Comments on: Inside a Slaughterhouse: The Human Cost of Your Meat

By: Sarah Angileri

Sarah Angileri — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 15:55:44 +0000

Beautifully written. An important aspect of the food industry that deserves more exposure.

By: Brigitte G.

Brigitte G. — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 20:23:40 +0000

For an in-depth view of how slaughter and meat packing are done at the scale that allows Americans to eat as much meat as they do at such a low price (so not small family-owned operations like the one described here), look up Ted Genoway's excellent book The Chain.Eye-opening!

By: Lexi

Lexi — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 17:33:00 +0000

I keep thinking of the Hormel Meat Packing strike in the late 1980s – the first time a president (Reagan) intervened in a union dispute. Through the strong unions of the 1960s-70s,the 1,500 Austin, MN, meatpacking plant workers had good, decent jobs. Through their contract, they had negotiated salaries that would equal ~$100K/annual in today’s dollars – which back then was enough to buy a house, have a family vehicle, support a spouse and children, include health insurance, and take a few vacations a year.The reason why they were paid so well is because of everything outlined in this article – it was hard, dangerous, repetitive work that was also pretty gross – a job most people didn’t want to do. So, for the few that signed up for this stable job, they were rewarded for their efforts. This is why they went on strike – because the new contracts of the mid-80’s Reagan era politics were told that they had to accept lesser contracts (lower salaries, inferior healthcare, etc.) because of the “economy and rising costs.” Do you know the average salary of meatpacker right now? It’s around $40-$50K in today’s dollars. This is just one story of one industry, but it’s one I remember greatly when thinking about the meat industry.

By: Judy Reed

Judy Reed — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 17:02:42 +0000

We have just ordered 1/4 of a steer for fall. I need to give the butcher the cuts of beef I want. Needless to say, I have no idea. Can you give suggestions?

By: Betty Dedman

Betty Dedman — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 16:30:55 +0000

COVID messed up the local lockers here in Central IL. I have purchased 3 steers, same Black Angus owner who had to switch to a location further away to process. They do an Excellent job--no complaints from ME!--but they are a 45 minute drive despite the location of a small locker 20 minutes away from me, 30 minutes away from the woman who raises them. I bought a lamb a few years ago. The woman who raises them used to drive 15 minutes to process, now 45 minutes. The drive for ME was 90 minutes, one.way. I live in IL, a state where the government would be MORE THAN HAPPY to jail you for animal abuse, or pretty much owning a gun, anything that isn't the Democrat playbook. I do NOT believe that, as trolls on the INet are saying, that the cattle, or hogs, or sheep are skinned alive bc they weren't humanely executed. I am a horse owner, and I had to bury my 26 yo mare this month on the property bc there is no rendering available, as there used to be some 10 years ago, last time an elderly horse died. My Vet tells me that I can have a $1K fine imposed if there is any foreign substance in my dead horse's carcass. I thoroughly enjoyed your article. America dePends on animal slaughter and most animal owners that I know do not abuse their livestock. When I replace my flock of chickens I will resume butchering them for meat, and I humanely kill them, so I have a small idea of what these wonderful people do for a living. Thank you for reading this.

By: Terry

Terry — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 14:47:50 +0000

Well done! All of us ought to recognize the effort and skill you’ve put into this insiteful description of an a