~ Thomas Alva Edison

Nearly all the meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs that fill our supermarkets come from animals raised in factory-like facilities called "Confined Animal Feeding Operations" or CAFOs.  The animals are raised in crowded, filthy conditions and fed mainly a diet of genetically modified corn and soy that are low-cost due to government subsidies.  To cut costs even further, the animal's feed can also contain municipal garbage, stale pastry, feathers and even candy!  Believe it or not, up until 1997, cattle in the U.S. were also fed meat from other cattle, a practice believed to have been the probable cause for mad cow disease.  These practices create cheap food and high profits for the producers.  The costs include numerous other problems such as animal stress, disease and abuse; air, land and water pollution; unnecessary use of hormones, antibiotics and other drugs; food with less nutritional value and more risk of contamination with things like E. coli and staph.  

A growing number of ranchers have started to revolt against industrial agriculture. These new farmers raise their animals on pasture from birth to market, allowing them to roam and forage on their natural diet.  Grass-fed and pasture-raised animals produce healthier meat, dairy products and eggs, which are lower in saturated fats and higher in omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fats found in salmon and flaxseed.  Milk from grass-fed animals is also higher in conjugated linoleic acid, which can protect against heart disease and cancer.

Raising animals on pasture is also better for the environment.  A recent study by USDA scientists actually found that raising cows on grass instead of factory farms produces fewer greenhouse-gas emissions and other pollutants.  On pasture, the animals eat greens that are grown with solar energy in the ground that they graze upon.  The animals themselves provide the fertilizer, in the way nature intended. Kate Clancy, the author of a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, states that a change from raising animals on grain-based feedlots to a purely pasture-based system "would be better for the environment, animals and humans."

Ask your local grocer about pasture-raised meat, eggs and dairy products.  To find a farm, store or supplier near you, visit Eat Wild, a resource for information about pasture-raised and grass-fed farms and products (see the link under Elaborations, up and to the right).  You can also find information and resources using the links for Local Harvest, Eat Humane and Slow Food USA.  Be sure to visit the sites for Vital Farms Pastured Eggs and Organic Valley Pasture Butter, two of my favorite pasture-raised products.

Choose a healthier, more humane and environmentally-friendly way of eating. Choose pasture-raised.  The grass is greener on the other side.

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Choose a pasture-raised chicken to make this simple recipe for Chicken, Potatoes and Onions.

2 pounds of your favorite chicken pieces

About 2 cups of olive oil

1 white onion, thinly sliced into rings

4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters

2 to 3 teaspoons of salt 

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

1 cup of chopped fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F

Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.  Fill a large 9" x 13" or 12" round baking pan with about 1/2 inch of oil.  Arrange chicken pieces in the pan.  Separate the onion slices and spread out over the chicken.  Add potatoes.  Sprinkle everything with oregano, parsley, remaining salt and more pepper.  Mix everything thoroughly with a pair of tongs or by hand.

Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes, stirring with tongs or a big spoon every 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft and chicken is done.

Serve with a green salad.

Serves 4