The picture of that sow and her piglet is enough to put me off eating pork anyway.

I have noticed that some Tesco stores do stock locally produced meat from named farms (I think the one in Newton Abbott does) but our local store does not.

Also - I read an article in a farming supplement a while ago about the benefits of grass fed cows milk over indoor kept cows. I haven't seen anything further though. There seems to be a lack of reporting. The chefs all spout on about how better it is for you to eat outdoor raised animals and how it goes further so isn't much more expensive really, but the supermarkets have better advertising - and that's what counts.

DH is very embarrassed (and fed up) with my always asking in restaurants where the chicken comes from. The big chains especially. Bella Pasta - Poland, Pizza Express - Brazil. I always ask just to make the point that I'm choosing the cheaper veggie option for that reason.

The Facebook link to this asks when choosing pork for your Sunday roast do you spare a thought for family farms. Well 1. There are no pig farms round this area. 2. We have an Iceland pizza for tea on a Sunday because first, I love them, second we need something quick on a Sunday and third we can't afford a battery farmed roast chicken let alone a kindly reared pigs shoulder! yes its lovely if you can buy organically farmed or small family farm produce but you've either got to live in an area of the country where such farming takes place or you have to take a butcher on trust that the meat he is charging above average prices for is actually due to less intensive farming. We have just one farm close by and the owner has been done on at least 2 occasions for animal cruelty!

We have never been great meat eaters, mainly down to cost but on saying that hubby has just had his health MOT and at 65 has normal cholesterol levels, normal blood pressure, isn't pre diabetic, isn't overweight and is basically as fit as a flea so maybe meat, organically produced or otherwise isn't all its cracked up to be anyway.

Just lately DD and myself have done our best to make meals from fresh produce (curries from scratch, stews, etc) needs a bit of forward planning and yes you can freeze batches, but as she has just come home with new baby I have fended for myself today and seeing as though I was painting the kitchen and wanted something quick, I ended up with a Tesco "ping meal" tika masala "yuk" it looks good and smelt good but!! alas I would rather have had the bowl of rise crispies that I fancied earlier (yes I know a strange thing to have for tea) but who cares..

Most of our food comes via our local Tesco, however our Tesco is quite good at supplying produce from local suppliers.

A few years ago I tried to persuade several big supermarkets to have a section on their online shops for UK produce of all kinds, so that those wishing to shop without unnecessary air miles could simply go straight to that section and get what they wanted without having to search each item for its country of origin. So far, no success, although Tescos said they were trying to develop this and to watch this space - I am still watching.

If Sarah is preaching to only one unconverted person , she will be doing a good job. No one has to read her article.

Vegasmags, I try to check on Ethical Consumer when I need to buy anything I'm not sure of.

www.ethicalconsumer.org

Exactly, Alex, and not just that. When the TTIP gets passed we will find this country inundated with Monsanto, etc., taking out writs against the government for trying to stop it making the profits it thinks it should get from growing GM crops in this country.

Read recently that the continual use of GMO crops will in the near future nulify attempts to grow and farm organically.

Trust is why I try to buy meat locally. I can drive past the field with my Christmas turkey running round in it any day I like. My pork comes from a butcher who breeds and slaughters his own animals. The same with lamb and pork. I have a big freezer and only buy meat every few months so it is not time consuming. My pork butcher has an online presence and will deliver.

Buying good quality meat like this I can be sure that those involved with it production also get their fair reward.

My attempts to be ethical on a wider front boil down to avoiding shopping in certain chains; Tesco and Primark for example, and I am not really comfortable about using Aldi & Lidl, the prices are low, but at whose expense? Fortunately there isn't a branch of either within 15 miles so I do not need to do anything practical about them

veg mustn't stop us keep trying though. What else can we do?

I'm all for trying to improve conditions, but what I find so disheartening about attempts to shop ethically, whether for food, clothing or other goods, is that you have to take so much on trust. Perhaps I am just turning into a weary old cynic, but we can never really be sure if we are being told the truth.

Team whitewall, flicketyB and night owl for me, if we're taking sides that is

FlicketyB makes a good point about the living and working conditions of those who work in the food industry. What's not to like about trying to improve conditions for human and other animals.

I agree with you whitewave.

There are those that already know, those that know and don't care, those that don't want to know, but there are always a few that really don't know but do care and they are the ones that can make a difference.

Doesn't hurt to remind us though of the inhumane treatment that goes on. If just 1 GN whose hasn't given it any thought up to date begins to think about farming methods that is good.

Are we back in Primary School? I'm with Team Jingle too.......

Team Jingle. I get fed up with food-preaching too.

I'm with jingl too!

But what about the living conditions and economic welfare of the humans who grow, harvest and transport your vegetables?

Vegetarian credentials even better. Do not have the problem of where I source my meat.

I'm sure we've had a similar thread to this very recently, haven't we?

It just ends up as a list of what type of meat (or not) GNs buy and gives us all a platform on which to air our organic and cruelty-free credentials...

I agree with jingl.

I hope Sarah Wellard enjoys reading all the posts telling her she's preaching to the converted.

Spare a thought for the financially hard pressed working mums who haven't got time or money to trot around farmers' markets and local butchers.