You are what you eat

Denise Chin discusses her view on the meat industry in a Daily Evergreen column:

"Be more aware when you eat"
10/18/2010

I love food. I love biting into a juicy steak and savoring its succulent flavor, appreciating the blend of herbs and spices that complement the meat.

I love the excitement of looking through a menu and finding that one item that calls my name. I love being inspired by recipes and cooking up a storm. I love thinking about my next meal.

Despite my fondness for all of the above, what holds my heart more is the fact that I have an assertive conscience. It has taught me, especially this year, to appreciate food on a much deeper level.

Last spring break, I went on a service trip with WSU’s Center for Civic Engagement and learned about sustainable agriculture and being actively involved in the food chain, from serving at organic farms to helping at food banks in Western Washington.

Not only was I completely out of my city girl comfort zone (I felt like I was in "The Simple Life"), I was also forced to think about my food choices — something I had evaded for a long time.

I met people who had absolutely no problems about not eating meat, and I wondered how they could be so cool while resisting some deliciously greasy bacon. At the end of the trip, I had a new appreciation for farmers and food, yet I was unsettled about my own eating practices. I had to do something about that.

So, I read "The Omnivore’s Dilemma" (willingly and enjoyably, much to the dismay of many freshmen at the time), I volunteered at a farmer’s market, I decided to take a rural sociology class and I did some research that forced me to face the hard facts.

I learned that while I like beef, I cannot live with the fact that breeding cattle emits gases that contribute to a warmer earth; or the fact that livestock are fed corn, something they are not made to eat, and are then injected with antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick; or that workers in the meatpacking industry receive meager wages for working in an accident prone environment.

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