You Are What You Eat

It’s an old saying, but it really shapes my food choices and the advice I give to others. If the meat and animal products we consume come from animals that are poorly cared for, living in unhealthy or unnatural conditions, I think it’s fair to question why we should benefit from those products.

Feed your animals poorly, and your products won’t be good. It’s that simple.

And isn’t that kind of twisted?

Animal Welfare Matters

Animal welfare isn’t just important for food quality; it’s about recognizing animals as beings worthy of moral consideration. It’s alarming how often this is overlooked, especially by those who identify as conservative. There seems to be a worrying trend that reduces all discussions about animals to mere economics and profit margins.

It’s more cost-effective, of course, to pack 10,000 chickens into a warehouse rather than let them roam the grass.

A Mutually Beneficial Agreement

Domestication of animals like cows, chickens, sheep, and pigs has always been a two-way street. We used to hunt for our meals, facing risks from wild animals, while these domesticated animals were brought into our care. It was beneficial for both sides.

The principle of this agreement is articulated in Genesis. It states that God granted humans “Dominion” over all creatures, meaning we have responsibilities towards them. This dominion isn’t a license for abuse; it’s a call to stewardship.

Admittedly, I didn’t plan to weave biblical references into this, but it fits, doesn’t it?

And remember, if you don’t take care of your animals, you’re likely not going to get quality products. Simple as that.

The Toxicity of Farmed Salmon

Consider farmed salmon. We’re often told to eat more of it for those essential omega-3s. However, the reality is that farmed salmon can be incredibly toxic. It all comes down to how these fish are raised and what they’re fed.

Research indicates a link between farmed salmon and conditions like diabetes and obesity. In fact, mice fed farmed salmon can become twice their weight compared to those consuming other foods. The salmon carries harmful chemicals, with studies from 2004 showing levels of contaminants significantly higher than wild salmon.

Farmed salmon’s diet includes eels and other fatty fish, which can easily accumulate these toxic substances. Many fish used in feed come from the heavily polluted Baltic Sea, known for its high levels of contamination. Surprising, isn’t it?

Pigs in Distress

The same narrative applies to pigs. Alongside chickens, pigs endure immense suffering in modern agricultural systems. One only needs to look at the massive pig farms in places like China to see the scale of the issue.

Even in the West, many pigs face dreadful conditions—overcrowded, stressed, and fed nothing but low-cost grains to maximize profit. This leads to poor quality pork that’s often misrepresented as something healthier or traditional. Pigs lack the necessary stomach types to process such feed into wholesome fat, resulting in unhealthy lard that bears little resemblance to what it should be.

Introducing Acorn Bluff Farm

Thankfully, there are farms like Acorn Bluff Farm in Iowa. This family-run farm, operational for nearly 200 years, has recently focused on high-quality pork production using heritage breeds like Mangalica pigs. These pigs, once bred for the Austro-Hungarian royals, have a reputation for their rich flavor. You could even say they’re akin to “Kobe beef” in the pork world.

Healthy Meats

At Acorn Bluff, pigs roam freely, foraging and enjoying life. If you follow their Twitter, you’ll find plenty of heartwarming videos of their practices.

In the mid-20th century, pork was marketed as “the other white meat,” but this image stemmed from modern farming reducing it to pale, tasteless cuts. Opt for pork from a place like Acorn Bluff, and you’ll find it matches its true value—delicious and guilt-free, just as it was meant to be.