Fake Meat vs Weird Beef

A scary topic for Halloween… fake meat vs. weird beef (in this past blog post, we call our Pasture Grazed Beef “Weird Beef”, read the post to see why).

Veggie burgers and Tofurky have been around for 35+ years but recently there is renewed interest in fake meat and companies are stepping forward.  Just last month we were invited to exhibit our farm at a showing of the Eating Animals movie/documentary.  The movie emphasized the downside of the industrial ag meat system.  The movie focused on the environmental and animal welfare issues.  Scientists will dispute the above two points but you can watch the movie and decide how well these ideas were presented.

As an alternative to industrial ag meat the movie highlighted a few farms raising animals similar to what we are trying to do here at DS Family Farm.  Raise animals in natures image rather than trying to force nature into a factory model.  The movie also took significant time to promote alternative meats or fake meat:

1. Plant-Based meat
   1. Plant protein isolates (mainly pea)
   2. Adding beet juice to give a “bleed” to the product
2. Cultured or Lab Grown
   1. Growing “meat” from animal cell tissue
   2. This technology is still developing

Why Fake Meat?

Fake meat and Weird Beef (we raise weird beef here at DS Family Farm) are sought out for similar reasons:

• Animal Welfare
• Environmental
• Human Health Issues

We are happy to provide customers an alternative meat product (Weird Beef) just as fake meat companies are doing for their customers.  Give the customer what they want.

Unproven (fake meat) versus Proven (Pasture Grazed Meats)

Here’s the bottom line.  Folks may seek out fake meat for the above listed reasons, but I would question how highly processed plant proteins or lab produced cell tissues can meet the desired results for the three items listed above.

• Does pressing canola oil and other plant parts and reforming them into a meat like substance aid Animal Welfare?
• Please list a study where cropping systems (without integrating animals) regenerate soil rather than mine the soil.
• Our experience when dealing with health issues, the number one thing to do is eliminate highly processed foods.

Pasture raised livestock can and has been proven to address all three of the above listed concerns.  It’s “how” the “cow” is managed that results in positive outcomes for animal welfare, the environment and ultimately human health.

Do you eat fake meat and why?  Please comment on the DS Family Farm Facebook page.

Happy Reformation Day!