Most of the standard practices used in today's factory farms are so abusive to animals that if you inflicted them on your dogs and cats you'd be guilty of animal cruelty. Now there's a new product on the market, “humane meat” and its from animals treated less badly. It's something people want very much to believe – that they can eat meat, eggs, and dairy products and not be complicit in the suffering of the animals they consume. But the question remains: Can meat ever be humane? I don't believe so. Whether meat and eggs are labeled organic, free range, cage-free, etc., the animals are still bred by the billions, mutilated (cutting off the tails of pigs and the beaks off chickens and turkeys is allowed under the “Certified Humane” label) and eventually loaded into trucks for a terrifying journey that ends in a brutal slaughter. The terror and suffering of the transportation and slaughter process cannot be overstated. Animals are not, and cannot, be“dispatched as humanely as they were raised” as Christina Waters asserts. And here's an interesting fact: Under current labeling laws, poultry and eggs can be called “free-range” if the birds have access to the outdoors. A producer providing 50,000 chickens with 10 inches of outdoor access can label their products “free range.” Deceptive and manipulative? Yes. Humane? Absolutely not.

Posted on February 18, 2008 — by shewster

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I am so appalled by your recent cover story.

Until now, I was led to believe your publication was compassionate and forward-thinking, yet your ignorance to this issue certainly proves otherwise.

Not only is eating meat inhumane, which you clearly don't care about, but it's one of the worst things for the environment. It's a fact that being a vegetarian or reducing meat consumption leaves a lighter carbon footprint than driving a hybrid, which is probably what half your staff have sitting the parking lot. If you don't have a heart, at least use your head and do the math.

I doubt any of the staff on your photo shoot would have slaughtered Sonja with their own hands in order to eat the steak yet they so cheerfully seared. It's so disrespectful towards animals but I bet you have dogs roaming your office. What's the difference?

It's not a question of whether animals are intelligent, but do they suffer. And to me, suffering just doesn't taste good.

Grow up and stop seeking attention in such a negative way. I thought you were better than this.

Aimee Kilmer

Posted on February 21, 2008 — by akilmer

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What a cute video of Sonja being led around GOOD's photo shoot.

But where is the one of her being hauled in a truck (possibly hundreds of miles) and slaughtered (perhaps at one of the same facilities that pull injured cows on chains, haul them with forklifts, and force water up their noses)? After all, many of these "humanely" farmed animals have their lives ended in the same horrific ways as the billions of other "conventionally" farmed ones.

The images of green fields and blue skies are really pretty--but they do not in any way tell the full, true stories of the animals who are used and killed to make the "happy meals" touted in this issue.

Your readers--this one included--deserve better than half-truths and hype.

Posted on February 25, 2008 — by BippityBoppityBoo

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Getting your testicles cut off without painkillers isn't being pampered.

Being forcibly impregnated every year - so you'll continuously produce milk - and having your calves stolen from you isn't being pampered.

Being ground up or suffocated to death because you're a male chick born in a hen hatchery isn't being pampered.

Being genetically engineered to be obese and unnaturally top-heavy (because of demand for "white meat")and grow at twice normal rate, so you can be killed at seven weeks old isn't being pampered.

Being killed as soon as profitable isn't being pampered.

All the aforementioned practices - and many more - are standard, well-documented practices on farms - large, small, conventional, organic.

Killing animals for pleasure is not pampering them. You're in denial. To be truly *good*, practice the golden rule as widely as possible. Strive to refrain from participating in exploitation. Seriously look into a total vegetarian diet. Publish an article on how to go vegan (and have a great diet) in ten easy steps.

Posted on February 26, 2008 — by animalwritings

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Just noticed this post in the Blog:

Killing animals for food.

Seems like a good opportunity for healthy dialogue on this subject.

Posted on March 3, 2008 — by superfamous

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You know, I had never heard of or seen your magazine until a few days ago when I was at Whole Foods in St. Louis. I looked over and saw a colorful picture of a cow getting some love from human hands. I thought, "How nice! Maybe some major publication is finally recognizing the importance of sentient beings that are typically treated as mere commodities. And said major publication has the balls to actually make it a cover story at that?! I need to check this out..." And then I read the caption..."Why pampered cows make tastier steaks." My heart sank while my blood pressure went through the roof. Would I not be supporting your magazine, I would have bought up every copy and burned it so no one else could read whatever article went behind that cover. Your magazine is meant to be progressive, I gather. Try touting something like ethical vegetarianism or-gasp!-veganism to your readers. There's real progress. Not the cruel hypocrisy of "pampering" a defenseless animal only to slaughter it in the name of human selfishness and gluttony that you advertise. Think of it this way: if you were given the option of leading a charmed life only to be killed for someone's "tasty steak," would you take it? Or would you hope that you might lead a life of freedom, and then die the way nature intended it--out of the hands of an industry that treats your life as nothing more than a "good" (pun intended) to be bought, sold, imprisoned, and then snuffed out? I know which one I would take. And I think we all know which one that "happy cow" would take, too. And while you're at reading this, I encourage you to check out the blog posting that was dedicated (not by me) to your mess of a cover story: www.ananimalfriendlylife.com.

Posted on March 5, 2008 — by alexiconartist

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I will go against the grain of this current message board and say that I loved your article "All You Can Eat." What's GOOD about this article is that it features the small ranchers who are raising farm animals the humane way -- the way we did before corporate agribusinesses came and dragged down the quality of our meat with their greed.

No one mentioned in the article is "killing animals for pleasure" -- what a terrible thing to say. Slaughter for food has been an important part of human survival for many years. It's against Mother Nature -- no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to convert the world to vegetarianism.

I won't criticize anyone's personal life choices, but I think it is unfair to criticize this magazine for showcasing the good that a few omnivores are trying to do for other omnivores.

Posted on March 5, 2008 — by nlh

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I have to agree with nlh. Could the world eat less meat? Sure but the key word is less not none at all. I am part of the food chain and part of the cycle of life. As a human being, I'm meant to be an omnivore. There are nutrients you cannot get in a vegan diet without artificially supplementing it. And yes soy milk fortified with calcium and B12 is a supplement. I'm just not going to place animals higher than my own nature.

I will ensure that my meat that I consume is from a humane farm. 98% of my meat comes within 50 miles of where I live from farms that I visit. The price is higher than just going to a mega mart but we eat less meat as a result. I also make sure to eat as much whole foods as I can and as little processed foods as I can. Which frankly is more than I can say for the tofutti, wheat seitan, soy cheese, veganaise eating vegans that I know.

Posted on March 10, 2008 — by latenaczgmailzco

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I have to agree with shewster and many of the other posts on this article. I was disgusted by the article, and even more disgusted when I came to the website to comment and found the video on the behind the scenes of the photoshoot. Sonja clearly wanted no part of that photo shoot, and was clearly scared before she even went onto the set. How can you glorify this inhumane/insane behavior, and then call it "pampering"? Cows don't understand flashing lights in their eyes.

But the clincher was when I saw the banner ad by La-Cense Beef on your site advertising that grass-fed beef is greener. Now it all makes sense, GOOD is clearly being paid by a grass-fed beef company (which is also gross).

Studies show that grass-fed beef actually creates more methane gas than corn-fed beef, and methane gas is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. So how is it actually greener? Corn obviously has its problems too, but saying grass-fed is greener is simply not true.

Last year I sent two gift subscriptions out to colleagues thinking I was spreading GOOD into the world, but this has really left me feeling ashamed, and questioning the ethics the magazine now stands for. I won't be gifting GOOD again anytime soon.

Posted on March 17, 2008 — by cheri

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OMG!! Magazines take advertising money!! This website has to pay the people who write for it, so GOOD magazine is a complete sell out.

OMG!!! This website has to pay the people who print it, SELL OUTS!

(OMG!!! They're printing magazines!! Dead trees!! Boycott! Boycott!!!)

Did you even check out that advertising company you're so up in arms about? They look pretty nice. In fact, I bought some beef. It's hard to get local meat here in NYC, and this looked like a great alternative.

[url=http://www.lacensebeef.com/why_la_cense/our_philosophy[/url]

"La Cense Beef is committed to a more natural and compassionate approach to ranching. We are not part of a consortium of ranchers, nor are we middlemen. We do the ranching, the selling and the packing. Our 100% grass-fed beef goes directly from our ranch to you. That's how we can ensure its quality and guarantee page your satisfaction."

That sounds GOOD to me.

I've been doing a lot of research into sustainable farming, especially in regards to meat. This article was a godsend.

Put the bong down and read something before sounding off like such an uninformed reactionary. Why get yourself in such a lather? If you're not a meat eater, don't read articles about meat. Life is too short.

Posted on March 17, 2008 — by grassfedjim

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I have no problem eating happy cows, or drinking happy milk or eating happy eggs. I was raised on a small farm and growing up I hugged and kissed all our cows and sheep and hens. Literally. Meeting your end after a happy life isn't the worst thing in the world - suffering all your life is. I support the growing movement of de-industrialized agriculture and when I consume happy food my conscience is clear.

Posted on March 21, 2008 — by Tullyc

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