Mojotronica
Expect Irony.
Link to an article by Michael Pollan about the process of raising and butchering cows:
http://www.nelivestockalliance.org/news/nytimes33102.shtml
Summary:
Walks the reader through the process of factory beef production.
Points out one major concern about the process -- cattle are fed primarily corn which they are ill-equipped to digest. Consequently they get bloated and prone to infection. To control the infection ranchers have incorporated a huge amount of anti-biotics into their diets as well. There is much literature on how over-use of ABs is degrading their quality, as organisms adapt to it.
Furthermore it's kind of weird that we eat beef that has been so medicated -- and strictly speaking unnecessay, since use of hay as feed is traditional and works well with the cows digestion. It's more expensive than corn, however, in part due to gov't subsidies for corn.
Contrasts factory farming w/ small farm methods.
EDIT: re-wrote introduction.
http://www.nelivestockalliance.org/news/nytimes33102.shtml
Summary:
Walks the reader through the process of factory beef production.
Points out one major concern about the process -- cattle are fed primarily corn which they are ill-equipped to digest. Consequently they get bloated and prone to infection. To control the infection ranchers have incorporated a huge amount of anti-biotics into their diets as well. There is much literature on how over-use of ABs is degrading their quality, as organisms adapt to it.
Furthermore it's kind of weird that we eat beef that has been so medicated -- and strictly speaking unnecessay, since use of hay as feed is traditional and works well with the cows digestion. It's more expensive than corn, however, in part due to gov't subsidies for corn.
Contrasts factory farming w/ small farm methods.
EDIT: re-wrote introduction.