I probably can't stop it, but I won't support it.

I didn't start this blog to get factory farms (CAFOs) shut down. It wouldn't hurt my feelings...but it's not the purpose of the blog. I didn't call the blog "Changing the World by Closing All Industrial Farms." I try to change my eating habits with every food decision I make. Some days it's easier than others. Today was a hard day.

We took a family outing to celebrate an anniversary at Applebees. My menu item of choice used to be the appetizer sampler-- chicken wings, quesadilla with bacon, etc. Some of my other favorites are easier to order without the meat, so that was the route I decided to go. (I'm not a vegetarian; I just don't eat meat that is probably from a CAFO.) Nobody likes to be labeled the difficult orderer at a restaurant. I ordered the chicken fajita roll-up without the chicken. That seemed reasonable. (Really, it tastes exactly the same. You don't even miss the chicken.) So my order comes and the server announces that he asked the kitchen to put the meat on the side. I'm sure he was very proud that he thought of that solution on his own and usually I'd be happy that he was trying to get my money's worth out of the meal. I didn't know how to react. One-- I was embarrassed that the whole table was now staring at me instead of my meal being "go with the flow." Two--the whole purpose was to keep the meat from being prepared. I accepted the plate of food (I'm sure with a horrified look on my face.)

I initially felt bad that I made the server feel uncomfortable. I spent many moons as a server and knew that sucky customers could ruin your day. But the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. If you order anything specifically meatless, then most people assume it's because you're a vegetarian. (I hear that all the time now. And no, I'm still not a vegetarian.) So why would you serve me meat in a cup on my plate?? He defeated the entire purpose of my meal decision.

Why does my one portion of chicken at Applebees matter? America just doesn't get it. Even when I explain it some people still don't get it. If I stop eating industrial meat at restaurants, then they will have a few extra portions of industrial meat leftover. Then they won't need to re-order as much of it. And perhaps over the long haul, we won't need to raise as much industrial meat to supply the demand for it. (As a side note, Chipotle serves sustainable chicken and pork. Not the beef yet...but they're working on it!)

This statement from Matthew Wilde sums it up, "The best way to judge America's view of livestock production is by its spending habits. If Americans didn't approve of it, they wouldn't buy it. There's plenty of protein sources on the market besides meat. And consumption of pork, beef and chicken are way up." http://www.supportiowasfarmers.org/activistnews/fullarticle.aspx?artid=36 (He's actually in support of FF and uses this as support for his reasoning. I think it's ironic that I use it as my main philosophy for NOT supporting FFs.) It makes me feel like I have made the right choice to stop eating industrially-produced foods. I probably can't stop factory farming, but at least I won't support it with my eating habits.