Louise McGuire
ENG 101.0772
Dr. Elizabeth H. McCormick
Heritage Comparison Essay Revision
It amazes me how different my grandparent’s world was compared to mine when it came to getting meat, poultry, eggs, and milk. Back in 1911, everybody had their own livestock in their yards. Farms were either down the block or in the next town over. We will be looking at how my grandparents, back in 1911, got their poultry, eggs, meat and milk compared to how I get them now in 2011. Then, we will look at how we can change the way we get our food today.
In 1911, my grandparents raised their own chickens for food and eggs. The chicken coop was in the yard and the chickens had a healthy diet of bugs, worms, and grass. When my grandparents wanted to have chicken for dinner, all they had to do was go out into the yard and get one, kill it, pluck it, and cook it. For eggs, you just got them out from under a hen in her nest. Now in 2011, I have to go the supermarket and get my eggs and chicken off a refrigerated shelf. The chicken meat and eggs arrive on a truck from an industrial / factory farm out of state. The eggs have been gathered and the poultry slaughtered just a few days ago. These farms produce eggs and chickens by the thousands. They house the hens that lay eggs in what is called “battery cages” in windowless barns so they produce eggs all year round. It makes the hens think it’s still warm out. The cages are stacked on top of one another and the hens can’t move or spread their wings and standing on the wire floor of the cage damages their feet. Sometimes, the hen’s toes grow around the wire floor of the cage and they have to cut the toe off. The eggs are collected in baskets under the cages along with the droppings from the hens. The farms that house the hens for meat keep them in overcrowded, climate controlled barns that are also windowless. Both of these types of industrial / factory farms debeak the hens to prevent fighting between the hens. They are all fed a diet of corn, soy, and grains. In contrast to what my grandparents ate, this chicken meat has been pumped with hormones, antibiotics, and left sitting in chicken broth to keep it fresh looking.
In 1911, my grandparents had their own goats for milk. Like the chickens, the goats were free to run about the yard and eat the grass; they were not kept in a cage or stall. If I want goat milk, I have several choices at the supermarket. I can get it in a box, a can, or in a powdered form from a company that processes it out of state. According to the Meyenberg website, the largest goat milk producers in the United States, their goat milk is not treated with growth hormones or antibiotics. Their goats roam freely and are fed a natural diet that includes hay, alfalfa, grass, clover, and water. The goats are raised in California and the milk is pasteurized and homogenized there. From what my mom told me, you cannot compare today’s goat milk, to the taste of the fresh milk straight from the goat.
When my grandparents wanted beef, pork, or lamb in 1911, they got it at the local butcher. The local butcher received the meat the same day or the day after the animal was slaughtered and it came from a farm just out of town. The cows, pigs, and lambs roamed freely and ate a natural diet off the land. Now I purchase lamb imported from Australia, beef from California, and pork chops from Kansas. The pork and beef come from industrial / factory farms while the lamb is pasture raised. According to the web sites for the Kansas Pork Association and California Cattlemen Association, these farms feed the animals corn, grain, and soy. In the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, it is stated these animals are not being fed their natural diet of grass nor are they allowed to roam freely. They are in pens and standing ankle deep in manure and are very stressed by the conditions they are in. Like the poultry I purchase, this meat too, is pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. The lamb meat, imported from Australia, is free range and fed a natural diet, according to the Australia Meat web site. They do not mention if their meat contains any hormones or antibiotics.
I would love to raise my own farm animals like my grandparents did. However, current city health laws prohibit this. According to the New York City Health Code, §161.01. Wild animals prohibited, listed on the Animal Care & Control web site, animals, such as goats, cows, horses, roosters, etc., are prohibited from being in your house or roaming around your property. You can have hens, but if a neighbor complains, they can be designated a nuisance, and the authorities can take them away. It states in the “City Chicken Guide” from JustFood.org, that you could also be fined anywhere from two hundred to two thousand dollars for a nuisance complaint about chickens in your possession. Owen Taylor, a training and livestock coordinator from JustFood.org, gave advice in an interview titled “Urban Agriculture: Raising Chickens in New York City” with thekitchn.com, by stating to give your neighbors eggs from your hens, keep your chicken coops clean and hopefully nobody will complain. In 1911, practically everybody had his or her own chickens and nobody complained about it. It was the only way to eat back then.
Remembering the stories my grandmother and mother told me, reviewing the book “Fast Food Nation” by Eric Schlosser, and going through all this research, I am exploring how I can go back to the way my grandparents ate in 1911. Instead of going to the supermarket, I can go to the greenmarkets for fresh organic pasture raised meat, poultry, eggs, and goat milk from the tri-state area. These products may not be as “fresh” as they might have been in 1911 (the meat does come frozen), but I believe it will be just as good and healthy.
In conclusion, this comparison was real eye opener for me as to what is going on in the meat and poultry industry. We need to go back and raise farm animals for food like they use to in 1911 when it was healthier, tastier, and fresher.
Louise’s Chicken Soup
This is my version of a recipe that has been in my family for years. It’s perfect for when you feel a cold coming on or if you have one already. There’s no added salt, spices, herbs, or oil. If you choose to add some, you can do so when it’s done.
Ingredients:
4 Chicken Thighs
4 Chicken Drumsticks
3-4 Medium Onions sliced
1-2 Heads of Garlic, all the cloves crushed
1-2 Peppers sliced (red, orange, or yellow)
Put all the ingredients in a large pot with enough water to just cover everything. When the water starts to boil, put a lid on the pot and lower the heat to simmer. Simmer for an hour and a half.
Then take lid off and turn the heat on high and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with crackers or hot crusty bread for dunking!
References:
“Battery Egg Farming”
www.wesleyan.edu
“Poultry Farming” & “Factory Farming”
www.en.wikipedia.org
Meyenberg Goat Milk Products
www.meyenberg.com
Kansas Pork Association
www.kspork.org
California Cattlemen’s Association
www.calcattlemen.org
Australian Lamb Meat
www.australian-meat.com
New York Animal Care & Control
www.nycacc.org/nychealthcode
Interview with Owen Taylor, Livestock and Training Coordinator At Just Food
“Urban Agriculture: Raising Chickens in New York City”
www.thekitchn.com
City Chicken Guide
www.justfood.org
“Fast Food Nation”
By Eric Schlosser
The stories my mom told me about my grandparents when they were young.
The stories my grandmother told me (when I was a teenager) about when she and my grandfather were young.
Just a little note: Both my grandparents were born in the 1890’s. My grandfather is a World War I Veteran and he passed in 1966, just after I was born. My grandmother passed in 1982, when I was 16.
