I think Pagans tend to forget their roots. Ancient man hunted and fished as much as they gathered nuts and fruits. All those cave paintings relate to hunting, not the women out there digging roots. Most of the Celtic calendar is agricultural, but Samhain had a lot to do w/culling the herds and preserving meat to last through the winter. Even the Buddha would eat meat on occasion because he 'didn't want to impose' and if the host was serving meat, oh well. The visions of the Wild Hunt of Odin and Herne were just that - horsemen and hounds, hunting, hunting.

Granted, most modern ranching practices are abhorrent. It is better to raise your food, whether its veggies or sheep or cattle or corn. But for those of us who have to live in urban centers to survive, we do what we can. In my area, a pound of hamburger is far cheaper than a pound of tomatoes - and I'm sorry, I can't survive on iceberg lettuce, which has a more comparable price to hamburger. I think it's important to have an awareness and understanding of where your food comes from, but not just for Pagans - for everyone. Maybe being Pagan means you should know better or feel guiltier for eating meat, but tell that to a Viking or an ancient Druid & they'd laugh all the way to the best haunch on the table.