“Te Impossible Burger introduces


over 48 new proteins to the human diet without a thorough safety investigation,” warns Rangan. She questions whether these new meat alternatives are better than meat from animals raised on pasture without routine drugs and synthetic fertilizers. Tere’s a big difference between


the health and environmental impact of meat from animals raised in feed lots versus those raised with regenerative agricultural practices. “Industrial agriculture is absolutely harmful,” reports A Greener World, a nonprofit certifier of the trustworthy Animal Welfare Approved label. But thinking we have to go vegan or purchase fake meat to protect our health or the planet is misguided.


Eating Less,


But Better Meat “Our bodies are designed to be omnivores, and animal products are part of a diverse, real food diet,” says Rebecca Tistlethwaite, director of the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network at Oregon State University. Tistlethwaite, author of Farms with a Future and Te New Livestock Farmer: Te Business of Raising and Selling Ethical Meat, believes in ancestral eating and eating as close to nature as possible. She is mindful of portion size and eats only organic and pasture-raised animal foods to avoid synthetic chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Will Harris, owner of White Oak


Pastures, in Blufon, Georgia, declares, “It’s not the cow, it’s the how.” Harris


Once you learn how our modern industrial food


system has transformed what most Americans eat, you


become highly motivated to eat something else.


~Eric Schlosser, author of Fast


Food Nation, Chew on This and co-producer of Food, Inc.


transitioned his livestock operation from the industrial model to certified humane animal husbandry and sustainable practices that emulate nature. Te switch to a pasture-based system yields healthier animals, he explains, and helps take ca rbon out of the atmosphere and back into the soil. In Cows Save the Planet and Other


Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth, author Judith Schwartz describes how grazing animals play a key role in restoring soil health, and therefore human health. “Well-managed pastures and grasslands with ruminant animals can sequester more carbon than they emit, improve soil health and increase groundwater recharge,” explains Tistlethwaite. Plus, both livestock and poultry can make use of inedible feeds that humans don’t consume, such as grass and sagebrush.


Power To the People Rangan and Harris emphasize that the power of consumer spending can shift the market. However, Thistlethwaite says, “We cannot just vote with our forks, as many people don’t have that luxury.” She urges change at both personal and political levels, favoring incentive-based approaches with fewer subsidies going to the industrial system. “We need more farmers raising


high-quality animals in a humane, ecologically responsible manner,” says Tistlethwaite. But we also need more small-scale slaughterhouses and meat processors throughout the country to get quality meat to more of our tables. In addition to farmers’ markets,


cooperatives and community supported agriculture, organizations such as the American Grassfed Association and Local Harvest connect consumers directly to farmers using sustainable practices to help rebuild regional food hubs and networks. “Start with small steps,” suggests


Tistlethwaite. “Buy milk from a local creamery, eggs from a farmer in your community or one-quarter cow to fill your freezer from a local, grass-fed beef producer. Reward the farms and ranches that are doing it right by purchasing from them, promoting them, supporting them.”


Melinda Hemmelgarn is an award- winning registered dietitian, writer and nationally syndicated radio host based in Columbia, MO. Reach her at FoodSleuth@gmail.com. Tune into Food Sleuth Radio at kopn.org.


Critical Questions to Find and Support Good Food


Where does my food come from? Who produced it and under what conditions? Were workers treated fairly and animals humanely? What’s in or on my food? Were pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, genetically modified ingredients or additives used in producing it? Is it rich or poor in nutrients? What might be the unintended consequences of my food and farming choices? How might those choices affect our environment and future generations?


18 Central Florida www.NACFL.com


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