Yes, I hate Paula Deen...here's why...

[jsmirman]

80. Veal is by and large the product of cruelty - however

I have heard of veal producers who have moved against the "penning a baby calf in a box and then slaughtering them" method of business. I've been out of the meat-eating game for too long to know the answer.

The best suggestion I have is to find out if there are any food collectives operating anywhere near you. If anyone here can point you toward one of them, please someone help SA out. Food collectives buy from local farms and move consumption away from mass-produced, cruelty-dependent Big Ag. Even then, find a good food collective, but then drive out to the farms that you are sourcing from and observe their practices for yourself.

Do have any farmer's markets anywhere near you? People there will either be producers, or will definitely be able to point you in the direction of alternative sources.

I can't tell you what to buy in the grocery store except for Field Roast and some of the better Gardein products (hint, these are vegan products, but you might be shocked by how delicious, say, Field Roast sausage is). Field Roast can be purchased from www.veganessentials.com, if you can't find it anywhere else.

But participation in one of the food collectives I suggest is a cost-effective alternative to eating what the massive ag companies want you to eat. It's a lot healthier and safer, as well.