Wear Vegan Advocates Supporting

Small and Local Dairy Farms

 

     There are so many reasons why people choose to be vegan or vegetarian.  For me, being a vegetarian is not so much a philosophical choice as much as a visceral reaction to eating flesh foods. The substance itself does not appeal to me. Furthermore, the idea of eating a formerly sentient being is difficult for me. And, the idea of having something die for me is even worse.

     None-the-less, I am an exceedingly practical person with at least one toe in reality. And the fact is, if we want cows to continue to live amongst us, someone is going to have to foot the bill. Keeping one dairy cow requires 2-to-5 acres of land, not to mention the initial cost of the cow, a barn, winter feed, vet bills, and a substantial time commitment. Cows are not an affordable luxury, and their future does not lie in the realm of family pet.

     I know many people have trouble digesting dairy products, including myself. But the ancient yogis of India lived on nothing but cow's milk for centuries, and saw the cow as a sacred, maternal, life-giving being. They proclaimed cow's milk as "satvic" meaning that it is a pure food, producing pure thoughts and calming to the mind. However, times have changed. Even a sacred cow can starve in India because no one can afford to keep them.

     If you have never had fresh, raw milk you should try it at least once. It is out-of-this-world in richness and flavor. It's so delicious; like eating ice cream without the added sugar. You would hardly recognize raw milk as the same product that you buy commercially in a supermarket. Furthermore, there is some scientific evidence that it is the pasteurization and homogenization processes that make milk difficult to digest, even deadly, as the native enzymes are destroyed in the heating process, and the smaller fat molecules can be absorbed into the bloodstream instead of naturally eliminated from the body.

     Yes, the best hope for cows is to keep them employed. If you live in an area that includes dairy farms, explore them. Appreciate their beauty. If you drink milk and eat dairy products, support your local dairy farms and their products whenever you can.