in my opinion. Keep up the good work. Sounds like you are as accomplished at fathering, as you are at blogging.

]]> By: Lurker http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1614 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:51:48 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1614 I thought the article was great as well. I agree that it’s really important for people to understand where their food comes from. I have a hope that doing so will reduce (dare I say, eliminate??) waste. It’s sickening how many tons of meat/poultry/fish gets wasted daily in this country for the buzzards at the landfill to eat. Those animals lived (most of them in despicable conditions) and died (some horrendously) for absolutely nothing. I’m not opposed to eating meat, but I *am* opposed to factory farming and waste; and the complete disregard and ignorance exhibited by far too many people regarding something they do daily – eat! Honor the animal that died so that you might continue living.

I was surprised to read that the Smithfield plant now uses gassing to kill the pigs rather than captive bolt guns. I think that’s a huge step in the right direction and better than the Matkins operation that shoots them in the head.

]]> By: dave http://varmintbites.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1613 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:48:36 +0000 http://varmintbites.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/most-important-food-story-of-the-year/#comment-1613 That was an awesome story. I’ve been wanting to buy pork from Cane Creek for some time, either a whole pig or parts, and this is going to motivate me to do so.

You’re right about knowing where our food comes from. I think of the times when I’ve seen creatures make the transition from “live” to “food” (fish, shellfish, chickens, etc), and I believe it does give you a better appreciation for the food we eat.
I think it’s in the French Laundry Cookbook that Thomas Keller talks about slaughtering rabbits, and how you have a commitment to treat creatures that have given their life so you can eat with respect, and you try to make something good out of them, so their sacrifice isn’t in vain.
Thanks for the link!

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