Our family recently took a trip to a local farm. My five year old loves the book Charlotte’s Web and we try to go to the farm at least once a year to see “Wilbur.” I think it’s important that children see farms and farm animals and understand where their food comes from. I also want my children to develop compassion for all animals, including the ones they eat, and to understand why Mommy is so particular about the foods we eat. The below scene prompted a lengthy conversation about why pigs should be allowed to lounge in mud and not have their tails cut and be put in cages so tight that they can’t turn around and have to defecate where they sleep. When we do eat meat, I want it to come from animals that had a happy life, like these:
Along these lines, see this video clip about Chipotle and what kind of pork founder Steve Ells likes to use.
Also, I’d like to recommend a nice way to discuss the treatment of factory farmed animals with your kids–reading the children’s book That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals.
