Today we are disconnected to what we eat.

We go to the supermarket and buy meat cut up into portions, neatly packaged and completely removed from the living breathing animal.

Growing up my family reared our beef and lamb, caught our seafood and raised chickens who loyally supplied us with eggs. Though sometimes confronting, eating our own meat meant that the animal was loved, treated humanely and lived a better life than most.

It meant that we never took for granted what was on our plate and knew the sacrifices and implications of our dinner.

Nothing was wasted; scraps were given to the chooks, bones to the dogs and the neighbours appreciated our endless supply of free range eggs.

Being informed about the dark side of the meat industry is vital for making ethical decisions about meat consumption. Battery farming, depleting fish stocks and genetic engineering are all issues we need to be aware of.

We also need to be aware of those Australian farmers who are going out of their way to provide humane, organic and ethical options for us. 

Supporting these local farmers who strive to provide humane options is imperative. Buying free range and organic meat from your local butcher and farmers market is a good place to start.

Other options include: eating rabbit, kangaroo and other animals whose population needs to be controlled; adopting a nose to tail philosophy and eating less meat and more vegetables.

Nothing tastes better than a tenderly raised roast dinner, looked after from the farm to your plate.