In today’s society, the food we choose to eat often reflects our values, such as health, environmental impact, and ethical treatment of animals. While factory-farmed meats are the easy, default option, there is a growing interest in game and grass-fed meats as a more sustainable and ethical choice. Here at ElkUSA, we believe that if you are going to choose to add meat to your diet, it should be the healthiest, most nutritious, sustainable, and ethically-produced meat available. Here’s why.
A Spoonful of Reality
The world of factory farming, with its efficiency mantra, often overlooks the things that matter most—our planet’s health and the well-being of its inhabitants. Joel Salatin, a luminary of the sustainable farming world, put it beautifully: “You, as a food consumer, have the privilege of actively participating in shaping the world your children will inherit.” So what does that world look like? Is it one where animals on pasture are free to roam, eat natural vegetation, and behave as they would in the wild? Or a place of industrial systems where the animals that feed us are confined to barns, cages, and lots, and fed a grain-based diet?
And animal welfare is just the tip of the iceberg. Industrial agricultural systems can be harmful to the environment, leading to issues with soil, water, and climate. Farmers who raise animals on pasture can use management techniques to reduce emissions from animal waste. In some cases, pasture-raised beef can even help to sequester (store) carbon in the soil, which is good for the environment.
The Green, Green Grass of Home
Now, let’s talk about the superheroes of the meat world: game and grass-fed meats. Picture deer and elk gracefully roaming a meadow or cows contentedly grazing under the open sky. This is the life that leads to not just happier animals, but also meat with more nutrients and fewer toxins than grain-fed or conventional meat, with more antioxidants, omega-3s, trace minerals, and vitamins than any other food.
[Don’t believe us? Read the science! Here and here.]
Grass-fed is the way animals were meant to eat, and it turns out, it’s how we’re meant to eat too.
Eating with Ethics
Choosing game and grass-fed meats is like giving the planet a big hug. It’s about embracing biodiversity, championing soil health, and telling factory farms that we demand better. It’s about taking a stand, with every bite, for a world that values life in all its forms.
In the spirit of making choices that matter, remember that opting for game and grass-fed meats is not just about what’s on your fork; it’s about the story behind it. It’s a choice that whispers to the future, promising a world of vibrant ecosystems, thriving animals, and healthier humans.
So, next time you’re pondering the menu or wandering the grocery aisles, think of the journey your food has taken. By choosing wisely, you’re not just feeding yourself; you’re nourishing the soul of the planet. Cheers to that, to choices that feel good, taste good, and do good.
