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[janscribe]

Mark, I haven't just visited this farm - I've come to know quite a few of the Dartmoor farmers very well in the time I have been writing about Dartmoor  and this farmer is a very good friend whose whole method of farming I know well. I have written about him and other farmers too. In the main they cannot farm organically - moorland farming does not lend itself to being totally organic but they do farm naturally. Every time you walk on the moor you can find cows grazing from spring to autumn - many farmers have Commoners Rights of Grazing and take advantage of the new grasses when they appear. If you think of where cows belong i.e. in fields and then consider the intensive methods of keeping them in large barns - feeding them corn - and not allowing them near a field - then that to me is as unnatural as it is to keep chickens in a a small cage indoors. Most Dartmoor pubs and restaurants buy local meat and are proud to serve it. As part of a balanced diet meat is fine unless you have chosen not to eat animals, simply because you prefer for an animal not to lose its life to provide you with a meal and that is respected by everyone. Don't believe all red meat is bad for you - because it isn't - just know what you are buying. Your face probably does look healthy because your veggie diet includes a lot of vegetables, salad, fruit etc and in this way it is very healthy. Our daughter started Slimming Club a couple of years ago and her skin has shown a  noticable improvement - when she lived at home I couldn't get her to eat veg etc - now all is changed and not only her weight but her skin has benefited, as I am sure your has.

[Tasmanian Devil]

It is appropriate to call yourself a vegetarian and yet on very rare occasions eat free range meat? Or is it all about the record of never ever touching it?

I'd say it all depends on why you are vegetarian in the first place.

[Mark]

I'd say it all depends on why you are vegetarian in the first place.

I became a vegetarian because I think animals deserve the same right to live as humans and we can live healthily without eating them. I became a vegetarian with the genuine intent of having it as a permanent life style and also keeping a 100% clean record.

If I can't handle keeping that record perfect for my whole life then I might be willing to sacrifice the 'label' as after all, the general intent and life style change would still exist. I would still be responsible for much less animal death and would still be putting in the effort - that's what really counts.

Not sure what I'll do though, hopefully can keep to it.

I don't think it is fair to call yourself 'a vegetarian' if you still eat meat or fish.  You have to have a conviction that goes outside of the norm.

I always assumed having the label meant you had to intend on keeping that 100% record. If you eat meat 0.0001% of your life then I suppose you can't call yourself a vegetarian. I'm not sure whether the definition should be like that but it seems that is how it is and that's fair enough.

[Mark]

Yeah, it comes down to will power and how much of a sacrifice it is to you, so the effort and ability to be succesfull at it will be different for everyone... the important thing is you try

[Elly]

^ Urgh.... been a long and stressful day... Am ganging off to watch a feel good movie.  Good luck for oor Andy in MC - I feel he may need it.....

[Elly]

In an ideal world, of course. But try telling that to people giving up smoking - they are convinced of giving it up, they believe in giving it up and they have concluded they don't want to do it... but it still requires will power.

When you've been brought up on eating meat for lunch and dinner for your entire life, it's going to involve will power to give it up.

I guess...   Good luck to you... me boy! 

[Mark]

It has never felt like a sacrifice to me and I've never felt as if I was missing out.

Lucky!

[Sir Panda]

I intentionally had a bite of my gf's sausage...

It's supposed to be the other way round!