"this american life" - pork farming in the US

does anyone ever watch this show? it's great.

It's a really great show if you haven't watched it... (with chicago roots.. Even the TV version is a Chicago Public Radio show/production )

anyway. the last episode ("Pandora's Box") i watched was about pork/pig farming in the US. did anyone else watch this? it's disgusting to see what pork farming has evolved into in america. ANYONE who ever said foie gras was inhumane is an idiot unless they also agree that pork farming is worse. animals raised for foie gras have it easy compared to pigs in the US.

....pigs have been genetically engineered to the point where they have absolutely NO immunity to anything. they tweak them to make the meat taste differently, appear whiter, etc. they never ever ever leave the factory building they live in, so they can't build immunities.

most earth shattering for me was that anyone who is going into the pig farm must go through a sterilization routine that resembles an asbestos cleanup quarintine... (you have to wear a suite, take a shower, dip your feet, etc). all this to keep the pigs from getting a disease because they can so easily.

they give them muscle building hormones, but the pigs never actually move... so they stand around all day building muscle, but don't ever actually move to use the muscle. they stand on grates so that their sh** drops below them and they literally are standing above sh** their entire life.

when pigs are finally taken out to move, it's only because they are running down a path that leads them to a truck that goes to the slaughter house. (this is after 6 months, when they weigh over 300 pounds). since this is so new to them, the pigs get so worked up that they literally die sometimes just in the process of walking/running to the truck. but never fear, pig farmers are working to genetically alter their brains so they don't have this fear anymore.

I love pork and will still eat it, but this was alarming to see... (particularly the sterilization routine). maybe suddenly paying the $1 or 2 extra by going to Chipotle and having their free range pork suddenly doesn't seem so bad

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/TV_Epis ... ?episode=6 is the official site for the show... the episode is still airing this week... http://www.sho.com/site/schedules/produ ... d=127173... has times
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I was fortunate enough to go to Gunthorpe Farm a few years ago for their annual Field Day. We got a ride into the fields to see the pigs. Their pigs live off the pasture land on the farm. The meat tastes better, and looks different. My kids were fascinated, but very upset once they found out that all those cute piggies were going to be turned into pork chops one day.

I think Greg Gunthorpe now processes the meat in his own plant. I've mostly lost touch with him and his wife, but it might be worth a road trip some weekend to go out there and return with a carload of pork.

Suzy

I posted on a very similar note in this thread which called attention to the same subject. That post contains a link to an op-ed piece in the NYT on the treatment of pigs by by Nicolette Hahn Niman (of the ranch). I truly believe that anyone who considers him- or herself to be a compassionate being should read the op-ed piece. I'm not urging an embargo or a boycott of pork. But I think as knowledgeable consumers we owe it to ourselves to know what she's writing about. I'm glad to see the subject get more exposure.

You may have to -- boycott that is -- just heard this AM that chickens in Indiana & Iowa pork have been eating contaminated wheat gluten. I believe it was a fellow from the FDA saying our food chain is broken.