Comments on: Eve’s top 10 ways to Curb Climate Change

By: Off grid Ebert

Off grid Ebert — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:19:31 +0000

The Nearings were veggie-homeasteaders and both lived to be a ripe old age. I think Helen Nearing is still alive, and she’s the Godmother of modern homesteading so-to-speak. But I’m sure it’s hard enough to feed two people with no children, let alone a couple of animals that eat a few tons of feed every year. I guess it would depend on how much land you have.

Keep up the great writing!

PS: I put a picture of my cheese up in the blog.

By: eve

eve — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:10:22 +0000

Thanks for your support Ebert! It’s my dream that all the factory farms will shut down and the cows will all be adopted by caring families. In this case I think that the animals are happy to share their love and even their milk with us as they have done for thousands of years. I’m also happy to see the trend toward CSM dairy groups. I always try to let people know that the can be quite healthy being vegan or at least vegetarian because I believe that respecting the lives of animals is next on the evolutionary plan for human beings. Vegetarianism is getting more attention now that the health of our planet is at stake. I think homesteading is an awesome trend from an environmental standpoint and hope that someday everyone will stop eating meat as well and consider their homesteading animals as family. Thank you for your extra efforts to ensure that your love for cheese and cows creates a respectful, sustainable relationship!

By: Off Grid Ebert

Off Grid Ebert — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:26:53 +0000

Thanks Eve!

I take it you’re vegan? I respect both vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, but must also respectfully disagree that dairy is necessarily a bad thing. I have a home-made block of cheese sitting in front of me drying out right now that I spent most of last night making thanks to the contribution of our community-owned, grass-fed, organically raised cow. I’ve seen her with my own two eyes and she’s a healthy, happy animal who has the range of several dozen acres along with three friends, including one of her daughters.

She gets milked by hand twice a day by the farmer who takes care of her for us and the other CSM (community supported milk) members. Every Sunday we meet in the parking lot of an acupuncturist here in Denver to return last week’s mason jars and pick up the fresh ones.

I agree that Americans eat way too much meat and dairy, but cutting them out of the diet alltogether isn’t something you’re going to get many people to sign on to. I’d like to get the message out there for responsible farming, humane animal husbandry and responsible consumption. There’s no reason for a family of four to go through two gallons of milk every week and there’s no reason for everyone to have a main course of meat in every single meal.

Mass-produced meat and animal byproducts are terrible for the environment, our health and that of the animals. But I subscribe to Aristotle’s ideal of the Golden Mean in that I usually choose the middle ground between two extremes.

To those of you who choose to live a Vegan lifestyle, however, you have my respect and support.