I’m a fan of the band Coldplay. If you are familiar with this band, you may remember the popular song The Scientist from a couple of years ago.
The lyrics of this song are nostalgic in nature – about a person wanting to go back to the start of a particular situation so he can relive something over again and “get it right”.
Now, the restaurant chain Chipotle has sponsored a remake of this sentimental song featuring Willie Nelson. The music video is awesome, touching on the theme of needing to go back to the start with regard to the horribly destructive, “down the rabbit hole” Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in order to make things right with animals, man, and the environment.
Chipotle’s motto is “Food with Integrity”. The recent decision to replace GMO soy oil with rice bran oil indicates they mean business. While I’ve never eaten at a Chipotle to tell you whether this motto is actually incorporated into the realities of running a restaurant chain, I can say that I seem to remember that their Virginia restaurants buy from Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm, known to be an example to the world of sustainable, biodynamic, beyond organic farming.
I saw Joel speak at a seminar here in Florida a few years back and I am almost certain he mentioned that Chipotle was one of the local businesses that his farm served.
Whether or not this is still true, I don’t know. I did call Polyface to confirm, but didn’t hear back yet. I know those folks are super busy this time of year.
Music to Change The Way the World Thinks About Food
So it seems Chipotle is trying to support local sustainable farms. Its website says as much and with their sponsorship of this new music video, they are putting their money where their mouth is.
Music has a strange and wonderful way of communicating what plain words cannot.
The scary truth is that 330 farmers are leaving their homes EACH WEEK in America. This trend must be reversed with more small farms being created than being lost if we are ever to send the CAFOs the way of the dinosaur.
My hope is that this music video will help to bring the message of the need for more sustainable farms as well as the need for consumers and other businesses to support them so that no more small farms are lost.
Listen, enjoy and pass it on!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source: Willie Nelson Covers Coldplay, Assists Chipotle’s Quest to End Factory Farms
Okay, now wait a minute folks. Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn’t another larger chain own Chipotle? I thought McDonald’s had a finger in this. (revisit Fast Food Nation for how fast food chains make their food) I’ve been to two in SoCal and I am not impressed. My son pointed out to me the sign that read, “25% of our pork is natural.” He was all excited about that claim until I told him what the word “natural” means in the food world. You all know that it means, “Yeah, it’s natural, it’s really 100% pig.” I am amazed that the Virginia Chipotles can buy outside Chipotle’s mainstream food system. (Fast Food Nation again) If so, bravo! I also met some organic farmers from Michigan last summer who’s business is to grow and sell organic beans and Chipotle recently became a customer, so bravo again. Chipotle is one of those really obnoxious places to eat and here’s why: ya line up, tell ’em what you want, sit down in rather cold, uncomfortable chairs and tables with really loud rap music playing. This is all of course to get you to get out in a hurry, aka gulp down your food, which is not a healthy way to eat at all. I do not enjoy that kind of eating any longer. But hip hip hooray for the young hip folks who do like to gulp down their meals and not give a thought to how that kind of eating impacts their health. I wish America could be more like Europe in how we consume our meals. Alas.
Chipotle is more of a carry out place than a sit-down place. We eat from there about two or three times a month and I’ve never actually sat down there. Our location in northeast Ohio buys their chicken, pork and beef locally as well as a large percentage of their fresh vegetables when they are in season. Their salsas are addictive and their hot salsa is seriously hot.
FANTASTIC!! When I have to eat out, Chipoltle is the only “fast food” I will eat. They have a policy to try to buy local. I love the vid. Thanks for sharing… I will post this on FB.
Bye Bye CAFOs: We’re Going Back to the Start – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/Ah1rzUVi
I would eat at Chipotle because of how they source their meat if only they would stop using soy in EVERYTHING. We went there for dinner one night after learning that all the meat they source in Oregon was local, pastured, sustainable, but found that nearly every item they offered contained soy. 🙁 I did hear that they are looking to change that, if they do, I’ll go back. Until I hear that, I wait.
The only thing that doesn’t have soy in it is the pork. So a carnitas salad is what I eat there, but I skip the (soy) vinaigrette and get extra salsa instead.
I love that video. We used to eat at Chipotle’s until finding out they cook everything in soybean oil. If I could find our for sure whether or not it is GMO (like most soy in America) I might change my mind, but until then we have stopped eating there. I do love the idea of what they do though, and it is definitely a step in the right direction for getting out of the CAFO meat use.
No wonder my stomach always feels sick after eating there – I’m allergic to soy!
The only meat that is not cooked with soy oil is the carnitas. That’s what we have when we go- shredded lettuce in a bowl, carnitas, fresh tomato salsa and guacamole. It’s all real food goodies, and no soy/veg oil to be found!
thanks for the tip, I didn’t know that!
Wow… I’m no fan of chain restaurants, but I just love this ad. I see that Joel Salatin has a new book out called “Folks, This Ain’t Normal.” Looks like a good read. We need more farmers like him!
Chipotle is different. I miss having one around the corner as they are in NYC.
Chipotle is our go to “eat out fast food” and it is very good. (Although sometimes it can be a little too salty) We even copy the burrito bowl recipe to make at home for a quick mexican meal. I love it that some restaurants are trying and maybe this will cause others to get with the program.
Bye Bye CAFOs: We’re Going Back to the Start – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/tjHNryFX
Bye Bye CAFOs: We’re Going Back to the Start – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/cj23K2l3
I might be eating at Chipotle more often! I wish they were able to source enough grass fed beef, but they struggle with that.
We need more small farms to support the growing numbers of businesses like Chipotle that want to buy from them.