By Bread Alone

Summer always makes me think more about food than any other time of the year.  What with the bounty of produce at the local markets, and gardens bursting at the seams even here in the city, it's hard not to give at least a passing thought to what we eat and why.  There have been so many books on this subject in recent years that it feels a little redundant to talk about the social and ecological impact of food yet again.  But, I have been thinking about food in relationship to my animals, and the animals that form an integral part of our planet's food chain, from humans, to the humble honey bee on who's tiny (albeit multiple!) shoulders rests the health of much of our food ecosystem.

As humans, we omnivores truly do have a dilemma - to eat what is affordable, readily available, and, let's face it, easy, or to be thoughtful about what we choose to consume and how it affects the world around it.  And it does have an effect.  Factory farming, for one, is changing both the landscape, the land itself, and the livelihood of millions of farming Americans.  And yet, it seems at times like the only solution for providing cheap, plentiful food for an ever-growing population.  The meat industry has long been at the center of the battle over acceptable farming and slaughter practices, and I'd wager a guess that if a person thinks about food at all, it is "the meat issue" that is usually the first stop on the road to food consciousness.

As an animal communicator, I'm often asked whether I eat meat, and the answer is "yes".  I have a body that feels better with the grounding effects of at least occasionally consuming muscle-based proteins.  I know this from forays into the world of the non-meat-eating - I'm not one to make a decision without observing all sides!  I also eat meat because it is in my nature, as a human and an omnivore, to do so, and I am at peace with that choice.  That, to some, will be heresy, I know.  I can hear my vegetarian and vegan friends saying "but, it is your job as a human to care for the animals and not eat them!"  And yes, I hear you, I really do, and I honor that impulse - after all, animals are a core focus of my life!  But, one of the joys of working intimately with animals is that you get to ask them about these things, and learn their truths.  What I have learned from the animals is that we are all part of a delicate order, and what is required of us is respect for our place in that order.  Just as in the animal world, there is a hierarchy of species, and we provide for each other within that hierachy.  Am I saddened when I see a cat kill a rabbit, or a coyote have a deer for dinner?  Absolutely - it is painful to see a beautiful life extinguished.  But, I know that the cat can no more survive on grass than the coyote can.  And, this is what the animals express.  They recognize this order, they recognize that we all have a part to play in it. 

"But wait", you might say, "you have a choice!  The coyote does not, and neither does the cow on the farm that becomes your steak!".  True.  I do have a choice, and while that cow does not have a choice in being a cow, and being in the cow's place in the hierarchy of the species, we as humans have a choice in how we honor that cow in life and in death.  I do have a choice, and so my choice is to try to honor the life that is given so that I might be sustained.  In nature, each animal takes only what it needs, consumes only what is required to survive.  Animals are not wasteful, and they are not cruel.  They do not keep their prey living in unsanitary and insanity-inducing conditions, they do not slaughter in-humanely, they do not treat the resulting meat with all the dignity of rat poison.  If we are to eat meat, if, in fact, we are to survive on this planet whether we are vegetarian or carnivore, then we must remember to honor the essence of life in our food, and to work together to sustain food sources that bring more life to all of us, and less to none. 

For me, the choice has been to try, when I can possibly afford it, to select foods from known sources, to choose meats from animals that I know were given a good life, and killed humanely, and to choose vegetables from small farms where pesticides are minimally used and I know I am supporting a farm family's way of life.  And, no matter what I've chosen to eat, I give thanks.  Even that small act has a huge impact.  When you sit down to your steak or fish or chicken, your corn or lettuce or beans, give thanks for the animal that is sustaining you - whether it be the cow or the honeybee.  These small acts of gratitude create the butterfly effect in Universal terms.  When one is grateful for the life of another, we honor the hierarchy of all Life. 

Each person has to choose the path that is best for them.  I offer these thoughts only for those who have asked, and are struggling with making the "right choice" for themselves.  And, regardless of your food choices, do try to support your local farm markets, local farmers, and humane producers.  Someday, we can hope, that these options are more affordable for all of us.  In the meantime, choose wisely, as best you can, and give thanks.