Going semi-green?

So I know that all of you have heard of the term "going green" and the concepts behind it. Well with the recent news articles on BPA in plastics and the recall on the 300 million pounds of beef, Dan and I are going semi-green. I feel that it is up to me to provide Kaylee with the best environment as possible and this to me means limiting her exposure to harmful chemicals and tainted meats.

What is semi-green you ask, well this is how we are contributing to the green movement. We still love are beef and poultry (more so with Dan) so we have purchased some flank steaks, tritip and ground beef from an organic farm in California. There the cows are grass fed from birth to finish, hormone, antibiotic free and they are slaughtered humanely. Also, we have purchased some chicken from an Amish farm in Idaho where they are organic, hormone, antibiotic free and slaughtered humanely as well. With purchasing our meats from small farms we are helping our local economy and cutting down on the harmful waste from large factory farms. Also, the animals are treated far better than those at factory farms, the cows are in pastures of grass and not locked up in pins where they can barely move. The chickens are not held in pens with thousands on top of each other with their beaks cut off.

We've also looked into getting organic produce and have found a farm that is about 20min west of Eugene. They provide seasonal produce for 19 weeks during the summer and fall. If we go through this farm for our fruit and vegetables they will deliver it to a drop off in Coos Bay once a week for 19 weeks. The produce is all organic and seasonal and grown locally. Also, if we use our home as the pickup location for all the other buyers in our area than we will get a significant discount on our order. I think that is a win win for all involved.

As far as the BPA in plastics, I've thrown out all of Kaylee's plastic sippy cups that contain this chemical and have become aware of the products that are better for us. This chemical, BPA acts as a synthetic hormone that interferes with our endocrine system. Also, I have switched us all to all natural lotions and body wash.

I feel like I have fallen out of the matrix and into a different world when I read articles about how the USDA and other government run agencies allow inhumane treatment of animals and known harmful chemicals into our food and water sources. I had no idea that the horrors in slaughterhouses were happening. I was ignorant and just assumed that all animals were treated humanely and respected. I was way off and dead wrong. I've made a decision and pledge to myself that I will no longer support the acts of these factory farms. I will no longer purchase, meats or poultry from local chain stores and give my hard earned money to monsters. I'm not trying to be preachy, I'm just trying to share what we are doing here in the Withers household.

If you are interested in finding farms near you here is a link to an awesome site that will help you out.

http://www.localharvest.org/

Here are a few links to the farms I have mentioned:

http://www.certified-organic-beef.com/our-committment.html
http://organic-meat.com

I also have a few links in my blogroll of some really informative sites and blogs. That is where my journey got started.