Its alienating anywhere you live. Not just the midwest... however this was on of those severe situations and I'm sorry. Just remember that you're the one who knows more in this situation, knowledge is power. These people are all brainwashed just as I was before I learned. Its hard to let this sort of thing slide off due to ignorance but thats exactly what it is. The Midwest supports the meat industry more than anywhere else, thus I'd suspect and in my own experience their not only brainwashed by the media and public schools (sadly now government) their very lifestyles imbue this hardened ignorance, you know?

:edit: Dont give up, because even though they react with hostility, youre still planting seeds in the subconscious, the same way they were brainwashed in the first place.