Vegan organic gardening has been in use for decades, but little organic produce purchased in US grocery stores is grown without the use of animal products.   Common organic fertilizers use blood from slaughtered animals as well as ground bones, feathers and excrement from factory raised animals.  These products may contain residual hormones and antibiotics, pesticides, parasites, and disease.  They are cheap by-products of cruel animal factory farming and have no place in the vegan lifestyle.  These products affect the foods vegans eat, likely without their knowledge.  Most people, vegans and otherwise, likely believe that organically produced grains, fruits, and vegetables are best for their health and the environment.  The large scale use of these products is relatively new, however, and the results of dumping mass animal waste into the ground may produce undesirable effects ecologically.  Health concerns regarding the possible ingestion of animal products such as blood meal, bone meal, and dried poultry waste are obvious.

It should be disturbing that the vegetable supply in the United States is tainted with the slaughter of animals.  Because farmers can receive a premium for growing organic crops, there will likely be no incentive for them to eliminate cheap animal based fertilizers.  Vegan Ranger suggests you grow as much of your own food as possible.  Perhaps more farmers will switch to vegan organic farming in the future.

–Vegan Ranger

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