Meet the Meat

One of the best parts of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is the scene when they finally make it to the restaurant, just in time for the universe to, er, end. Ford and Zaphod and Arthur and Trillian are starving of course, having not eaten for millions of years. And so they're invited to chat with the animal upon which they'll be dining, the animal having been bread to actually want to be slaughtered for food.

Absurd? Satirical? Nope. New York! Welcome to the latest, and most logical extension, of the locavore craze that is sweeping parts of the nation. Welcome to the Edible Cattle Exchange: You buy "shares" in a local cow named Bessie or maybe Samantha, she grazes placidly on a farm near Ithaca, until one day -- well, you know what happens:

And then, every other week, High Point will make the 250-mile drive from Ithaca to the East Village, where your dividends will be delivered in the form of steaks, ground beef and, yes, even hot dogs. And as part of the investment package, you'll get an option on farm-raised chicken and pig. Consider it good diversification.

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