NAME YOUR TURKEY STUNT ANGERS VEGANS
AFARMER has angered vegans after he offered shoppers the chance to choose, name, feed and look after their Christmas turkey for two months – before it is slaughtered.
Farmer Matt Carter, 35, of Greendale Farm Shop posted the offer on Facebook – and hoped it might simply attract a few extra orders and likes from local customers.
But he has subsequently suffered vandalism at his farm and his staff have been abused on the phone and on social media. The farm’s post read: “Come and pick your own Christmas Turkey at the farm shop. We will put a name tag on it and you come and feed it and help look after it for the next two months.
“You won’t need to get involved in any of the difficult bits at the end and we will even bone and stuff it for you when you come and pick it up, in time for Christmas.’’
But much to his surprise his post went viral – attracting more than 4,000 comments, shares and reactions – after it was picked up by furious vegans.
Online commenters have accused the farm, which is near Exeter, of murder and branded Matt “psychopathic”.
The farm owners arrived at work yesterday and discovered vandals had sprayed “Murder! Go vegan” on the front door.
Vandals broke into the farm overnight on Monday to protest over the offer and sprayed huge graffiti on the glass entrance.
The protesters also sprayed bright blue paint all over pheasants – on sale to customers – that were hung by the shop front.
The shop’s butcher has since received “threats”, Matt said, and he claims furious vegans have been calling the shop to threaten staff.
Many people jumped to Matt’s defence online and thanked him for educating children.
But then, he said, his supporters began receiving criticism too.
Speaking yesterday, fifth-generation farmer Matt remained defiant.
He said: “I think the one thing I want to get across is that I don’t think there is anything wrong with our proposition.
“I’m not going to remove the post or stop being a farmer because we’ve had a bit of opposition from vegan groups. Our proposition is we farm, we get the meat, we grow it, and then we sell it in our shop.
“The butcher got a phone call from someone who said, ‘How would you like it if I cut you up and put you on the counter’.
“That’s verging on a death threat. “The calls to the staff and the butcher are where I draw the line.”
He said he put up his post on Saturday, and said while he meant what he wrote he said it was “tongue in cheek” and thought it would be liked by a few customers. But in three days it has received 1,700 reactions, 1,400 comments and 989 shares.
Among the critics was Ben Cooper, who said: “The ultimate betrayal. Looking after them, gaining their trust and then paying somebody else
I’m not going to remove the post or stop being a
farmer because we’ve had a bit of opposition
MATT CARTER
to slash their throats open for us because we don’t want to do the dirty work ourselves?
“How about we just leave them alone and eat something else?”
Marjory Ellen O’Brien added: “Name him like your puppy, or cat... or your kid.. and then chop his head off and eat him. Sounds just like psychopathic behaviour to me.”
But Andrew Clark wrote: “This is great! My school did this and we learned the life cycle of your daily meal. My old butcher used to put the name of the cow on the board. You knew where it was from and its history.”
Paul Couldwell wrote: “Nice idea from Greendale Farm Shop – well done in educating those who want to have a traditional Christmas.”
The shop’s farm is near Exeter and has pigs, beef cattle, sheep, turkeys and chickens.
Matt said: “If you are going to eat meat, I think our way is the best way of doing it – where you can see the animals and then go to the butchers and buy the meat.
“If you are totally anti-meat, then go and start with the huge big factory farms, not the small businesses who do it like we do it.
“It was the bit about naming it that they really didn’t like. I guess that’s because it brings it home to them that it’s a real animal – but that’s the whole point. That’s why we treat them with respect and look after them.”
And, he said, the online post’s spread has not been bad for business.
“The post has gone so far and wide sales have gone through the roof,” he said, adding that there had been a prolonged flurry of Christmas orders.
“We’ve had at least a dozen today (Monday), so the comments are doing the trick.”