To Read: Righteous Porkchop

I've just been listening to a great Ring of Fire podcast segment featuring an interview by Bobby Kennedy Jr. of vegetarian attorney activist Nicolette Hahn Niman, author of Righteous Porkchop, Finding a Life -- and Good Food -- Beyond Factory Farms. Did you know a chicken is not an animal, and therefore not entitled to laws about animal cruelty? Egg laying hens are cramped 6-9 hens per cage, live a gruesome life and when they are spent at 1 year of age they are vacuumed into a chopper while they are totally alive -- there is no attempt to make this painless or fearless.

Niman is now married to a humane cattle rancher where animals are treated relatively well. (Okay, I'm a vegetarian so I use the term relative) The disappearance of the family farmer by these large soulless corporate system should be a concern of all of us since our food supply is suffering as a result. There are hopeful signs of it shifting -- including CSAs and green markets -- but there is much to be done. Read the book or at least check out the podcast.