Musings of a Wally

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I have the great good fortune to live in the midst of the country - this afternoon, I walked the dogs through the local fields, teeming with sheep with lambs at foot, young bullocks, pheasants, rabbits.......all was well with the world........what a sad, bleak place the countryside would be if the veggies/ vegans got their way
Without us meat-eaters, so many animals just wouldn't have a life at all......
it should be a GOOD life for the animals involved - thankfully, welfare standards ARE improving, long may it continue!
I'm also within sight of the South Downs - living proof that there is farmland that is just not suited to arable use, but ideally suited for meat production. Back in "euro grain mountain" days, several greedy farmers tried ploughing up the downland to cop the hefty subsidies - as soon as it rained, the scanty topsoil all washed away..............
Leather shoes thanks!

Me too! I live in a wonderfully rural area where lambs are being farmed and mussels are being raised. But to me, its such a waste that these acres of farmland are being used to raise such a small amount of animal based foods when they could be used to raise pulses and veggies that we can all enjoy with far less impact on the environment. And I personally get a pang in my chest knowing that the playful lamb jumping around the field only has weeks to live before being killed for someones dinner.

But we all have different ideas on this and I respect meat eaters and the rest. I'm just trying to help dispell some myths?

now Martin is stirring it with that arguement!! - particularly as I understand he used to be a vegetarian..

but it is true there are great areas of the country which are NOT suitable for growing pulses or veggies, but are suitable for animals. Dartmoor, for instance.
Lambs are not killed at only weeks old, but in fact are sheep when they are bumped off, at about 6 months old.. generally. so indeed a short life, but not as short as a few weeks.

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Its a common misconception that veggies eat a 'meat and potatoes diet' replacing soya for meat. When one learns about food combining of simple things like pulses and corn, that are all grown in the UK, and other plant based foods one realises that its all local and within reach.

Every now and then I buy tofu for a treat. Where is this tofu made? Newcastle! :)

ah no - I am well aware that vegetarians do not have to have a 'meat replacement' - however, if the protein does not come from meat, it has to come from other sources. Now I know of lots of non meat protein rich meals.. just peanut butter on toast is one of them! but I am wondering if they result in more importing.. like the peanuts, which dont grow here.
I'm not pointing fingers.. but if the issue of not killing animals becomes a green issue.. then you have to look at all sides of it. As I already said.. its a minefield!


as for tofu - now I am confused. I thought tofu was made from soya.?

[oldfella]

Man is, I believe by nature is a carnivore and as such I eat meat, but I do buy from known sources where the animals are treated with respect and allowed to live as normal live as is possible.