We have a living-history museum nearby. One of those places with relocated old buildings and re-enactors who take you right back to the 19th century. During one visit, I was in the kitchen of a home churning butter with my daughter and chatting with another visitor, telling her we’d seen a pig-slaughtering pen being built at the village’s teaching farm. The museum, which used to sell its pigs every winter, had decided instead to start butchering them on-site.
I mentioned how, initially, I’d blanched at the idea of a killing pen, imagining a hand-to-hoof struggle and log walls awash in blood. But then the farm interpreter explained the process: how the pen lets individual pigs get comfortable in a small space and lets handlers control the pig’s diet in its final days, until a farmer goes in and quickly kills the pig.
As a vegetarian, I still found the process unsettling, but I could appreciate that it was humane, and that it had its place in teaching about 19th century agriculture. And that’s what I told the woman next to me at the butter churn.
At this point, the interpreter in the kitchen jumped in, telling me that people in the 19th century didn’t have the “luxury” of being vegetarian, and that she regularly has to explain to school groups that early Americans didn’t have the choices we have today. “Kids come through and they say, ‘You shouldn’t eat meat. It’s mean to the animals,’ ” she said. “I tell them, ‘Well, they had to eat animals or their kids would starve.’ ”
Yes, that’s true, I told her, but there’s also a big difference between how early Americans raised (or hunted) and killed their animals, and how most animals are slaughtered today. Perhaps she could mention that from now on as well?
“Oh no,” she said, “you can’t tell that to a kid.”
Hmmm.
We explain it to our vegetarian 8-year-old, and have for years. Surely someone can explain it to an omnivorous 6th grader. Many of these kids watch violent movies. They play violent video games. They engage in mock battle. They know where meat comes from. So tell me again: Why can’t they handle the truth about how most animals are killed for food?
In an era where kids are inundated with factory-farming propaganda from powerful groups like the dairy industry in schools and agribusiness lobbies at state fairs, our best defense is education. If we want to raise food-literate children, if we want them to think critically, to challenge the status quo — to make good choices when we can’t choose for them — we have a responsibility to tell the truth so others don’t co-opt them with fiction.
And how do we do that? For starters, by exposing kids to the kinds of farms and conditions we want to support. Take them to local sustainable farms and involve them in conversations with farmers at local markets. Show them where your meat, milk and eggs come from. Then keep talking. Since Tess was tiny, we’ve talked about the “happy cows” and “happy chickens” that provide our local milk and eggs. The “happy” thing seems trite, I know (really, how do we know they’re happy?), but it’s an effective shorthand for explaining that we get our food from animals that live outside and eat what they’re meant to eat (i.e., grass and bugs).
Of course this works pretty well with milk and eggs. Meat is trickier (since, um, the happiness ends), but even then I think kids are able to appreciate the difference between an animal that lived a good life and was killed humanely, and one that didn’t/wasn’t. When I wrote about this topic previously, a reader told how she teaches her young son where meat comes from: “I make sure my son knows what animal he’s eating every time I serve meat. I think, if you do eat meat, serving it on the bone goes a long ways towards bringing home the idea that you’re eating an animal as well. … We’re teaching them compassion as well as food literacy.”
Picture books can be surprising allies. Some, like Ruby Roth’s “That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals,” address the issue directly. Roth advocates for vegetarianism (and, I think, does so without judgment), but the book’s strength is how it presents factory farming in an age-appropriate way. Even omnivorous kids get a takeaway.
Then there are books where agriculture themes are secondary, but still effective. One example: In “Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken,” by Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss, Louise leaves her farm for adventures abroad. At one point she’s captured and held in a cage with other chickens. She goes all Norma Rae and they break free with a rally cry: “Chickens do not belong in cages. Chickens must roam free.” To this day, it’s a favorite refrain in our house.
And for older kids? Resources abound:
“My Friends at the Farm,” a video from Farm Sanctuary, is billed as the first video “to introduce the realities of factory farming to children as young as 8 years old in an age-appropriate way.” I haven’t seen it yet, but I’ll be getting a copy soon.
Michael Pollan has a young readers edition of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” (Click here for an excellent review from then 13-year-old Orren Fox.) And Eric Schlosser has a kids’ version of “Fast Food Nation” called “Chew on This.”
The groundbreaking movie Food Inc. (which I reviewed here) is generally recommended for teens and older, but I know people who’ve shown it to kids as young as 6. Even if your kids are pretty ag savvy, I think it’s a little wonky for that age, and we still haven’t shown it to Tess (though it’s just a matter of time). But only you know whether it’s right for your family. For help deciding, check out these kid-centric reviews from Common Sense Media and Parent Previews. For high school students, there’s a companion discussion guide from the Center for Ecoliteracy.
In 2010, then 11-year-old Birke Baehr generated epic buzz with this 5-minute TEDx talk, in which he dissects everything that’s wrong with our food system, including factory farming.
“The Meatrix Trilogy” cartoons borrow from “The Matrix” to take on factory-farmed meat, eggs and dairy, and the fast-food industry. It’s animation with some serious ammunition. The Meatrix Interactive 360 is a companion graphic that lets kids roll over images and click for details. The site also includes presentation kits, handouts and other resources for learning more.
Then there’s the now-infamous Chipotle video. When it aired during the Grammys two weeks ago, I loved its back-to-basics farming message. But I questioned (on Spoonfed’s Facebook page) whether the chain should be so self-congratulatory when it’s selectively sustainable. Readers helped me see the bigger picture (thanks, guys), and indeed the commercial has sparked a lot of discussion about factory farming. And that’s a good thing. It’s also entirely kid-friendly. So here you go:
What do you think? How much should we tell children about the dicier side of the food chain? What kinds of conversations have you had with your kids? Any other resources to share?
This post, inspired by another piece I wrote two years ago, is part of Occupy Our Food Supply, a global day of action (today) where advocates on the ground and online are rallying to raise awareness of how industrial agribusiness has co-opted our food system. I’m a twitter abstainer (for now), but if you’re inclined to tweet this post (and thanks if you do), the event’s hashtags are: #F27 and #occupyourfoodsupply.
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Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2012 Christina Le Beau
I just posted that same video – love it. And I’ve been having similar conversations – albeit low-level – with my five year old. Her response: “Factory farmers are mean farmers, aren’t they?”
Bethesda: You know, I’d have to agree with your 5-year-old on that. Just no way around it.
I’m not sure they’re all mean. I think most of them are probably stuck in a self-perpetuating cycle and feel trapped. But they WILL get out if we stop the demand for feed-lot meat. Making our desires known with our dollars WILL work and is more constructive than playing the blame game with the farmers.
True. And I’m sure there’s a certain amount of inertia and also ignorance. But I have a hard time understanding how some of these people sleep at night. And, really, when I think about the astounding level of abuse (and indifference) in some of these CAFOs, I have a hard time even calling these people farmers. Which is what I should have said in response to Bethesda’s 5-year-old: Real farmers don’t hurt animals.
Thanks for this post! I am always take out of my little bubble when I hear parents talk about how they can’t talk to their kids about the meat they eat — or they wouldn’t eat it. As the mom of four young boys who are living on a livestock farm (we raise modest amounts of beef, pork and chicken to feed ourselves and our neighbors), we’ve always talked candidly about meat. The youngest one still calls beef “cow meat” and pork “pig meat”. Instead of focusing on the ills of factory farming (though when they ask to go to a fast food restaurant I do unload), we focus on making our animals “Happy” (funny you use, it because that’s the “label” we give our animals for marketing purposes too!). Yes, “happiness ends” for meat animals — but it does for all animals! Ourselves included. We are sure to be thankful to our animals for all they give us. I often think that I hope my life will come to a swift end one day (just like a meat animal) and that I could have great purpose in my own death (just like a meat animal). I think Americans need to concentrate on QUALITY of life we are giving to these animals rather than QUANTITY. It starts with limiting your consumption of meat in general, and making sure that it comes from the “happiest” place possible. LOVE your posts. You make me a better parent! Kate Bogli @MapleViewFarm
Kate: I love that your youngest says “cow meat” and “pig meat.” I believe industrial agriculture became so entrenched in part because people became so disconnected from their food. When you view meat simply as a product from a grocery store, you don’t have to own up to its origins or the suffering that creature endured so you could have a meal. As a society, we’ve lost the appreciation and gratitude for the animals that provide those meals. I’m glad to see the movement back in that direction, not only because it bodes well for the future of agriculture, but, honestly, for the future of humanity.
(And thank you for the kind words. You made my day, and it’s only noon!)
Thanks for this!
I own an ‘earth-friendly’ daycare and I often struggle with how much detail to share with the children about this. We DO visit my favorite local farm every year and I explain why it is better this way, but I don’t want parents to be upset with me if their children start protesting in the meat section of the grocery store!
It gets even trickier when they are not your own children you’re wanting to educate on the topic. So, thanks for the age-appropriate book and video suggestions!
P.S. I think EVERY human should watch Food Inc.!
Roxy: I’m with you. I think “Food Inc.” should be required viewing. And I’m guessing that any parent who picks an earth-friendly daycare is probably pretty open to the lessons you might teach. Lucky little ones, too!
My kiddos haven’t seen “Food Inc,” but they will shortly. They’ve requested it themselves (and the 12 yr old read the book a couple of years back). We don’t eat factory meats at home, and it’s the main reason why they won’t touch chicken in the school cafeteria (we have a WITS cafeteria, so the food is prepared in a healthy way. They even serve grass-fed beef there once a month, but the chicken is factory chicken). We also try to eat at restaurants that serve organic food, but sometimes we fall short.
Thank you for this post. As a mom to an almost-four-year-old daughter who has more questions (about everything!) than I have answers, I appreciate being guided by an experienced and conscientious mom like yourself. I take my girls with me to pick up the meat from our CSA; it’s always an experience that begins with us thanking our farmers for taking care of the animals we’re bringing home with us to eat, and it ends with my daughter inevitably saying in the car on the way home “These were happy animals, right Mommy?” I’m an avid reader of your blog, and this post is a gold-mine of great resources. Keep up the good work!
Justine: I love this story. How fantastic not only that your daughter understands she’s eating an animal, but also that she appreciates the kind of life it lived. I’d say you’ve done pretty well. (And thank you. I’m really happy when people learn something from a post!)
My 7 & 8 year olds really enjoyed Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.
They didn’t watch all of it, but what they saw they enjoyed and tracked with. He uses a lot of cartoons that are clever and funny.
They didn’t have the “luxury” of being vegetarian? Seriously, she said this?
There have been poor vegetarians for thousands of years. Indeed, one sign of poverty throughout the world is limited consumption of meat. Beans are cheaper than meat. Eggs are cheaper than meat. Nuts are cheaper than meat, if you live near the woods.
Dr. John Ikerd, a Professor Emeritus in Agricultural Economics writes:
“When we allow animals to be treated with disrespect, as is clearly the case with large-scale confinement animal feeding operations, we are creating a culture of disrespect for life, including disrespect for other human life. We should not allow our children to be subjected to this culture of disrespect. Their only choices should not be to avoid eating animal protein or participating in activities that promote disrespect of life. Keeping children from knowing about how animals are treated is not an option as this creates a culture of deceit as well as disrespect. Our children deserve a humane food system that treats animals with respect.” http://web.missouri.edu/ikerdj/
And
Dr. James Garbarino, at Loyola University in Chicago and a noted child abuse scholar, agrees that we neglect to consider the social and moral development of children when we hide from them the truth about farm animals and how they are raised in factory farms. Dr. Garbarino fully supports this effort to end factory farming and to address the issue–that children should not be fed from animals raised in confinement and abuse. http://www.luc.edu/psychology/facultystaff/garbarino_j.shtml
Ann, thanks so much for these resources. They’ve given me a story idea (I’m a freelance journalist as well as a blogger).