While it is rarely mentioned, Heidi Lynch, a P.HD from Point Loma Nazarene University, points out that phosphorus is essential to fertilizing crops which is greatly depleted when growing corn and grains for livestock feed. Opposingly, when farmers grow a variety of vegetables it produces natural nutrients to help fertilize the soil.
In addition to the environmental benefits, often times it is the animal cruelty aspect that causes people to rethink their diets. This reigns true for Miller which began her engagement with the Luvin’ Arms Animal Sanctuary.
The Luvin’ Arms Animal Sanctuary is home to farm animals that have been neglected or abused and are looking for an asylum. All too often in the farming industry, there is maltreatment of animals and this sanctuary looks to educate community members of the beauty, loving nature of these animals and their deservance of respect.
“Factory farm footage and stories of animal abuse are probably the strongest influence that impacted my convergence to veganism” Miller states.
Cows on mass producing beef and dairy farms can be found emaciated from the sweltering summer sun or force feed to be prepared sooner for slaughter. This atrocity would have stayed concealed without hidden surveillance taken by Animal Recovery Mission associates who went undercover as employees at the Fair Oaks Farms back in 2014, the provider of FairLife milk.
“I remember watching the movie Cowspiracy and being absolutely horrified by farms. I missed the red door barns that I thought of as a kid” states Molly Gervase, a vegan DU student.
Cowspiracy shows similar content to the exposure of maltreatment at Fair Oaks Farm, where animals are stuffed into cages barely large enough for them to stand in. The cries from the animals and overt distress are normalized. The typical lifespan for animals barely surpasses a single year.
“From then on out, when I saw meat I didn’t see a steak or hamburger, I saw images from the movie playing in my head,” notes Gervase. “I don’t think when people started eating meat it was wrong, but now that it’s gone corporate, there’s too much corruption in the system. It’s getting out of hand.”
Each year the amount of corporate livestock that is butchered each year is almost 56 billion worldwide, that’s about 8 times the amount of humans walking on the earth. It all stems from an increasing demand for animal products.
The MFJS Reporter -- Winter 2020 M-W 