MsDuchessGoTe - 2014-02-27 3:20 PM My "logic" relies almost completely on the fact that eating meat has been linked to cancers, heart disease, etc. I won't get into the whole argument about it not being feasible to distribute the extra produce we would be feeding cattle, hogs, etc to 3rd world countries who actually need it because that would be pointless. The OP was asking opinions on whether or not a vegetarian diet would be beneficial for her and I stated my opinion. I have done enough research and have seen the results for myself by eliminating certain things from my life. Not to mention my religious beliefs actually touch on this issue. No one is ever going to convince me that eating a diet rich in meats and dairy is ever going to be healthier for me than a diet full of fresh veggies, fruit, and grains. I don't care if 99% of the hormones are naturally produced it is the artificial hormones, excessive use of antibiotics, artificial dyes, etc etc. that I don't want to put in my body or that of my family if I can help it. I am not a big meat eater anyway, I love venison and chicken but not beef so this lifestyle is very easy for me. So to the OP more power to you and good luck on your decision.

DLV - 2014-02-27 4:11 PM You are right on the hormones for cows, they do naturally produce them but I differ in opinion on the monsanto crops.... many reputable organizations are publishing articles about the effects of monsanto on the environment. They are actually noticing that you have to apply MORE pesticides to the crops that are genetically modified and the fertilizer is running into our waterways which eventually most end up in the gulf of Mexico which has wreaked havoc on waters there. You are also right about people claming animals are "grass fed" but then fattening them out with corn, you have to do your research to know the truth. I believe high rates of cancer are caused from many things not JUSt monsanto... it could be all the cleaning products that are used, vaccinations, pollution, food, lack of exercise... I'm sure it's many things but I truly believe what we eat is a huge part of it. I guess with time we'll see more effects of it.

Three 4 Luck - 2014-02-27 4:01 PM


I'm good with those who don't eat meat as long as they don't try to prevent others from doing so.  I'm not a big meat eater myself, but I adore eggs and cheese.  The problem with trying to feed people in 3rd world countries is it's next to impossible to actually get the food where it needs to go.  A lot of those governments had rather stockpile it and let it rot than see their people fed, not to mention the logistics of transporting it in a timely manner. 

Three 4 Luck - 2014-02-27 4:21 PM I can't speak for other parts of the country, but we are part of the Discovery Farm project, which measures run-off where "good" conservation practices are being used.  In our case, specifically in cotton because it's the most input intensive crop we grow here.  Our Nitrogen run-off is measuring at no more than .5%--that's half a percent-- and Phosphorus run off is under 5%.  Those are awesome numbers. Also, I assure you, that for the most part, genetically engineered crops do allow for lower use of pesticides.  The lone exception here would be some of the guys that let roundup resistant pigweed get out of control in some of their fields.  There was blatant mis-use of the technology and hopefully people learned their lesson about rotating crops and chemistries.  We do still have to spray for plant bugs and occasionally other things in Bt cotton, but Bt was never meant to control those.  It does a great job of controlling boll and bud worms, which means we don't have to use the heavy duty insecticides that are super toxic.

Just Bring It - 2014-02-28 9:55 AM

My husband grew up farming organic and there are some strict guidelines to follow and they do check up on your farm now and then. I can't talk for every organic farm or for every form of organic farming but my husband grew up on and helped manage an organic grain farm and they don't allow just anything to pass as organic. Switching farmland from conventional to organic takes years and organic farming is not an easy business. Trying to keep the weeds at bay and get a high enough yield to make any money without chemicals is not an easy task. There are less input costs due to no chemical or applicating expenses but your yields are usually far less than that of conventional.

I also want to mention that weeds are becoming resistant to herbicides which is causing farmers to have to put down almost double the chemical as they needed a few years ago.

Three 4 Luck - 2014-02-28 10:08 AM We're not using higher rates to combat resistance, we're rotating crops and chemistries. And if that fails, we hire people to chop weeds with hoes like the old days. As a teenager, my most dreaded punishment was chopping cotton!

MsDuchessGoTe - 2014-02-26 11:29 PM

Meat IMO should only be eaten sparingly and in times of hardship. I was vegan for about 1 year but fell off the wagon and am now "mostly vegetarian". There have been numerous studies linking meats to all kinds of cancers and other health issues. Now, I'm not sure this applies to the organic grass fed type or venison. It's hard to know whether it's the meat itself, the antibiotics, hormones, etc that are fed to them or the amount of meat we eat. Americans eat way too much of it, it's ridiculous. Imagine how many people we could feed with the grains that go to feed cattle.