A grassroots movement is a powerful force. (See: the Obama campaign, American Revolution and the "Napoleon Dynamite" fanbase). And put the local food crowd in that category, too. Unless, of course, your source of local food is living next door to a Cheetos factory. As the mantra of "know what you eat" catches on, it's great to see the public rediscovering farms just outside the city limits.But, the local food movement is falling short in one category: meat. The idea of knowing the foostuff's source is important and something us huntin' folk have been appreciating for centuries. Looking at a fine cut of steak is mouthwatering. Seeing the cow's head or a full side of beef is inspiring. As a hunter, butchering a whole deer is a humbling reminder of what it takes to fulfill our gastrointestinal system. Respecting the food source is the most important part of eating well.
My thinking about this was spurred by watching "A Christmas Story" on endless repeat over the last week. You know the final scene in the Chinese restaurant? Not the singing, but instead, the reaction when the peking duck is served with the head still intact. Imagine the same drama playing out today. Our food culture is more sanitized than church camp film festival.
I'm not arguing for a total breakdown of cleanliness. Washing hands and scrubbing kitchen pots are fine, but shrink-wrapped meat is not. Seeing an animal intact is a great start, but compromise is the mark of civility so I'm willing to concede a couple of points. Perhaps leaving the feet on the chicken legs (they're great fried) or a head on the pig will give the average consumer the same reverence for flesh that hunters have when they shoot a deer or boar or goose. Also, those extra parts that we discard make a fine meal, too. I'd say along with eating local, we should start eating whole. So, step one: go buy your hunting license.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-08-2009 @ 9:48AM
Denny Snyder said...
Thanks to caring sportsmen and sportswomen, millions of meals are served annually through the Sportsmen Against Hunger program, which helps share nature's bounty with the hungry. This and similar programs are active in all 50 states of the U.S., in parts of Canada, and in several other countries around the world. With most huntable wildlife populations on the rise, annual donations of wild game meat and fish to those in need have increased.
Since Safari Club International started the Sportsmen Against Hunger program in 1989, tens of millions of meals have been served at local soup kitchens, food banks, or other charitable organizations, such as The Salvation Army. Donations continue to increase each year. In 2006, 251,018 pounds of wild game meat were donated to relief organizations; in 2007, the figure had jumped to 318,793 lbs., which is the equivalent of 1,275,172 meals.
One deer can provide over 200 meals and any processing fees are tax deductible. In Pennsylvania, last year hunters donated more than 100,000 pounds of venison providing more than 200,000 meals annually to food banks, churches and social services feeding programs. “Across Pennsylvania, more than 1.3 million people are at risk of hunger,” said Hanna, who heads the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. “Hunters Sharing the Harvest helps to provide food that is high in protein and lean. We are extremely grateful for hunters’ participating in the program.”
For more information on the Sportsmen Against Hunger, visit them on the web at http://www.safariclubfoundation.org or call toll free at 1-800-377-5399.
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1-12-2009 @ 11:55AM
Giovanni Di Nardi said...
Safari Club International is just another hunting lobby that will do just about anything to justify their lust for killing. They feel that because a minority of hunters donate their kills to a food bank, this will enable them to endear themselves to the non hunting public.
I have an even better idea if hunters really want to make a difference in some needy persons life,instead of harassing, crippling, wounding and killing defenselss animals... they should donate the money they would normally spend on all the accessories and accommodations associated with their hunting trip.
Hunting is not a "sport." It is simply a senseless slaughter that provides Wildlife and State Agencies with millions of dollars in revenue, promoting their killing under the guise of conservation.
It is amusing to see how Safari International and other hunting groups emphasize their contributions to food banks to help garner support for their grizzly deeds, while they conveniently avoid and disregard the fact that millions of animals will die a slow, lingering death as a result of wounding and maiming when the hunting season ends.
To the civilized people in our nation, the incomprehensible pain and suffering imposed on sentient creatures as a result of hunting, simply nullifies and voids any semblance of charity in regard to food banks. The cost of pain and suffering is far too high to ignore and impossible under any sensible circumstances to justify. Hunting like slavery, should be abolished to the dust bins of history.
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