meaning-full food

A few months ago, I spent several hours putting packets of frozen meat into boxes. We were on a timeline so we worked quickly. It was cold (in the freezer) and hot (outside) and carrying a few boxes at a time was heavy. I was mildly grossed out because I'm a vegetarian.

But at the same time, it was really quite rewarding.

I had spent two weeks wwoofing at a former conventional farm. Over the past 15-ish years, the farmers have embarked on a journey toward regenerative agriculture in a country where the term "organic" is something of a bad word in rural areas.

In the mornings I milked 22 dairy cows and that was fed to the pigs. Then I would sometimes go along to feed the animals. One morning I helped to herd eight pigs onto a trailer to be driven to get slaughtered.

And I found that being connected to the animals so tangibly gave meaning to the meat. It wasn't just any meat I was putting into the boxes, it was meat that I had helped to care for and raise. The cows, pigs and sheep were known by the farmers and treated with love. And even though I'm still a vegetarian, I appreciate the significance of this kind of food.