It wasn't easy getting EcoFriendly Foods off the ground. And it hasn't been easy keeping it there. But as we see it, the more "EcoFriendly" processing facilities that can be built across the country, the sooner we'll be able to move closer to establishing a parallel food system that gives more consumers choices to buy local, healthy and humane meats for their family table. It also will make farming an attractive and economically viable career option.
No matter if there has been a Democrat or Republican in the White House or controlling Congress, we've seen our country's food system derail. And the meat industry has consolidated to the point where the real cost of food is hidden, Americans are getting sick or dying from contaminated food, and the institutional knowledge of farmers from generations ago disappears year after year. Finding a way to put younger people back on the farm by providing them with a living wage and the knowledge of the "old foodways" is important to EcoFriendly. And if our nation's leaders can jigger the system and the laws to allow others to do the same around the country -- providing local foods from small scale operations to communities in their regions -- we'll see our system get back on track.
Download and read for yourself what Bev Eggleston had to say before Congress this month.
How did the hearing go? What did Bev have to say? What happens now?
Over the last few weeks, we've been hearing from many of our friends, colleagues, and customers about the Congressional hearing earlier this month regarding USDA enforcement of the 1978 Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA), the law designed to ensure that (the animals covered by it -- a whole other issue), are rendered insensitive to pain before slaughter.
In the coming days, we'll provide you with links and access to the testimony so you can read and see for yourself what was shared. Many of us from EcoFriendly attended the hearing, not only to support Bev Eggleston as he spoke as a sworn witness before the subcommittee, but also on behalf of you -- our customers -- since we know that you, too, believe any step that can be taken to clean our food system and treat animals humanely and with respect is worth making.
At EcoFriendly Foods, we firmly stand by the work that we do, adhering not just to the letter of the law, but showing compassion and care for each of the animals that will move through our facility. We go above and beyond the letter of the law because at EcoFriendly, we know deep down that the animals which sustain us deserve to live a life that is befitting and natural for their species and to be treated with the utmost respect when that life is ended.
This is a link to streaming video of the full hearing provided by the House of Representatives. It runs just under two hours, so you may wish to watch it as you have time. Please note that during the introduction by Rep. Kucinich, he played a video obtained by hidden camera from the Human Society of the United States of what can be described -- at its utmost kindness -- as the revolting torture of calves at the Bushway slaughter facility in Vermont. It is gut-wrenching video, but the importance of exposing inhumane treatment is a key path to getting it stopped once and for all. If you choose to skip the video, it runs for 2 minutes, beginning at 5:30 and ending at 7:30 in the video time. What was shown was referred to many times during the hearing, as you'll read when we post statements, articles, transcripts and other material related to the testimony.
Here you can download the list of witnesses asked to testify. Please note the names of the Representatives serving on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. While not all are on the Domestic Policy subcommittee that called this hearing, if your Representative (or Delegate -- we do love and know the plight of our D.C. friends) is on this list, we encourage you to send them an email with your thoughts and ask them how they plan to take action on what was learned at this hearing. You can find their email address from the House website. We all know they're up for re-election in November.
Change policy with your voice.
Vote with your fork.
Although it was not awarded a particular statue, congratulations to “Food, Inc.” for surely earning a place at the table at the Academy Awards. They have uncovered and addressed those issues around food that matter most to America – food safety being primary.
This film is an
essential step in expanding an understanding across the country that
our food production system has strayed and we need to get it back in
line. By putting in place a parallel food alternative, EcoFriendly
Foods is proud to be part of the solution to the problem. We will
continue to do our part by providing living wages to farmers who raise
animals in a humane and sustainable manner, and giving consumers a
product that is safe, healthy, and can actually be traced back to a
source that can be trusted every step of the way.
Our ground meat comes from one animal, not thousands from around the world. When you buy our products, you can simply ask us questions. We will give you straight and honest answers. We will let you see where your food comes from. And when it comes to transparency, if it is your choice, we will show you how we harvest and process. We stand firmly in the belief that we're making a positive change to our nation's food system and will continue to work hard to see that this country can soon see not just one EcoFriendly Foods operation in southwest Virginia, but allow others to start and operate their own similar small, humane, sustainable facilities -- independently supporting their own producers and consumers -- from coast to coast. That is one of our paths to change.
“Food, Inc.” has done an amazing job in helping people understand the real cost of real food and we will be right there with others in this movement to put a solution in place. Robert Kenner and his colleagues have clearly earned a true stamp of approval and we applaud their effort in preparing America for a change that not only MUST come, but IS coming.
-- Bev Eggleston
