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Here in Asheville, the number of vegetarians is quite high compared to national averages. Many restaurants and groceries have a multitude of vegetarian food to eat. I suppose that’s probably due to the number of hippies and beatniks populated throughout the area. Asheville seems to be a magnet for art, hippies, vegetarians, musicians, outdoor enthusiasts and generally weird people.

There is also another part of Asheville which is quite large. It’s the old school—the rich, who live up on the mountain sides and grill steaks. These are the people who are older, probably baby boomers, with older, traditional values. When you mention the stereotype “Vegetarian” to them, they will probably mention “wacko” in the next couple of sentences. Asheville tends to stand out some as a city, but in general, we are a meat-loving country. On our trips to Myrtle Beach, Dawn and I are shocked to find 0 vegetarian restaurants and few vegetarian dishes to eat. Groceries may have a frozen vege-burger but that’s pretty much it.

Stop the pattern of “stamping” people as either a carnivore or vegetarian.

The tendency of our society is to stamp, or better yet “stereotype” people into categories. I think often that meat eaters are completely turned off by the holy sermon of vegetarians because of the ‘all or nothing‘ angle that many hard-core vegetarians take. Those on the hard left are what conservatives, like my Dad, refers to as ‘those god damn PETA nuts.’

I’ve wanted to make this post for a while now and a clip from CNN and all over the web reminded me of it. Paul McCartney who has been a huge advocate for meat free diets since the 70’s is simply calling for a “Meat Free Monday” to lessen the strain on our environment and animal well-being. Here are some astonishing facts on carbon output and livestock.

• Livestock put out about 18% of the worlds greenhouse gasses ( more than all the world’s cars )
• About 3/4 of livestock in this country is cattle, a heavier contributor than other animals

Lately, all we hear about is ‘being green’ but often the war on waste focuses on coal fired plants, cars and electricity. What many people don’t know is that livestock farming is a HUGE part of the problem.

Eating less meat is a small gesture, than can have a enormous impact if everybody participated. This is where I draw a vastly different concept:

Your not being labeled a ‘vegetarian’, you’re simply eating a ‘vegetarian’ meal.

I think that once you let meat eaters know that they get points, for eating less meat, it will be an easier process for them. Encourage them to reduce consumption as time goes on. Encourage meals with ‘meat mixtures’ where reduced amounts of meat are mixed with vegetables, pasta, rice and beans.

As far as my own life, I know that I don’t need to carry the stamp on my chest that says ‘vegetarian’ even though I once did. I once was a vegetarian, even a vegan for some time. Now, I try to eat meat only when I truly crave it. One of my issues is that I cannot digest the massive amount of soy products on the market. My body does not like soybeans, wheat or gluten which vegetarian based hamburgers and hot dogs are made up of. I can eat other beans like kidney beans or chick peas. So in a way, I can eat like people in the 70’s, before companies like Morning Star Foods started in with the frozen vege-burgers. Any vegetarian knows that you can mix beans and brown rice and basically have a full protein. Add an egg to the mix and you have a rock-solid protein. Still, there are simply times when I want meat. I can identify with a carnivore. I think meat and eggs taste good on occasion. But in the end, we have to balance many things like finances, health, ethics and carbon footprints. It all translates to a reduced consumption that we must face.

These are the reasons I’m still trying to eat less meat.

• It’s definitely stressful to the planet to be raising so much livestock. It takes tremendous amounts of water and land. It emits large amounts of greenhouse gasses.
• It uses a great deal of foreign oil to ship and cool processed meat. I’m sick of seeing these rich Arab’s dictate our economy.
• I’m getting older, and it’s harder for my body to digest.
• It’s getting damn expensive for my budget.
• It often creates a ‘factory farm’ situation where animals are not treated humanely.

Ethics

The last point is one of importance. Some people don’t really care for the welfare of the animals. Some, like my wife don’t believe you should eat animals period, the end. Still, others like myself believe in some meat consumption, but a humane situation. You can’t cram animals in tight cages or filthy conditions. Its basically torture.

There is a vast difference between a factory farm and a local ethical and sustainable farmer.

In the old days, we only had local farms. Then factory farming came along and tried to figure out how to make the biggest buck. That cheap meat is often at the expense of the living condition of the animal. If you must buy meat, buy from local farms who engage in ethical treatment and sustainable farming practices. Make sure the animals have adequate space and so on. Investigate the company or person you are buying from some. Lately our local Ingles stores have started selling Springer Mountain Chicken , which is 100% natural and also humanely certified. Ingles also has at lest two brands of cage free eggs. I also try to buy meats and eggs from local farms such as Hickory Nut Gap Farm and East Fork Farm. Both farms can also be found on Saturday mornings at the UNCA farmers market.

In the end, you have to realize you have choices to make. The choices will be realitive to your situation, however the worst practice to engage in is pure laziness. You don’t have to fit into a sterotype. Each step helps. Each person who participates helps. Take that information and run with it.