This year, July 12th is Cow Appreciation Day! On the second Tuesday in July, it’s Cow Appreciation Day! The first celebration took place in 2004, thanks to Chick-fil-A’s humorous “Eat Mor Chikin” marketing campaign (which began in 1995). The idea behind the campaign, of course, is that cows want people to eat more chicken instead of beef.
While cows help produce extremely delicious byproducts, like milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, we eat much more beef overall than those dairy options. Though beef can be extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, and good to eat in moderation, there’s also an appreciation we should be giving to the animals themselves, right?
Lactose issues aside, cows have given us a lot to be grateful for in the past thousand or so years. Sadly, many cows (and other farm animals), are treated inhumanely on factory farms...it doesn’t have to be this way. Small-scale family farms and homesteading farms are managed differently. Supporting these small-scale farms, which are likely owned by families instead of corporations, strengthens local economies, and ensures cows get the care and respect they deserve. A moooooving concept, no?