I was invited to a small luncheon of newswomen this past weekend. There were some high-powered journalists in this group. Most of these women had been in the news business for many years and some had covered the largest stories of our time.

We were to go around the table and explain what we were currently covering. I was a bit nervous. After all, I wasn’t covering the upcoming mid-term elections, the growing crisis in Iraq or the violence on the streets of Chicago; I cover meat.

As my turn approached, I squirmed in my seat. Perhaps I should open with a joke. I decided instead to tell them about the recent Meatingplace in Print feature I wrote on the Fair Oaks Pig Adventure, and then quickly pass the floor to the next journalist.

Much to my surprise, the mere fact that I cover the meat industry sparked one of the most spirited discussions of the day.

The woman to my right quickly launched into a diatribe about why she no longer eats veal or lamb. Another woman, the mother of a small child, wanted to know if I had heard of Applegate Farms and whether I thought those were healthy products to serve her son.

A third asked me if grass-fed beef was more sustainable than grain-fed. Another wanted to know my views on bison meat.

When the introduction torch finally passed to the next woman, she said, “Well, I’m not doing anything as interesting as meat.” The one after her said, “Before we go any farther, I’d like to get back to meat.”

One woman asked me if I didn’t agree that “the meat industry only cares about churning it out faster and faster and that can’t be good.”

At one point I said, “Ladies, let me be clear; I write about the meat industry, I do not represent the meat industry.” I did, however, share with them that I had been to several meat plants and met a lot of intelligent, good people more concerned about producing safe, nutritious products that are affordable than in “churning it out.”

In that moment I started to appreciate what many of you go through on a regular basis when people find out what you do for a living.

Had these women heard of gestation stalls? You bet they had. I was heartened that at least one had also heard of Temple Grandin (she saw the HBO movie) and understood the great improvements the entire industry has made to the way animals are killed.

Slaughter is always a sensitive issue and when the conversation returned to it once more, I did say, “Well, there is no getting around the fact that the animals do have to die to become your dinner.”

I learned an important lesson, lest any of us forget it; We work in an industry that for better or worse is of great interest to just about everyone. That means every person in the business better be ready and able to tell your story and tell it well.

Getting back to meat

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