A Moment of Social Consciousness

Okay, Thanksgiving is still 80 days away (thank goodness, no pun intended), but the PROCESSING of your Thanksgiving turkey is well under way.

Now, I'll bet that when you think of the tom that's going to end up on the dining room table all plump and juicy - waiting for Dad or Grandpa to carve - you think of something like this:
















Or this:














But, if you buy a commercially-raised name-brand turkey for your Thanksgiving table this year, you'll be getting one of these.


















Or these.











Appetizing, huh? Makes you want to skip right to the pumpkin pie, doesn't it?

Now, I'm not trying to go all PETA on you, but I WOULD encourage you to think about the way the turkey you buy has been raised, fed, and housed. You don't even have to care about the welfare of the poultry. Think about what you're putting in your stomach. Which of these turkeys looks healthiest to you? Doesn't it naturally follow then that you'd want the healthiest food to go down your gullet?

Editorial Comments: When we were in northwestern MN this past week we happened upon this turkey processing plant where these (and many other) turkeys were waiting in the 84 degree heat (okay, they WERE parked in the shade) to be butchered. Just consider this my little way of spreading Social Consciousness regarding the way(s) that mass-produced food makes its way to our tables. ;)