To the first item, bear with me while I rant about The Club of Vegans, of which Charles is a member. I have no trouble with vegans. The vegan diet is awesome for those inclined to pursue it.

And I have no trouble with vegetarians. In fact, as an omnivore, I will only eat vegetarians (with the exception of my fellow omnivore, The Chicken, and some fish). Tigers. Lions. Your cat and dog — they’re all safe with me.

This Colorado feedlot stretched for nearly a mile.

My problem is the blanket condemnation of meat consumption. Do Americans eat too much meat, especially beef? Absolutely. Are industrial-scale livestock operations and vast feedlots an abomination? No argument.

But meat doesn’t have to originate in a confinement or a feedlot. Kathy and I raise animals — chickens and bees — and while I guess you could argue that our bees live in confinements (i.e., hives), they’re part of a sustainable farm ecosystem where creatures nurture plants and plants nurture creatures. (Here’s a brief tour of our urban farm.)

A word about that feedlot photo: I shot that as we walked past during the Great March for Climate Action. It was depressing. Several marchers instantly became vegans. For me, it deepened my commitment to promote sustainable farming.