I work at
a Waldorf School. We are dairy free, except for eggs; we do not serve
meat; we only buy organic produce and products; we do not use processed food or
meals, rather everything is prepared at the school by our wonderful cook and
kindergarten teachers. It was very odd then to receive a catalog in the
mail this past week from the Washington State Dairy Council.
As soon
as I opened the envelope I called our director of admissions and stated, “We
just received something very creepy in the mail today.”
Back in
graduate school I took a class on Animals and Ethics, where I learned more
about the fates of animals used in the dairy industry. I had learned
about the atrocities committed against dairy animals prior to taking the class
and had worked to purchase milk, eggs, cheese, ice cream, butter, yogurt and
other dairy products, from places where the animals were treated humanely; fed
a proper diet that was not laden with GMO (genetically modified organism) corn
and soy; and had high ethical standards. What I had not really thought
about was how heavily the USDA pushes the propaganda of NEEDING to
consume dairy products. When I realized humans are the only species on
this planet that drinks another animals’ milk after they have been weaned
themselves, I was disgusted. When you stop and think about it, the idea
is pretty nasty. For myself I choose to only use milk in cooking;
however, I do use and consume – cheese, butter, ice cream, Greek yogurt, and
eggs on a fairly regular basis. But the idea that yet another product is
being used to make money for corporations is highly disturbing.
