DENVER – Saturday was officially MeatOut Day in Colorado, thanks to a proclamation signed by government Jared Polis.
The day, named after a movement that began in 1985, is meant to promote diets on plants. Polis writes that it is better for our health and the environment.
But the proclamation did not go down well with livestock farmers and farmers who feel that the governor is not fair.
‘Many of these farmers and farmers have been offended by what we do, where it feels like we are [demonized] sometimes through the media, through agriculture, ‘said Andrew Timmerman, a farmer from Sterling.
He helped organize an unofficial “Meat In” event in protest of the governor’s proclamation at Civic Center Park in Denver.
With the help of about a dozen food trucks, Timmerman says he planned to hand out 1,250 meals to homeless people and those affected by the pandemic. The park is directly opposite the State Capital.
“We want to come here to Denver and show people who we are, what we’re about, and, you know, let everyone know we exist. We’re real people,” Timmerman said.
Sam Maher, general manager of the vegan restaurant Somebody People on South Broadway, understands what the governor was trying to do.
“I think it’s a really good concept to try to get people thinking about what they eat,” he said. “I think people need to put more color into their food and create a better life for themselves.”
However, he agrees that we should keep politics out of the food, and that people should eat what they prefer to eat.
“If it’s Meat In Day or MeatOut, I think the best thing is for everyone to look after the soils and farm properly and try to keep the chemicals out of the soils as much as possible,” Maher said.
In response to criticism of the proclamation, the police spokesman said the governor “receives hundreds of requests for proclamations throughout the year and rarely refuses these non-binding ceremonial proclamations written by the governor automatically.”
Monday is Colorado Livestock Proud Day, which celebrates livestock farmers and farmers who help produce some of the state’s meat.
“I think instead of having all the different days,” Timmerman said, “let the consumer choose and let everyone have free choice.”