Catering for Older Vegetarians and Vegans

Just seen this from Vegetarian For Life - such a wonderful thing to be doing.  As I'm getting up into the "older" bracket is has crossed my mind what food I'll be able to eat if I go into a rest home.

Have Great Food

Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com

This is just gorgeous!!!!
Can't you just hear it - "she love me.....she loves me not.....she loves me...."

Deer Rescue - Awesome!!!

These guy are amazing ..... and what a ride for the deer!!!!

So Want to See This Movie

From those guys who opened our eyes to what is happening in Japan with "The Cove" - they've done it again...going places they're not supposed to.

No Longer Posting On FaceBook

Facebook have shifted the goal posts yet again.  For Pages like mine which are purely there for information/entertainment/shouting out frustrations etc, etc.  the people at FaceBook are no longer supporting us.  It has been coming for a wee while.  I've noticed how the numbers of people who actually have the post delivered into the news feed has diminished.....the number of "friends" has gone up, but the number who see the posts has gone down.

NUMBER OF FANS = 1,012 - Pretty good.

NUMBER OF FANS WHO SAW THIS POST = 19 - that's sad

If you're really savvy you'll know to tick the "get notification" box which is under the "like".  But, most of us don't know to do that, (I've only recently discovered it myself).
In short, if I want my wonderful "friends" on FaceBook to actually see the posts, I have to pay to "boost" - see photo of how much.

$5.00 GETS ME STARTED 

The point is that I will no longer be posting up on FaceBook. 

The posts on here will be short and just like the ones I did on FaceBook .... there probably won't be quite so many.  I'll be going into the Twitter page instead and posting up there approximately one a day like I did with FaceBook.
If you don't have a Twitter, don't worry, the good stuff I'll post here.

So, if you still want to keep up with what's happening, then please either follow via Twitter or get notification in your email box.....the links are at the top

And PLEASE, PLEASE feel free to post comments in either place.

A huge thank you for all the "likes" and comments over the years on the FaceBook page - I sure hope we can continue with the communication via the different medium.

Have Happy Animal Friends and Great Veggie Food

Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com

Book Review: Factory Farming and Animal Liberation - The New Zealand Experience

Title:         Factory Farming and Animal Liberation -
                 The New Zealand Experience

Author:      Michael Morris

Reviewer:   Fee O'Shea

More Information

Although some of the information is now out of date due to the work of animal welfare groups and changes in the N.Z. system, the book itself is still certainly very much on track and exposes the factory farming that still goes on in New Zealand. 
It is a harsh reminder that if it can happen in a country like New Zealand, it can happen anywhere.
The author, Michael Morris, is hard hitting at the policy makers and those behind the scenes. 

The points and facts are set out in such a way that makes this book easy to read, (although the subject matter itself is not).
As the title suggests, it is mainly concerned with the factory farming practices in New Zealand, however it also covers animal welfare in general. 

After outlining the conditions and factory farming activities in N.Z. Michael then goes on to provide more details on how both the industry and government has conspired to keep up the intensive farming practices.  I found it fascinating how the wheels of the egg producing industry went into full swing when the battery cage system was threatened. 

"Factory Farming and Animal Liberation - The New Zealand Experience" is written in a matter of fact way relying on documented research and evidence rather than from an emotional approach.  It gives ideas to the individual as to what s/he can do as a way of supporting the cause of stopping factory farming then goes on to give suggestions on how the industry could be curtailed and how the government could ensure more accountability to ensure animals are protected under the Animal Welfare Act.

This book did open my eyes to certain issues I was not aware of especially in the area of who actually holds the power and why.  It also reiterated what I already knew, that the general public can be hoodwinked into believing anything when the P.R. machines from Government and industry are run at full volume.

An excellent, fascinating book which I recommend to anyone interested in just how the care and welfare of animals can be right down on the list when money and power are at the top.

More information on this book is available here: Factory Farming and Animal Liberation - The New Zealand Experience

 

Free Range Pigs in N.Z.?

A few weeks ago I was on a SAFE stall which had on display a pig in a sow crate. 

This, as you can imagine, stimulated a lot of discussion and helped to raise awareness of how we are still factory farming in this country.  However, one man in particular was on the side of the pig farmer saying that the crates and small stalls were necessary as N.Z. pig farmers must farm intensely in order to make a living.  His argument was that the price of imported pork made it impossible to compete in the local market if the farmer wasn't able to use these (barbaric) practices.

He maintained that the pig farmer would like nothing more than to have his pigs living in better conditions, but he is unable to do this if he wishes to keep the price of pork at a low level.  And should we deny low income families from having N.Z. pork on their table?
Note: I've heard this argument before not only with meat but with eggs as well.

Let's be straight here before I continue.  I am vegan and wish that the world was also.  I do not support any farming methods as I do not support the slaughter or exploitation of animals. However, I'm also very much a realist and understand that people will continue to want meat on their menu for some time to come.

What I do contend is that we have been pushed into eating more meat and poultry by the food industry and the argument that the meat, dairy and poultry industries are only meeting consumer demand is total garbage.  It was these industries that started the "need".

Why can't we go back to making pork a luxury item as it was when I was a kid?  Stop importing the pork from overseas especially as we have no idea how it has been farmed and I'm guessing it will be just as bad if not worse that we have here in N.Z.

Let the pig farmer get top dollar for his meat and allow him a decent profit to put back into his farm.  Less demand would take the pressure off the farmer to intensify his numbers but rather to go for the free range style of farming.  At least the pig will have some sort of decent life before the horrendous end comes.

This is taken from the site Pig Farming in N.Z.  talking about free range:  Pigs require special conditions, such as firm soil and a mild climate if they are to be raised in this style. Farming this way requires a greater number of staff, as pigs are exposed to all the elements and need constant care and attention. This is why most farmers using this style are smaller farms, with a small number of pigs. 1% of pigs farmed in NZ are farmed like this. 
So I doubt if I'll see any change in the near future.

We are a primary producing country.  I am hoping that in my lifetime I will see the intensity of farming diminish, an intense program of vegan education and making meat the luxury item rather than the "norm".  If we can get to that stage before I shuffle off this earth, I'll be happier than if the reverse happens.

Have Happy Animal Friends

Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com