Read 'n' Seed 3: Second Quarter of "Harvest for Hope"

1. I read chapters 6-10, pages 82-158

2. The beginning chapters continued to cover topics of animal factories, or what some call "animal feeding operations." It describes the diets of cattle and what kind of diseases are spread through poor sanitation techniques. Growth hormones are linked to certain abnormalities in animals and humans. It then tells stories of the Niman Ranch, which has provided foods to chain stories such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. A few topics briefly cover the fish farms and the damage to the ocean and sea wildlife. It ends with describing what a vegetarian can do, and how we can reduce our into of animal products.

3. There were many new, interesting things that I learned, as well as some topics that I have already learned much about. I described earlier that animal factories are also known as "animal feeding operations." What is so wrong, because they are not even called FARMS! It just goes to show that animals that are raised in these factories are not being treated as a farm animal whatsoever, but as objects of profit. Not too long ago, cattle were fed ground up animal parts.. even of their own species!! Luckily this practice has been banned, but the thought of forcing animals to cannibalize so that they gain weight is so wrong. Also, cattle are fed genetically modified corn and soy, which eventually get into our own digestive systems. The dangerous bacterium, E.Coli and other food borne illnesses are spread through excessive amounts of cattle waste and sloppy slaughtering, in which the USDA does little to prevent.
     The growth hormones that they feed farm animals have been linked to buildup in estrogen,  in which some scientists believe explains the reason for early maturation in women, and sperm count reduction in males.
      I learned the new term Bushmeat, which refers to the meat of a terrestrial wild animal killed for commercial uses of subsistence. Some of these animals being chimpanzees, gorillas, guans and songbirds. Many species are becoming extinct because of trade worldwide and mass killings. Other aquatic animals are being killed by vast drift nets, trawling for shrimp, and lines that tear up the ocean reefs and the ocean floor. Aquaculture, or the farming of fish, has also almost wiped out the population of wild salmon. Just like farm animals, they are fed absurd diets and when dead, leak the toxins into the waters that kill off other natural breeds of salmon.

4. All of this affects us directly. The food that we buy from grocery stores that we eventually eat, the mass killings of species that some cultures are so dependent on, the waste that these factory raised animals produce that eventually spread dangerous bacteria and illnesses to humans. Jane Goodall suggests that if some are unwilling to become vegetarians, that they at least do something to stop this ongoing crisis "one thread at a time." By simply telling your local grocer to offer more organic foods, or to put a "genetically modified" label on their products, you are making progress.