Not all of us clean our veggies. Sometimes I need to be reminded.

I'd choose the first option.

At this point, the idea of eating meat is very unappealing to me.

And on another level, the problem of pesticides and poor agricultural labor conditions are solvable problems. Feeding humanity with red meat is an unsolvable problem, in terms of sustainability and impact on human health.

90% of B12 supplements are fed to livestock. So, you could feed a pill to a cow, kill the cow, then eat the cow...or you could just eat the pill. The vegan diet is deficient in B12 because human over-consumption and pollution has degraded the soil and because we thoroughly clean our fruits and veggies and purify our water.

same

I'm gonna chow down my vegetables.

I'm red as a beet 'cause I'm so embarrassed.

I got some pickled cauliflower at the farmers market tonight that is pretty great. He has a really good probiotic from one of his other pickle products that he recommends using in a martini. He had sold out when I came by, but I got to try a sample, and I think it actually would make a GREAT martini. So I'll be picking some up next week.

Chomp chomp chomp chomp do-do-do do-do-do
Bop bop bop bop do-do-do do-do-do

I know you're going down this path for very good reasons, and I encourage you to continue. But it seems like you're gobbling up a lot of pro-vegan literature that is every bit as slanted as the latest Monsanto press release. Stick with the animal cruelty angle, and your stance will be much harder to argue. Animal behavior science is much more difficult to pin down, and any major consensus on whether or not sustainably raised livestock "suffer" is still way up in the air.

They defintely get killed at the end, though, right?
And most livestock is not raised in the most ethical suffer-minimizing way possible. Pointing to the kindest farm as the reason why the beef industry is OK is disingenuous when the vast vast vast vast majority of the beef produced in this country comes from factory "farms" that would make you sad to even visit.

I still have a hard time believing that "good" beef or chicken is that hard to get. There's no less than five beef stands at my farmer's market every Sunday with guys ready and willing to talk all about their meat. They'll even invite you to their land so you can take a look if you're inclined. Though as I said earlier in this thread, this might be geographic specific since I'm eating in a state with acres and acres of ranches.

Same. My parents buy half a cow each year from a local farmer. It's great.

They defintely get killed at the end, though, right?
And most livestock is not raised in the most ethical suffer-minimizing way possible. Pointing to the kindest farm as the reason why the beef industry is OK is disingenuous when the vast vast vast vast majority of the beef produced in this country comes from factory "farms" that would make you sad to even visit.

This thread, the supplement thread and the "woo" thread in N&D highlight the need for a more comprehensive government board or program to track actual regulations and procedures.

There needs to be a comprehensive site maintained by the FDA or other organization to combat misinformation from both food conglomerates and the ridiculous vegan/green groups that pump out their diarrhea. The number of times I've heard "the government doesn't even test GMOs" from people who are usually well-informed is astonishing.

I just want a central resource for facts and guidance.

The average U.S. consumer has to wade through so much garbage with various agendas.