Mindful Meat: Eating Cruelty Free

"Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight."
-Albert Schweitzer

I'm a sucker for cute baby animals. Calves, chicks, piglets, lambs... I like them all. I think this was one of the main reasons I became a vegetarian twelve years ago, I just couldn't wrap my head around how we can separate the animals we call pets from the animals we call food. My husband on the other hand, is a sucker for meat. Beef, chicken, pork… He eats them all!

A match made in heaven, no?

Needless to say, we've both had to make some adjustments. Chris is super supportive of my decision not to eat meat, and I respect that it's a personal choice, and I try not to force my views onto him. Over the last five years we've come up with some great compromises! Cruelty free meat being one of them!

It wasn't long after we moved in together that we first started looking for alternatives to factory farm mass produced meat. My adversion is not so much with eating meat, but rather with how the animals are treated before we eat them. So when I happened upon this great program run by the BC SPCA that offers certification to farmers and producers of meat, eggs and dairy products that follow humane practices, Chris and I jumped on board!

SPCA certification is an extremely innovative certification, food-labeling and advocacy program that easily lets consumers know that products labeled "SPCA certified" come from farms that adhere to strict farm animal welfare standards. The specific standard vary by species, but the over all goals are as follows:

1. Freedom from hunger and thirst
2. Freedom from discomfort
3. Freedom from pain, injury, and disease
4. Freedom from distress
5. Freedom to express behaviours that promote well-being

As an Albertan, I am so proud that we have some really progressive local farmers producing an amazing selection of ethical and organic products. These animals have access to pastures, sunshine and fresh air. Here are a few of my favorite:

Sunworks Farm
Armena, Alberta
Beef, Bison, Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Turkey and other poultry
Available at the Calgary's Farmers Market at the Blush Lane Organics stand

TK Ranch
Hanna, Alberta
Chicken, pork, lamb and beef
Available at Community Natural Foods (Downtown and Chinook Centre locations), Amaranth Whole Foods and Planet Organic (North and South locations)

First Nature Farms
Goodfare, Alberta
Beef, chicken and pork
Available at Community Natural Foods (Downtown and Chinook Centre locations)

Not only do we have some great producers, but they are supported by and carried in grocery stores and farmers markets across the province! Not so bad for the wild west! Here are a few of the places you can pick up the products from the farms listed above:

Blush Lane Organics
7 Day Market
3000 - 10 Aspen Stone Blvd. S.W.
or
Calgary Farmers Market
4421 Quesnay Wood Dr. S.W.
Assorted: Sunworks Farm

Community Natural Foods
10th Avenue Market
1304 - 10th Ave SW
or
Chinook Station Market
202 - 61st Ave SW
Pork: First Nature Farms
Chicken: First Nature Farms
Beef: TK Ranch

Amaranth Whole Foods
7 Arbour Lake Drive NW
Beef: TK Ranch

Planet Organic
Calgary North
4625 Varsity Drive NW
or
Calgary South
10233 Elbow Drive SW
Beef: TK Ranch

Don't shop at any of these stores, but still want to make a change? Download this Request Card to give to the manager at your local grocery store.

Next time you go to the grocery store or go out to dinner think about the effects of your buying choices... The only way change will ever happen is for all of us to vote with our dollars! A couple of extra dollars for cruelty free meat, makes a huge difference in the life of an animal! That's money well spent to me!

Join the growing number of people who are choosing cruelty free products to vote for change in our agricultural communities!


Photo Credit: www.loyalkng.com