Green Daily

Turkey is generally the Thanksgiving favorite but how "green" are those birds? Generally, the environmental impact of turkeys depends on how they are raised. Most turkey farms confine their turkeys in small spaces while they fatten them up for the holiday season. Such cramped conditions have recently led to bird flu outbreaks in The United Kingdom. Some claim free-range turkeys are safer and raised in more human conditions, and in some cases, free-range birds are healthier -- but in others, the birds must endure cramped pens and must have their beaks and toes trimmed to prevent them from hurting one another (turkeys love to fight).

What about ham? Hog farms are beginning to gain a reputation as inhumane pollution factories. These days, pigs don't roam freely around the barnyard. Like turkeys, they're confined for most of their life, and many of these large hog farms have driven small farms out of business. And don't forget that pigs poop a lot and hog farms store all that mess in giant open lagoons. Many times the waste leaches into ground water (yuck!) and the smell is so terrible that it drives nearby residents to move.

In the end, it's hard to decide whether turkey or hog farms are better. But here are some tips for eating greener (and safer) this Thanksgiving:

• Choose an organic, farm-raised turkey or ham. Organic meats are free of hormones and antibiotics.
• Eat locally. Get to know local turkey or hog farms. Smaller local farms are likely to rear their animals in more humane conditions. Plus, you can see where your food's coming from.
• Try Tofu-rkey; maybe you're tired of plain ol' turkey or just don't like the idea of killing an innocent little bird.
• Instead of cooking one huge bird, buy two smaller turkeys. You won't have to cook them as long so you'll save energy.

Bon appetit!

Sources:

"U.K Turkey Farm Hit By Bird Flu." The Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-7071276,00.html

Free-Range Turkey Farm Tour.
http://www.free-range-turkey.com/

Farm Sanctuary News.
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/newsletter/hog_farms.htm