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Every time we spend money to buy meat, we vote. We vote for family farming, or let factories to take over meat production in our country. We vote for compassionate husbandry, or let cruelty persist. The problem is, restaurants and retailers don't think consumers care about sustainable agriculture and family farming. They believe that a lower price tag is all we care about, not the real costs. To add to the confusion, more and more companies are offering "natural" meats. Unfortunately, USDA defines "natural" as "unprocessed," and so literally all meat that is unprocessed is therefore "natural," providing us with little guidance for many meat options.

At the Husbandry Institute, our mission is to help people make informed and conscious choices about the meat they eat. This means letting people know that their choice in meat can be a force of change or a vote for the status quo. And it also means letting people know specifically what words to use in seeking meat that they can feel good about.

These efforts have crystallized in an important campaign: Ask for Change! Inspired by the Seafood Watch program, this campaign consists of a wallet-sized card, one side with two simple questions to ask your waiter, and the other side with more detailed questions to ask your butcher, retailer, or restaurant manager.

We believe it is vital that consumers better understand the issues involved in choosing their meat, and just as important that restaurants and retailers hear regularly that their customers are concerned about these issues. When they get that message, then their buying behavior will certainly change, and new markets will open up for those who are raising their animals conscientiously and responsibly. So get the AFC! card today.

Put it in your wallet. And Ask for Change!