As we head into the holiday season, I am reminded that many religious traditions have a strong connection to food, from feasting to fasting and praying for thanks. It seems appropriate, then, to consider where our food comes from. In factory farms all over the country, chickens, pigs and cows are warehoused in cages and pens so small they cannot even turn around. Many of us already support small farmers who raise animals more humanely but it is difficult for them to compete in a market where suffering is generated for greater profits.
If you’re concerned about the welfare of animals and the small farmer that raises them humanely, there are four things you can do:
1) If you live in California, vote YES on Prop 2 to give animals the right to stand up, turn around or spread their wings in their cages. If you don’t live in California, please support the passing of this historic bill that will have an impact on the welfare of animals all over the country. Spread the word to your California friends or donate to help ease the suffering of 20 million animals.
2) Sign the Humane Society pledge to eat more humanely this month. HSUS fights for the welfare of domestic, wild and farm animals and has recently partnered with religious leaders from all faiths who remind us of our responsibility to honor the environment and all creatures great and small.
3) Raise your own chickens, eat grass-fed beef or consider visiting a local farm. In the last year, I’ve watched as all of my friends have started talking about food. They have planted their own vegetable gardens, signed up for CSAs to receive fresh meat and vegetables directly from farmers, are shopping at farmer’s markets, visiting their local farms to see where their food comes from and three are now raising chickens! Chickens make very sweet pets. They can be social and affectionate and are easy to keep in the backyard in cute modern chicken houses. What better way to get fresh free-range eggs?
4) Vote for Obama-Biden. Barack Obama, has just became the first presidential candidate endorsed by the Humane Society: “Voters who care about protecting wildlife from inhumane and unsporting abuses, enforcing the laws that combat large-scale cruelties like dogfighting and puppy mills, providing humane treatment of animals in agriculture, and addressing other challenges that face animals in our nation, must become active over the next six weeks to elect a president and vice president who share our values. Please spread the word, and tell friends and family members that an honest assessment of the records of the two presidential tickets leads to the inescapable conclusion that Obama-Biden is the choice for humane-minded voters.”
