He is the belle of the ball; the guest of honor. The main course of today’s American Thanksgiving feast however, is far from anything early Americans would have readily eaten. As consumption rises so must production; with production so must efficiency. Unfortunately efficient is not always humane; efficient is not always pretty.
I often focus on the inherent good in supporting local growers here, in so doing what is left unsaid however, is the inherent evil in not. The health of the local economy, the strengthening of communities, the forging of bonds; these things should be enough. They should be motivation to frequent farmer’s markets instead of chain supermarkets, to purchase vegetables from road-side stands rather than South American imports, but sometimes they’re not. Sometimes being aware of the consequences of choosing to do otherwise trumps. And there is nothing wrong with that.
