By Carie Moore
As we get ready for the 4th of July, I asked my husband, Jason, if there was anything he needed me to pick up while I was in town. I was thinking about what type of meat to grill, and for anyone who knows me, they know I can go from one subject to another to another like a chain reaction. Many times Jason will say, “How did you get that out of what I just said?” I just reply, “Well, this leads to this, which leads to this which led to this.” And then he just says, “Oh. Okay.” And is still confused.
Anyway, back to the 4th. (See what I mean?) I was thinking about meat that we would cook out with. I'm a person who likes to question some of the obvious things we overlook. And I got to thinking that even the meat we eat is based on a vegetarian diet.
The fact that an animal can turn plants into meat and then into food for us is pretty amazing.
Muscle, marbling and fat all comes – originally – from plant-based sources. Grass, flowers, corn, beans, and oil crops all make for a great protein source.
This in turn provides our bodies with muscle and fat as well.
We are blessed to live in a country with not only an abundance of food, but organizations that make sure we have safe food as well. Biosecurity for animal health and welfare on farms, sanitary processing facilities, and inspected restaurants and grocery stores are all important parts of the food chain.
And it all begins with plants. Cattle eat those plants and seeds and make meat products like steaks, ribs, burgers and more. Livestock also makes fresh manure to fertilize plants and keep the cycle going. (And don’t even get me started on how bees contribute to the whole cycle.)
An added bonus is the by-products from animals: The leather for your football you throw around and insulin for your grandparent that comes to watch you light fireworks (which also contain stearic acid, an animal by-product.) And the safety of our food supply in the United States is something many other countries can only envy.
So even though it all starts with plants, the animals that eat the plants provide us with so much more than a dense protein, vitamin and mineral meal. They assist other animals by keeping the ecosystem in check and provide us with byproducts we use every day.
Enjoy your 4th and all the fixings!! And I thank God for our Independence and our farmers and ranchers!