Conventional, Organic, Free-Range, To-fur-Key – What to Choose?
For carnivores who aim to be responsible, the meat aisle can be an obstacle course. What brands can you trust? Does “free-range” mean the birds really got to walk around and stretch their wings or just that they had a larger pen with a small patch of grass? What does it mean to be organic? Its time to get to the bottom of this coop.
“Free-range” is supposed to mean “that the bird was allowed access to the outside for a significant portion of his/her life. However, some free-range birds may be housed in open-air barns with limited exits to the outside that are left open for only a short period each day. In other free range situations the birds may spend a large proportion of their day outdoors and are brought in only at night or bad weather.” (WSPA) Free range labeling on poultry is regulated by the USDA but the same claims on red meats and eggs are not regulated. Ask your local farmer about the practices they use.
A term I have never seen on poultry before, but look forward to seeing it on products in the future is “pasture-raised.” “Pastured raised indicates that the meat or eggs came from birds who were provided genuine access to both the outdoors and natural vegetation. Many pasture operations use mobile shelters with perimeter fencing that are located in a pastured area and moved periodically to protect the plant growth and provide the birds with a continuous source of seeds.” (WSPA) Pasture raised labels are not regulated by the government so you need to do your own homework to see what they mean for each farmer.
USDA organic certified products are regulated by the USDA and must meet specific requirements of organic farming. Still, it’s important to know that organically grown products are not entirely free of pesticides or other chemical residues. Organic farming (cattle or produce) is a method aimed at reducing the amount of pesticides and water used, and increasing soil quality.
For a variety of reasons from cost to the requirements of gaining certification, some farmers and producers who use organic farming methods are not certified. The resulting products often carry labels such as “organic but not certified” “pesticide-free,” or “natural.” The definitions and practices used to produce the products under these labels are up to the farmers
All in all, picking the right turkey (or no turkey at all) is a personal decision. If you are just taking the first step in turning your Thanksgiving green, take it slow and learn about the food labels you are likely to see. For those of you ready to take your green a shade darker, find a local turkey farmer who meets your standards. You will not only get a bird who lived a quality life, but also support your community’s farmers.
Ready to go a shade of green darker?
Industrial or factory poultry farming is detrimental, not only to the environment but also to the local community. With more people moving from red meat to poultry, record numbers of birds are being raised and modified specifically to satiate American’s palettes. Turkeys are being bred to have larger breasts and be heavier but their skeletons have not kept pace with these modifications. As a result, these turkeys often have trouble standing up and there are many birds who end up trampled and killed. Sadly, this treatment isn’t the worst of it.
Still, the treatment of animals isn’t the only detrimental thing about factory poultry farming. The environmental impact, is highly detrimental too. The vast majority of grain grown in the U.S. is consumed by farm animals raised for food. In order to make room for the immense amount of land needed to feed the animals we eat, forests, wetlands, and other fragile ecosystems have been transformed into farmland, eliminating wildlife habitats. Unfortunately this isn’t even the worst of it. Livestock farms produce a gigantic amount of waste, much of which ends up in our nation’s waterways.
The moral of this Thanksgiving story is that its up to you to do your homework and weigh the costs and benefits you care most deeply about. Maybe this is your year to purchase your first Tofurkey.
Image by Flickr user Patti Haskins used under a Creative Commons License.
