Comments on: How to harvest a turkey.

By: fstar

fstar — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:00:04 +0000

Do any of the vegetarians think that vegetables are sentient or have feelings? There has been a research showing that the plants in our houses (or we come in contact with on a daily basis) are in tune with us. They can register (on any kind of graph machine) when other plants or animals have been harmed in their proximity. Likewise they can feel something happen to “their partner/s” aka. house members half a world away.

My question is: how can you feel good about eating a sentient being and feel good about it?

They are, and you if you don’t want to acknowledge it that is up to you.

Just because we haven’t yet truly learned to communicate with our plants and because they are not made of flesh, does not mean that they don’t feel and experience pain and suffering!

If you wrap your arms around a tree can you feel it’s energy flow or heartbeat? Kids can very easily and we adults can too but we need to drop down into a slower space.

To me it all comes down to…….honoring these creatures. If you raise them (or not) veggies and animals alike, talk to them and explain to them what their purpose is (to feed us), give them the richest life possible (organically I hope and sing and or talk to them and tell them how beautiful they are), chanting, singing and saying thanks when you harvest them and say blessings and thank them for their lives and nourishment when you sit down to eat them. Then you have done everything right and in a loving way.

And that’s the best that we can do…

Unless we become “breathtarians”

By: Le Bronne

Le Bronne — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:05:08 +0000

There are still some people out there like me, who needs this kinds of information and I appreciate you posting this on your site. I am hoping that Adam would find ample considerations that these types of blogs are meant to inform and not to offend anyone. I agree with you a 100% when you said that your ultimate purpose you harvested that turkey to put food on your table, and I would add to educate others on the basics of the poultry industry. As for Adam, I hope you’d also see the good in these things and not look only at the bad angle that you are faced at. People have varied opinions, respect that.

By: DJ

DJ — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:49:07 +0000

Thanks for the great tutorial on dressing out a turkey. I’ve done chickens and this seems pretty similar. Some comments on the discussion of technique: A lady in town agrees with one of your commenters that if plucked promptly, dipping is unnecessary, so I’ll try that. Also I found with chickens that lopping off the heads or wringing their necks just upsets them– the method you describe seems far more humane.

I also agree wholeheartedly that I shouldn’t eat what I’m not willing to kill. I’m not perfect in this regard– I’m not willing to kill a pig (and don;t know how), I let the local butcher to it for me. But my wife and I endeavor to get as close to our food as possible. And as a result, we eat less meat than before.

I’ll stay away from the vegetarian/omnivore debate– I’ve been on both sides of it, having been vegetarian (but not vegan) for ten years in my past– except to note that livestock production has a place in sustainable agriculture as one of the few sources of fertilizer that do not derive from fossil fuels. This doesn’t mean meat, necessarily, dairy and egg production work just as well. And I duly acknowledge that the meat industry as a whole (like the corn, soy, and produce industries as a whole) are far from sustainable. But when we talk about local, sustainable production, it would be nearly impossible without some level of livestock production.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:30:39 +0000

So, to those who are opposed to exploiting animals, does that mean we have to pollinate the blossoms by hand ourselves instead of taking advantage of the work the bees do before we can enjoy a nice juicy orange or peach?

By: steve jenkinson

steve jenkinson — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:42:35 +0000

it takes guts, courage, to do this. most of us quail before this moment because we are raised to find meat in shrink-wrapped packages. turning an animal into a meat is something fewer and fewer Americans know how to do. In these coming hard times, will more of us have to learn?!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:47:57 +0000

geez! All this fuss over one man and his step by step on how the bird gets to the table? I for one appreciate the time you took, I have never seen the process and think it is very interesting. As an ex-vegetarian I am absolutely NOT offended… even when I chose not to eat meat I certainly understood that others did… especially on thanksgiving. My husband continues to be a vegetarian (we are a mixed family) and we will leave it to our son to choose what’s right for him. Photos like yours will help him make an informed decision when he asks questions.

Thanks!

By: dave

dave — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:30:38 +0000

I raised some Turkeys once. Named them Goober and Gomer. Gomer got killed by coyotes. Goober was raised with geese and did not know how to gobble, so I taught him. It was funny as hell and he was a cool bird. He got so large he broke a hip. I could not bear to kill the bird I had taught to gobble so I had a friend do it for me. Goob’ weighed 75LBs “on the hoof” and we ended up with 55LBS !! of meat. I was apprehensive when I first bit into him, but he tasted delicious and I never lost a bit of sleep over it. It’s just the way things go – some critters get eaten by other critters, and some get eaten by us. In the end, the worms get us all!!

Nice and wonderful conversation about this in the comments!!

By: rahul

rahul — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:36:08 +0000

Hi,
I am a Vegan.
My only concern is that the overall process of slaughtering should be painless.
We have made so much of advancements in almost every field….why not in the way we slaughter.

If we are ready to pay additional money for anything with a label Organic’
Cant we pay additional for meat with a label ‘Slaughtered Painlessely’
Even though as a Hindu, I am not supposed to eat Meat..But I would start eating meat if that happens.

Regards
RG

By: Dumaguete Guy

Dumaguete Guy — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:29:41 +0000

I have seen some much worse butchering rituals here in the Philippines, this bird does not seem to be under stress or severe pain, but I understand the vegan guys are going a little nuts over it.

Good and informative posts and you got very clear pictures – what camera are you using?

Guy

By: Marta Wiechowska

Marta Wiechowska — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:58:53 +0000

My son became vegetarian a couple of years ago, and I’m quite supportive of his decision … although I continue to eat meat, and I enjoy it.

Your post is very brave and true I think. I have no moral qualms about eating meat; but I do have moral qualms about being indifferent to the the fact I’m eating an animal. As other commenters have pointed out, we should feel a certain discomfort in the taking of a life, even if we’re willing to do it.