Our philosophy at Harmony is simple… companion and farm animals are not objects for human use and consumption but are living, sentient creatures deserving human respect and kindness.

Contrary to popular belief, vegetarian and vegan foods provide you with all the nutrients, proteins and essential amino acids required to maintain a healthy body. It is common knowledge and scientifically proven that a diet high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains promotes good health and significantly reduces one’s chances of suffering from cancer, heart and coronary disease, and diabetes. Diets high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains provide your body with all of the nutrition it needs but not the calories and fat which accompany a diet of meat and dairy products. A vegetarian/vegan (no dairy or eggs) diet also avoids consumption of steroids and antibiotic residues which accompany meat and diary consumption.

There are other benefits as well. Animals raised for food live brutal and short lives, often horribly confined in “factory farms” where they live out their miserable short lives in prisons of concrete and steel. Today in America alone more than 275,000 pigs and 100,000 cows are killed every day including Sundays after living only a few months of their normal life span simply to provide humans meat which we would do better without. The average cow normally lives 20-25 years, but a cow raised for meat lives only 18 months. A dairy cow, after 3 or 4 years of bearing young, is herself likewise rewarded by being sent to the slaughter house so we can consume more hamburgers and steaks and hotdogs. Pigs, one of nature’s most intelligent of animals (sorry, Spot, pigs are generally considered smarted than dogs) is allowed only 4-6 months of miserable life in a typical pig “factory farm” instead of roaming fields and forests for its normal lifespan of 10 years!

A culture of meat and diary consumption also despoils the environment. It takes between 15 and 20 pounds of grain on average to generate just one (1) pound of cow flesh. Would it not be more sensible for humans to simply eat the grains themselves thus offering mankind an opportunity to feed the entire world instead of producing “inefficient” meat? Millions of tons of manure from millions of confined “factory farm” animals, many of which “live” in concrete and steel “factory farms” right here in Virginia and North Carolina, often spills into our streams and fields creating not only stench but destruction of the environment. Methane gas given off by an estimated 1.3 billion cows worldwide is thought to contribute significantly to the destruction of our already fragile ozone layer which protects all of us from harmful radiation.

Lifestyle Choices

There’s never been a better time to switch to a totally meatless diet. Grocery stores and restaurants have more meatless products and more types of fruits and veggies than ever. And once you’ve started, you’ll almost certainly feel better, shed unwanted pounds and improve your health. But if simply taking the first step seems daunting, here’s a way to make it easy.

1. Think of three dishes you already eat regularly that happen to be vegetarian—perhaps spaghetti marinara, vegetable stir-fry, bean burritos, lentil soup, vegetable stew, hummus with pita bread.
2. Think of three meals you like that could easily be made meatless. A meat-filled lasagna transforms into spinach lasagna. Beef fajitas effortlessly become vegetable fajitas filled with sautéed peppers, onions, beans, rice and guacamole. Chicken curry readily converts to a hearty vegetarian curry.
3. Select a few new vegetarian dishes you’d like to try. Read cookbooks, and enjoy taking what would normally be a “meat recipe” and experiment. It’s a wonderful and relaxing creative adventure that is much appreciated by your family. Also, you can turn out some very delicious creations; that will have you wondering why adding meat was always so necessary.

Once you’ve found three new main dishes you like, you’re set. You now have nine meals that you enjoy and that happen to be vegetarian and healthful. There is a world of reasons to go meatless, from heart health to animal welfare; Harmony animals would like for you to think of just one…their smiles. And, let me also say that your household grocery budget will shrink right along with your waistline! Think of all the lives of animals you will be saving and how you will be doing your part to conserve our precious earth’s resources.

Click here for Some Recipes from the Farm

Click here for more Things to Think About