Coming out of a weekend filled with dairy foods for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, I was tickled to read a story about dairy farmers pampering their cows for the sake of increased milk production. Dairy farmers across the country are going the extra mile to make sure their cows are calm and happy, purchasing waterbeds, playing classical music, and even buying chiropractic massages for their dairy herd. While the science is not yet clear, dairy farmers have noted an increase in the quality and quantity of milk from their pampered cows. In other words, the massages seem to be working.
The idea that happier farm animals produce higher quality food is not new, and it seems to be catching on. Several small scale egg farmers have transitioned to a “pastured” system, allowing their chickens to roam freely to eat grass and bugs the way nature intended. These chickens are not simply “free range” or “cage free,” which are terms that unfortunately don’t have much meaning in today’s food market. “Free range” chickens have access to a small outdoor pen, but they are often so crowded in the hen house that they never find their way out the door. “Cage free” simply means that the hens are kept in large, often overcrowded indoor pens instead of smaller cages. Neither term indicates a substantial change in conditions that would improve the well being of the animals. By contrast, “pastured” eggs come from hens that are allowed to wander freely in grass pastures or large outdoor moveable pens, giving them access to hours of sunshine and fresh grass each day. In the case of pastured hens, a study was conducted in 2007 which concluded pastured eggs contained 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, and 5 times the Vitamin D of commercially produced eggs. In this case, the eggs do turn out better when hens have room to roam and forage, as nature intended.
I spent my childhood on the beautiful Central Coast of California. In this idyllic, unspoiled countryside, I grew up watching happy cows wander peacefully through rolling hills of grass. My great uncle owns a small cattle ranch where the cows are free to roam on many acres of land. It made me happy to see these animals with ample room to graze, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. It seems right and proper that farm animals, who help us nourish our families, should be given a comfortable life. In fact, in the Torah it says: “I shall provide grass in your field for your animals, and you shall eat and be satisfied” (Deuteronomy 11:15). This phrase was interpreted by the ancient Rabbis in the Talmud to mean that we must feed our animals before we feed ourselves, since we are their caretakers and they are providing food for us. It is one of many Torah rules that encourage sensitivity to the needs of animals.
Unfortunately, there is little room for sensitivity in factory farming. Before he retired, my father was a professor of agricultural business at Cal Poly University, one of the country’s leading colleges for agricultural studies. Once a year he’d take me to the Tulare Farm Equipment show in the California Central Valley. On the way, we’d pass by a massive feedlot for one of our state’s leading beef producers. These feedlots are utilized in the mass production of beef. Cattle are transported to feedlots for the last few months of their lives so they can “fatten up” on a mixture of corn byproducts and grains. I always fought tears as we passed by that feedlot… it was a sad place. Cows stand on mountains of their own feces crowded into small, confined pens. The cattle are often given antibiotics because the unnatural living conditions can lead to sickness. Sadly, most of the cows I saw wandering the hillsides of the Central Coast were eventually transferred to feedlots like these.
Recently there has been an increased interest in grass fed beef, which is pastured its whole life and never transferred to a feedlot. Cows that eat grass as nature intended produce leaner, healthier cuts of meat. Unfortunately, grass fed meat is generally more expensive and harder to find than traditional beef– and if you’re looking for kosher grass fed beef, the search becomes even more challenging.
My personal food philosophy is based on energy. Physics teaches us that everything contains energy, from a spec of sand to a bolt of lightning. There is no life without energy, and food is the energy that fuels us as human beings. It makes sense to me that the purer the energy we put into our bodies, the healthier we become. It’s one of the reasons I eat vegetarian most of the time, and only reserve meat for when my body craves it. If I were a dairy farmer, my cows would most definitely be pampered. What do you think… do happier animals lead to healthier, better quality food products?
If you do some reading,they have linked most western diseases to the over consumption of meat and dairy,and have found only small amounts are not harmful.The “china study” in particular has extensive proof of this documented.If you went vegan and lost energy you didnt do it right.My energy went through the roof and my Iron and calcium went up.You are what you eat and animals are not meant to be eaten by man.What ever you do good luck but inform yourself before its to late and cancer gets a hold of you.
@Vegan for life
I’m sorry what?! “Animals are not meant to be eaten by man”??? Surely you can’t be serious… Man was eating animals LONG before sustainable farming was developed and almost no human societies have been found to have lived primarily off of foraging. We have documented thousands of years of the history of human migratory patterns that are literally based solely on the movements of the animals that they hunted. Man certainly WAS meant to eat meat and we’ve been doing it since day one. It’s good that you’re realizing some of the problems with factory farming and the related health concerns, and I understand that being hyper health-conscious is trendy right now, but please don’t adopt the same level of blind extremism as the conservative corporate farm supporters on the other side of the argument, because right now you sound JUST as crazy and misinformed.
I spent several years in SLO and attended Cal Poly…I know of the sad feed lot in Tulare when I’d drive inland from Paso Robles–sad to see and horrific to smell…I agree that the Central Coast is a “happy place” for cattle–could it be the wine??? I now live in Montana and fortunately have 2 vendors at the Farmer’s Market and a neighbor that I can buy grass-fed lamb and beef from! Big difference…
the saying treat others the way you would like to be treated fits in with my idea of food. I want the cow to be happy when it makes milk and the same with the chicken laying eggs , Aimals have feelings just like people the happier they are the better products they produce no different from a worker.
Have you considered eating vegan? That is the truly most compassionate way to eat, not to mention the health benefits and it’s impact on the environment. Even doing it once a week makes a HUGE difference.
Hi Melanie, I was actually a vegetarian for 8 years (high school through college). I ended up introducing meat back into my diet because my immunity was suffering and I had low energy levels. I cannot eat too much soy because it effects my hormones, which narrows the field in terms of vegetarian protein options. That said, I only eat meat sparingly. I enjoy eating meatless about 80% of the time– I consider myself a “flexitarian,” only eating meat when I really crave it. I would never go completely vegan– I love food (and dairy products) way too much for that! I do agree that going meatless or vegan even once a week is a great thing, which is why I offer lots of vegetarian and vegan dishes and easy modifications for my readers. 🙂
I love this. There’s also the fact that you eat what your food ate, so if you eat factory farmed food you’re eating all kinds of hormones, chemicals, and antibiotics. Yum!! Thanks for the post.
Good post! I especially like that you bring “pastured” vs. “cage free” into the conversation. Not enough people are aware of the huge difference. Cage-free is not cruelty-free.
I’d go so far as to say that if it’s not grass-fed, pastured, and truly humanely treated, don’t eat it.
Hi Tori,
There is a an episode from Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation dedicated to Brittany, were they visit Olivier Roellinger’s Chateaux Richeaux were they grow happy, pampered Animals with visible results.
I fully agree with your statement, we are what we eat.
Here in Portugal we have both extremes: the EU specs factory farming, homogeneous, no taste, right size… and the farmers market fresh full of flavor.
It’s a matter of compassion but also of public health as unhappy animals segregate more toxins that are assimilated by us when eating.
Kind Regards
Juan
Good, thoughtful post. Thank you.