11/2 New Thanksgiving Tradition
The holidays have arrived. I don’t know how it happened or where my beloved Summer went but Thanksgiving is in a few short weeks. This year wouldn’t it be fun to start a new tradition with your family?
Adopt a turkey perhaps. Consider adopting a turkey from Farm Sanctuary. They have seven turkeys to choose from by their photos and names. It is like adopting a virtual pet that you never have to actually take care of, but you can love just the same. Thanksgiving is such a natural time to express kindness and gratitude. Adopting a turkey is an easy way do that by helping Farm Sanctuary provide peaceful lives to animals rescued from cruelty.
Here are the specifics from their site.
Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt a Turkey Project offers this cool way for you to welcome turkeys into your home this Thanksgiving:
Sponsor — “adopt” a turkey who lives at our Watkins Glen, New York, Los Angeles, California, or Orland, California, shelters for farm animals. For a one-time $30 adoption fee, you will receive:
- A special Adopt a Turkey certificate with color photo of and fun details about your new friend
- A one-year subscription to Sanctuary, our quarterly newsletter
As a turkey sponsor, you will not only contribute funds for the care of the rescued animals at our sanctuaries but also help us educate and advocate for turkeys and other farm animals everywhere. Adopt a Turkey online or by phone at 1-888-SPONSOR.
For only $30 you can have a new best friend and be proud of yourself knowing that you helped provide a good life for a living thing. A life with joy, companionship and the luxury to live without fear, which is something we all want and deserve.
How wonderful would it be to adopt a different friend every year? It could be a new tradition and something to look forward to. Whether you plan to indulge in turkey or not this Thanksgiving, Farm Sanctuary would appreciate your support in caring for the turkeys they care for.
According to Farm Sanctuary, in 2007 over 265 million turkeys were slaughtered for our consumption. I feel like if we are going to raise animals for food and eat them, than we owe it to ourselves and to the animals to really know how they lived. Not how we hoped they lived or died, but the real conditions inside their homes before they come to ours. I encourage you to watch this 2 minute video of footage taken by Mercy For Animals inside Butterball. It is hard to watch and it is graphic, but it is real.
This is the reality for many of the millions of turkeys that will be consumed this Thanksgiving. It seems simple to me that if watching a vignette about the life of a turkey we plan to consume is too graphic, horrible or disgusting to watch, then maybe it is time to rethink our holiday meal. Why serve something that its origin is too much to stomach? No plate of food is worth that.
If you plan to eat turkey for your gathering or if you are already a vegetarian or vegan wannabe, try something new this year. Maybe Adopt a turkey and share his photo with your omnivorous family as you nosh on a Tofurky roast. Make all of your world famous sides and skip the turkey. OR, make less turkey and more vegetarian items. Try adding one new vegetarian or vegan item to your feast. Whether or not you have turkey at Thanksgiving, you will all still be at the same table. The meal will go on and you will all be together to express thanks.
Here are links to recipes for new holiday traditions to bring to your table.
I will also post more holiday worthy recipes in the next week.
Have a delicious weekend.
Tags: adopt a turkey, compassionate eating, Farm Sanctuary, Mercy for Animals, plant based diet, trying vegan, vegan experience, vegan Thanksgiving recipes, vegan wannabe
