LiA Reflection 2: May 12

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As I finish my first full week at Abbaye des Dombes, my favorite experience so far has been, unexpectedly, milking the cows! The Abbey has roughly 50 dairy cows, all born on the property. Once the cows reach about two years old, they will have one calf every year for about 8 years (as long as their milk remains good). After that point, the cows graze for a few more years until they are used for meat.

Having never been on a farm before, I wondered whether, after seeing the farm operations, I would have more ethical concerns about meat and dairy consumption. But on a small farm like this one it is easy to see how well the animals are treated and how the farmers truly respect these animals. As one sœur explained to me, their community views all humans, animals, plants, and nature as part of God’s creation; the community aims not merely to use up the resources they have, but to cultivate these things for future generations with respect and dignity. 

It is interesting to see how religious beliefs can contribute to sustainable practices in this way - while the Chemin Neuf community at the Abbey is putting it into practice on their farm, groups like Greenfaith unite religious leaders with similar views for global political action on climate change. There is obviously still much work to be done on this front, but I believe seeing these beliefs in actions on a working farm can help me to advocate for more sustainable food production practices back at home.


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