This Little Marcus Went To Market
April 2, 2010 by Kathy McManus
Followers of chef Jamie Oliver’s website got more than recipes recently when they read about a teacher who was denounced as irresponsible for attempting to show children the source of the food they eat.
According to London newspapers, British primary school head Andrea Charman set up a small farm, where her young students bottle-fed three lambs—including one named Marcus—“as part of a project to learn about their rural environment, farming, and where food really came from.” One lamb was to be slaughtered and its meat sold in order to raise money to buy more animals.
But when parents learned that Marcus would be going to market, some said their children had been “traumatized” and “needed counseling.” An animal rights group denounced the project as “inhumane and irresponsible,” Facebook pages were set up to “Save Marcus” and ban Charman from teaching, and personal threats against her were posted online, including one about burning down the school.
Charman then resigned, but not before saying “Many children don’t realize animals they probably pass every week end up on their plate in one form or another.” Marcus was a neutered male, she said. “His purpose is meat.”
Tell us what you think: Is it responsible to use live animals to teach children where food comes from?
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16 Comments
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April 21, 2010 by Maria Mann
I literally just finished watching Food Inc, a documentary about where our food comes from and it re-affirmed my desire to A. eat more locally farmed vegetables and more importantly to if I am going to eat meat make sure it is raised and slaughtered humanely. This being extremely important when teaching our children where their meat comes from.
I think if Ms. Charman's intentions were to teach children that there is a HUMANE way to raise and slaughter the animal, then that is perfectly acceptable. And I think the people threatening her and accusing her of traumatizing the children is preposterous and need their heads examined. These children are our future and if they grow up learning and understanding the importance of treating all animals with respect and dignity only good can and will come of it.
Maria Stuart, Florida USA
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April 25, 2010 by Noel
The 4-H and FFA groups have been teaching children humane treatment of food animals for years. Their animals are the most well-cared for animals I know. Understanding where food comes from, whether meat or vegetable, should be a basic part of teaching children about nutrition.The children I know who understand that meat comes from a living, breathing animal are more respectful of all animals because they understand their importance in our lives. Also, food animals raised on small family farms have the benefit of being loved and cared for personally by their owners. There really is no comparison to factory raised and slaughtered animals. I am wondering what the parents of the "traumatized" children are teaching their children about nutrition: "Don't ask, don't tell?"
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May 4, 2010 by john drozdek
I think people have gotten out of touch with where their food comes from (not the stores) and what is done to get it there in the stores. my father taught me how to hunt, fish, how to prepare animals for the table/ freezer and when was the best time to get them. I lived near a farm butchered some animals, raised them for food, milk, grew crops. I think people should know what happens behind the scenes with the food, if they did there might be less violence happening against other people if they had to kill the food they eat.
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April 27, 2010 by Anne
It is a shame that Ms. Charman has been so thoroughly victimized over what appears to be an amazingly well thought out school project. The only reason these children would be traumatized and in need counselling is due to the over reactions of their parents.
Urban environments are causing most people to lose their connection to the food chain. It's still there - we just hire henchmen to carry out the dirty work. I live on a farm with my daughter and at five she has a clear understanding of life and death. She is too young to be directly involved in slaughter of course but she understands that some animals like Marcus are for food.
4-H and FFA programs have had livestock projects for generations in which the children raise an animal and sell it for slaughter at the end of the season. Overwhelmingly these children grow up to be very healthy well rounded adults. We can't all say that about our children who are reared in urban settings sheltered from the realities of life that farm kids learn almost from the time they can walk.
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May 5, 2010 by Registry Cleaner Reviews
great share, great article, very usefull for me...thank
you
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May 15, 2010 by Maria
The intent was well meaning but ignorant of how one does raise their own meat. You never become attached to the animal you know your going to have to slaughter. To take young children and have them bottle feed a lamb and then tell them its to be slaughtered is cruel
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May 23, 2010 by Razz
The ONLY mistake the teacher made was in allowing the lamb to be given a name. She didn't deserve to be threatened. What a shame. Never name an animal meant for the dinner table.
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June 26, 2010 by Sandy DeWitt
Not even "Lambchop" or "Mr. Steak"?
September 6, 2010 by dchikenjohnson
We need far more of this I was brought up in a home raseing our own live stock so are my children my six year old has his own chikens some for eggs and some fore meat he understands why we kill the meat birds better than most adults it's part of life. If every child was shelterd from the way farming works what would you eat?
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May 20, 2010 by Jacqueline
Just curious... now many of those parents are vegetarians? My guess is that it's a very small percentage.
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June 30, 2010 by Lisa
amazing to me that we really aren't allowed to teach our children much of anything anymore. We can't put up the 10 commandments in school because heaven forbid they might learn not to steal but blame their good behavior on the Bible. We can't call a sin a sin because that would imply that someone... gasp... is actually ..... wrong about something. We can't teach our children about killing an animal for meat but we can teach them about killing a baby for convenience. So we nurture numbness. As long as what they learn is watered down, filtered through a political correctness blanket, then we're good right? Sad
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August 12, 2010 by Sheley
I grew up on a farm, and we produced all the meat we ate. I never remember being traumatized by it, if you are going to eat meat, (and the human body is designed to eat meat), then an animal has to be killed. I am not for killing just to kill, animals should be treated as well as can be, and a good butcher will not make the animal suffer. I think that if people had to see where and what their food came from they would waste less.
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September 23, 2010 by ghgh
Why do you think that would make people wast less,I dont like knowing that the cheeseburger I eat is from a slaughtered cow.But I still eat it if I can.
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August 22, 2010 by Nadja
Yes, learning that cute farm animals show up on the dinner plate can be difficult for a child to learn. I think children should know this in order to understand where food comes from.
I spent significant portions of my childhood with my rural grandparents; sometimes the lessons learned were far from pleasant even though they were useful. Children need to know that the world isn't perfect, that sickness, disease, disfigurement and even death do exist. I suspect if children learn this early their would be less revulsion at the handicapped or the homeless.
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September 24, 2010 by tiffany s
what is wrong with the parents out there. this is the way of living and people need to understand. i have worked in a slaughter house and now do again. parents obvisously dont care to teach there children about anything. there the ones who need to be " traumatized". people just need to understand that they do it in a good way most of the places and its an animal. if someone doesnt kill it you dont eat it.
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February 3, 2011 by Jamie
I once read if slaughterhouses had glass walls we'd all eat a vegan diet. Would you eat your cat or dog if it tasted like chicken? In other countries they (cats and dogs) are out there for sale on the sidewalk in the food market. Too many plants to eat to have to kill something.....
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