Carnivore's Dilemma

First the good news. For those of us who just aren't ready to give up meat completely, there are ways to consume it that are more sustainable and ethical than enjoying a Hardee's Monster Cheeseburger. Maybe you overlooked it back during the statewide election season, but there was an excellent article done by the Columbia City Paper on our city's local food movement, which featured Emile deFelice and his "pastured porkers."

However, not all pigs are as happy as Emile's. The bad news (and there's been quite a bit of it lately) is that most of our pork chops come from animals housed in CAFOs ("concentrated animal feeding operations"), which pose a threat not only to food safety, but to our water supply as well. And that doesn't even begin to consider the poor animals, so here's some background and things you can do if you are determined to remain a meat-eater.