Lets take a long look into centuries of food industry practices. Practices which began innocently enough, but, in many instances have developed into a dark and dangerous business; endangering the planet and it’s inhabitants!

The food industry continually strives to cut costs and expenses in order to increase profit; they hypnotizie the population with their glossy color ads and their promise of miracle foods’; all the while their GREED seeps in a sea of muck! This will become very clear if you are brave enough to follow the slippery trail.

‘The Truth Will Sit You Free’

While doing research into the ongoing Pet Food Recall tragedy and its continued impact to our pets, what seems most important after reading hundreds of these reports is to pass on what I’ve learned; and to keep linking together with others who have similar concerns. Doing so gives more credibility and a more effective means of convincing people to change what they and their furry friends eat!

A startling discovery: most people don’t want to know about this ongoing tragedy! For knowing means you find a truth. Truth. As always, what you do with ‘truth’ is up to you! My advise is to take the journey. Take a deep look into the food industry before you make any decision. For me, the journey has taken some horrific and dangerous trails.

What’s Cooking?

From Rendering Plants to our dinner table! Ever thought about what a ‘rendering plant’ job looks like? Probably not. Here you go:

Rendering plants are like huge kitchens. What do they ‘cook up’? The stainless steel pot contains; dead animals, slaughterhouse wastes, supermarket rejects, pesticides via poisoned livestock, euthanasia drugs that were given to pets; some dead animals have flea collars containing organophosphate insecticide, fish oil laced with bootleg DDT, insecticide Dursban in the form of cattle insecticide patch, other chemicals leaked from antibiotics in livestock, heavy metals from pet ID tag and surgical pins and needles: all go into the ’stainless steel pot’. The mixture then goes into various products’ known as recycled meat, bone meal, and animal fat.

Who would want this job? Well, that’s a whole other story. Rendering plants have different specialties. Some of the end product-label names are: meat meal, meat by-products, poultry meal, poultry by-products, fishmeal, fish oil, yellow grease, tallow, beef fat and chicken fat. Who buys the products from ‘rendering plants’? The livestock, poultry and pet food industries! They use it as feed additives.A 1991 USDA report states that approximately 7.9 billion pounds of meat, bone meal, blood meal, and feather meal was produced by rendering plants in 1983. Of that amount:

12 percent was used in beef cattle feed

34 percent was used in pet food

34 percent was used in poultry feed

20 percent was used in pig food

Scientific American cites a dramatic rise in the use of animal protein in commercial dairy feed since 1987. If these truths don’t set you free, I can’t imagine what would. My previous post on ‘The Power and Politics Behind What We Eat’ offers an intricate account of the cause of much of the disease to the inhabitants of our planet. Unfortunately, there are no labels to identify the above ingredients that have gone into our livestock and poultry feed…and passed onto humans.

One in four deaths is from cancer; given the livestock and poultry practice of feeding the products produced by rendering plants to livestock and poultry; and then we eat (well I don’t) the livestock and poultry: might there be a possible significant connection to cancer’?

Are there any labels on beef, poultry, or pork? Do you know how they were raised? What they eat? Are they stressed? Do you know if stress does anything to the quality of the meat? Do you care? Who has the time or wants to take the time to know this stuff? Isn’t that what we pay our tax dollars to do? We put our trust in the United States Government to safeguard its people! To take the time to monitor and inspect what is meant no nourish its people.

Warning from the Past and Present!

The Jungle (1906) is a novel by American author and socialist Upton Sinclair. It describes the life of a family of Lithuanian immigrants working in Chicago’s Union Stock Yards at the beginning of the 20th century.

Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson and published by Houghton Mifflin in September 1962. The book is widely credited with launching the environmentalism movement in the West.

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (2001)is a book by investigative journalist Eric Schlosser that examines the local and global influence of the United States fast food industry.

Chew on This is a book for younger readers by Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation) and Charles Wilson on the subject of fast food.

Amazing Discoveries reports, “Food borne illness is on the increase worldwide and in most cases animal products are implicated as the main source of infection.”

Food, Inc. Eating can be one dangerous business. Don’t take another bite till you see Robert Kenner’s Food, Inc ., an essential, indelible documentary that is …

Vote with your Dollars!

This is something you can do this very instant! Vote with your pocket book. Truly, this is the only language industry understands…that’s how we got ourselves into this tragic predicament; we bought into industries glossy color ads and their promise of miracle foods’. Read the labels. Ask questions.

“Of every dollar that an American shopper spends for food, on average, 81 cents goes toward the marketing of that food. Only 19 cents goes back to the farm.”

Currently I’m feeding my canine Pieper ‘Newman’s Own Organic Dog Food’. Everything is on the label. It’s certified organic by ‘Oregon Tilth’. Oregon Tilth has been certifying organic farmers since the early 1970s.The organic industry is a realistic approach to many of my concerns about the health of Pieper, myself and the environment.

MSNBC reports, “This year, retail sales of organic foods are expected to exceed $15 billion — with more than $32 billion projected by 2009. While the conventional food industry still dwarfs the organic sector with $550 billion in yearly sales, it is producing an unappetizing 2 to 3 percent annual growth rate, while the organic industry has savored several years of 17 to 20 percent growth.”

What does this growth say about ‘why’ people are buying more organic food? They are voting with their dollars; taking responsibility for the health and well being of their self, their furry friends and the environment!

From 1987 to 1990, while working at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) as Humane Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator, I toured organic livestock farms throughout the United States; these livestock and poultry farmers were proud to show me their operation; the livestock and poultry at these farms were allowed to pursue their innate characteristics.

Happy Trails!

In Pune India, about 160 kilometers southeast of the state capital, Mumbai, Suman, a widowed wife and a mother of three children, supports herself and her family by working as house help and also works in a bricklin (a place that bakes bricks).

About 25 years back her brother got her a little brown puppy to keep away thieves. The entry of the little puppy brought so much joy into their lives. They named him ”Jackey”.

Jackey Had Great Responsibility

Jackey was a puppy with a lot of responsibility. Every morning he used to follow Suman’s children to school; escort them to the gate and also escort them back from school. The children say he used to come and wait near the school gate at 6pm and time to go back home. They wonder how he knew the correct time; Jackey never came by the school at odd hours.

This was his regular duty inspite of being troubled by the stray dogs in that locality. Jackey also knew the time Suman left from the bricklin, he call on  her too. Everybody there including Suman’s master used to say ”Your joker has come to call on you.” After his dinner he used to go and wait for the arrival of Suman’s brother.

Home Cooking Feeds The Soul

He used to eat one big brown home-cooked bread with a bowl of milk and on days when Suman could not afford milk she used to give him water with sugar; he never complained. She says he ate only once during the day and if you try to feed him more, he would not eat.

Next he comes by around 6.30 for his fill and he needs to eat hot food always. As soon as he listens to the ice cream man ringing the bells he’ll pull Suman towards the van to eat ice-cream his favourite treat. Everytime he got hungry he use to open his mouth indicating that he was hungry.

Laughter: The Best Medicine

At the end of the day Suman and her kids used to sit down to watch movies; Jackey was right there watching movies with them sitting on Suman ‘s lap. When they laugh he laughs with them and doesn’t miss a single scene. He also had an adventurous streak in him; once on his usual rounds to the playground he tried jumping into the bonfire of dried twig and branches. While his fur burnt a little he ran back home to Suman’s youngest son who nursed him well and took care of him.

Neighbor Trouble

He also used to trouble Suman’s neighbors by defecating near their houses and everytime they come to argue with Suman, she would ask pardon and say he’s an animal how does he know what is supposed to be done.

Far, Far Away

One day out of anger Suman’s brother left him far off and returned home without Jackey. When Suman’s son came back home he realized what had happened. He went off in search of Jackey with his four friends. they reached the spot and asked people close by if they had seen a dog. They said he was there for a longtime but as he couldn’t bear the heat he started walking ahead and disappeared. As soon as Suman’s son blew a whistle Jackey ran towards his little master. On his way back home he ate two ice creams. As soon as he reached home he sniffed everything there and then had a good dinner and went off to sleep.

Jackey grew up with them and one fine day it was time for Suman’s eldest daughter to get married. Suman bought wheat and paid money to one of her kind neighbours who took the responsibilty to feed Jackey in their absence. The place for the wedding was far off. However, Jackey never used to go for food to the neighbour and became thin and weary. He howled and cried for his family in front of the house.

After they were back from the wedding Jackey used to search for Suman’s daughter who went off to her new home.

Disappearance

Suman’s neighbour was working as a watchman in another area, once he was talking to Jackey and took him along. Suman says she doesnt know what he fed him or what happened to him but he never returned back. Maybe he was caught by the dog catcher or he is dead..no one knows. Every single time she talks about him she has to say is he was a very dear pet, a part of the family.

Dorado was lying under his blind master’s desk on the 71st floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower when the plane hit. Glass and flying debre was everywhere. Chaos surrounded them. Omar Eduardo Rivera knew he was doomed. There is know way he could manuver through the chaos. The kindest thing he thought was to free Dorado. He released Dorado from his harness. Minutes later he felt a fuzzy brush on his leg and Dorado nudged him and lead Eduardo to the hall and stairwell.

In the stairwell Eduardo found a co-worker and together the three journeded for over an hour down the stairwell.

Faithful Dog Leads Blind Man 70 Floors Down WTC Just Before Tower Collapses!

Photo Credit:

Mr. Rivera and a little hero.
(Photo: REUTERS / Caracol Tv)

DEFINING WILDNESS AND HOWLING IN THE WILDERNESS

One evening, I went on a tiny journey with my canine Pieper: We ‘howled’ together and I watched as Pieper transformed. Her eyes got this untamed wildness in them. How exciting to see and hear the wildness in her. I felt pretty wild myself and wonder about this wildness. What does ‘wildness’ mean? Mariam Webster says to be ‘wild’ is: uncontrolled, unruly, stormy, fantastic, sensational and barbaric.

WHAT LURKS IN THE WILD?

Hmm, I do understand Webster’s perspective; however, what lurks in the ‘wild’ sometimes defies definition. I read about a cat named Oscar in a Providence, R.I. nursing home that has a sixth sense: Oscar can predict when a resident is about to pass away. Pets have extraordinary healing power. Our canines have the ability to know when someone is sick or dying, they sense our emotions. These areas of the ‘wild’ are more difficult to measure and define. I believe we have only scratched the surface of the secrets animals and nature hold.

A HOWLING MOMENT

Something came over me in that ‘howling moment’ with Pieper. I experienced an unusual connection; I felt we were as one in the universe. This isn’t the first time I’ve howled, just the first time I’ve talked about doing so. Try it; it’s an exhilarating experience and is sure to bring laughter and an insight not often experienced.

WHO’S IN CONTROL?

I’ve come to realize that if I want to write about what makes a dog happy, I need to watch and listen more closely to what influences Pieper’s behavior. One of Pieper’s most favorite games is fetching a ball. Fetching is the easy part. The game really begins when she brings the ball back. She lays it in front of me, as if she wants me to take it. Then, when I reach for it she quickly picks it up. I’ve decided this is dominance behavior. It’s her way of having control. Which is contrary to the norm. I’m usually the one in control and Alpha.

The story does not end here. understanding 130,000 years of human and dog relationship takes more than a few blog posts.

Step into the wild! Stay tuned!

Happy Trails!

Wilderness

As much as I love the woods, I probably wouldn’t go there nearly as much if I had not had such incredible angel beasts in my life. The love and responsibility for these canines kept and keeps me on the trails and in the present!

In Touch With Nature

Having frequent contact to the woods has kept me in touch with nature. And nature keeps me in touch with a connection I would never make unless I visited the forest. Though I’m able to categorize and find names for all its parts; when I go there, I feel a wildness beating and somehow know that I’m connected to it. The connection makes me feel strong, alert and apart of the incredible invisible energy force that fills the universe. And watching The Way of Animals always puts me on a precious path!

Walk on the Wild Side

What could possibly be better than a walk in the woods? When I’m there, nothing is better. The sights and smells; lush greens and wild flowers, I inhale and the fragrance of the wilderness fills me with a wild embrace and I never want to leave the woods. The trail is shaded with lush wild green; scrub oak, spruce and pine. Wild flowers are abundant; Fairy Trumpets, Mouse Eared Chickweed, Evening Primrose, Fireweed, Shooting Stars, Globeflower and Paint brush. A creek weaves in and around the trail as the trail winds its way up the mountain.

I believe humans who do not make frequent journeys into the wilderness; touch, smell and listen to the forest, can not truly understand our connectedness to this beauty. We need to embrace the wild. When did asphalt trails, plastics, synthetics and technology become more desirable?

Leave the City Behind

Lets take a journey. Lets leave the city behind. Find some green. Get as close as we can, as frequently as possible to nature. Discover our connectedness with our animal friends and the wild beauty of the woods…come with me as I try and hold onto and keep close to the wild within.
Happy trails!