No, this is for people food, not animals!

We hear this a lot, and it always fascinates me.  While spoken with good intentions, I believe that this represents the common life view that is part of the problem of agriculture, environment, and health in our country. Let me explain.

This time of year, with harvest abundant and many gardens and orchards producing more than the owner can consume, we comb the area looking for leftover produce, fruit, whatever we can find that is grown organically. Primarily we use these extra freebies as animal feed. Some people, actually many people, are insulted by this. They are very generous and kind in offering their extra produce, but if they discover the intention is to feed to animals, they are shocked... "No, this is for people food".

Lets think bout this for a second. What is a definition of a farm animal... but people food? That squash that was donated to our farm is turned into yummy and healthy bacon! Sure it means an extra step in between, but it is still going towards people food. Essentially all feed on a farm IS people food, just a stage removed. But there is a deeper issue here.

Our animals actually consume better food than many people. In fact, we can NOT feed restaurant food, nor grocery store leftovers, to our animals. It is simply not good enough. It is filled with inorganic produce, factory raised meats, chemicals of all sorts, additives, bad fats, flavor enhancers, etc.  It is simply not fit for animal consumption... not our animals at least. We have been offered all sorts of "people food" for our farm, sometimes in large quantities, for free! but, alas, we can not accept that generosity. The food is simply not good enough for our animals. If we fed that "stuff" to the animals, our end products would decrease dramatically in value. Our products would become no better than the cheap food that they consume.

Why? because "You are what you Eat"! If any living thing consumes bad artificial food (as that sold in 99% of local restaurants and grocery stores)  that living thing takes in the poisons and additives of the food. It becomes the food, and the quality of the food

So, in reality, what is "people food" ? it is substandard! It is the type of food that leads to disease and death.  To a life filled with doctors and medicines. To a life cut short by debilitating pain and suffering.  This is sadly true in MOST cases.

Animal food, farm animal food at least, should be as good or better than people food. If the animals were fed the cheapest foods, then the farm products are no better than, the cheapest foods! No, the way to do this is to preserve only the best feed for farm animals.... for that bacon... and thereby create true traditional healthy foods.

So yes, this is partly whats wrong with the world today. We as a society seem to think that we can feed garbage to pigs, and yet magically produce healthy bacon! How is that possible? What a silly notion!