The inside scoop on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade debacle

This past week some of you may have seen the news coming from our home state of South Dakota about how farmers and ranchers were upset with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float that the state of South Dakota sponsors.  The state tourism department had put out a press release announcing Joan Jett was going to be on the float this year. 

For those of you who aren’t aware, much like the SD Department of Tourism, Joan Jett is a a card carrying PETA member. She has been featured in ads supporting meatless Monday’s and claims ranchers abuse their livestock, destroy the environment and poison people with the food we produce. Tourism is a big part of our state’s economy-the second largest industry in our state, agriculture. 

This set our wheels to turning. First, a call was made to the Department of Tourism to talk to someone about this decision.  It’s important to find the source of the information, we don’t want to hang people out to dry. We want to know the reason behind the decision and get the accurate information out. We always encourage the people we work with to find the source and not just go off on a witch hunt.

Second, we posted the information on our personal Facebook page. We felt this was a local issue and didn’t release it to everyone. We encouraged our friends to also contact the Tourism department. We didn’t want anyone fired, we wanted to make sure people understand why this has a negative impact on our number ONE industry in the state.  Our tax payer dollars were going to support someone who is actively trying to stop what our family does. 

Some within agriculture were upset that we gained the attention to this issue, because it hit all the major news sources including CNN, MSN and FoxNews plus some entertainment channels.  But that is what agriculture has been doing for years, just letting PETA say what they say about us and not doing anything.  That approach really hasn’t worked well for us has it?

In the end we got it changed, but it’s because people came together and shared their voice. So share your voice and make positive change. 

Fur and Wool Ban Not Popular

November 30, 2011

A Cool Reception to a Ban on Fur

By IAN LOVETT - NYTimes.com

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.

FUR is everywhere on the high fashion row of Melrose Avenue. It lines jackets on the mannequins in John Varvatos, dangles from scarves in the windows of Kitson, and drapes from hangers at Maxfield. Even on a 75-degree day in November, fur remains very much in season here.

And in the last week, these swanky window displays have become something of a political statement, a symbol of resistance to an ordinance that was passed Nov. 21 making this city the first in the country to ban the sale of fur apparel.

While boutiques here prepare for the ban to take effect in September 2013, Melrose Avenue may offer an early reading on the future of fur in the fashion industry: Even as animal rights activists declare victory, designers and storeowners have reiterated their commitment to fur’s place in high fashion, warning that shoppers will simply take their business outside of West Hollywood.

At the boutiques along Melrose Avenue, sales clerks scoffed at the idea that fur was falling out of fashion. One called the ban “ridiculous,” another said it was “super annoying.” Far from beginning to clear fur from their shelves, store owners are instead talking about clearing out of the city.     Read More

You'd be hard pressed to find anyone that believes West Hollywood, CA would represent the views of mainstream America.  This ban on fur and wool has gone so far though that even many of the people that live and work there feel that it's ridiculous.  Livestock and even wild animals provide us with many significant resources.  When it comes to the fur from wild animals, it's necessary for us to manage their populations appropriately anyhow so we might as well utilize the resources they provide us rather than waste them.  

Interestingly enough, these people even banned the sale of wool in this ordinance.  Giving a sheep a haircut once a year hardly matches the cruelty that PETA, HSUS and other anti-agriculture group would like you to believe.  -Troy

Background on the PETA Rally

Some parents question PETA protest at Pa. school

- The Associated Press
October 13, 2010 9:32am EDT

• PITTSBURGH — Some parents are questioning a protest by People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals outside a Pittsburgh public school.

A person in an elephant costume with a bloody forehead bandage handed out coloring books as students left Colfax Elementary School on Tuesday. The protest targets the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus coming to town next month.

Parent Sabrina Weihrauch says she generally supports PETA, but doesn't believe in demonstrating outside a school.

PETA spokeswoman Virginia Fort says the stunt "gently let children know" how circus animals are treated. The circus says its animals aren't mistreated.

Seventy-two-year-old Anne Myrick tried to shoo students away from the protest, telling the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "They're hustling little kids."   Link

This is pretty standard fare for PETA but I thought I’d let all of you know a little more about Virginia Fort. She is PETA’s full time paid protester. She travels across the country setting up these demonstrations. I was able to visit with her when they were in Rapid City last November. At that protest they were trying to convince people that all dairy cows are abused by the farmers that own them. In part of our discussions with Ms. Fort we asked her what should be done with all of the pasture land that cows are grazing on since they want animal agriculture eliminated. Her response was that we should farm it. Another rancher standing nearby asked if she really thought ripping up native prairie in a semi-arid climate was a good idea. She said we might as well since the cows are out there pooping on it anyhow. WHAT?? I asked her if I could video her saying that response again and she refused. Obviously this wouldn’t be the best use of the land but her idea is that if anything is “pooping” on the land it is being destroyed. That’s PETA mentality for you.



The other main point to take home from this is that there aren’t protests from local people taking place. PETA has to hire employees to do this for them. For the most part it’s the same few people at every PETA protest.

PCRM Attack McDonalds

New Ad Targets McDonald's

Physicians' Group Seeks to Link Fast Food Consumption to Heart-Disease Rate

By JULIE JARGON

McDonald's Corp. is the target of a new television commercial set to air in Washington, D.C., Thursday that blames the burger giant for heart disease.

In the commercial, produced by the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a woman weeps over a dead man lying in a morgue. In his hand is a hamburger. At the end, the golden arches appear over his feet, followed by the words, "I was lovin' it," a play on McDonald's longtime ad slogan, "I'm lovin' it." A voiceover says, "High cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks. Tonight, make it vegetarian."

PCRM's president, Neal Barnard, was once on the board of the Foundation to Support Animal Protection, now known as the PETA Foundation, which provides accounting, legal and other services to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other animal-protection groups. A PCRM spokeswoman says the organization has no link to PETA.

"McDonald's is committed to providing balanced menu choices and a variety of options to meet our customers' needs and preferences," said Cindy Goody, director of nutrition for McDonald's.

Read More

The only association that PCRM has with physicians is that they use the word in their name.  This is not some national group of doctors, it’s a group of people that want to change the way we grow and consume food in this country.  Those plans don’t include meat.  They have a biased agenda for the beginning and like most radical groups, they rely on name confusion to garner respect. 

Supporting Right-to-Hunt Laws

Hodge: Right to hunt, fish amendment needed


By Bob Hodge
Knoxnews.com
Sunday, September 12, 2010

It's an interesting tactic anti-hunting groups are taking when it comes to states considering right-to-hunt-and-fish amendments to their constitutions: they are trying to kill them with disinterest.

When Tennesseans go to the polls Nov. 2 the state's right-to-hunt-and-fish amendment will be on the ballot. For the amendment to become part of the state constitution it will need 50 percent of the total number of votes in the gubernatorial race plus one. Three other states - Arkansas, Arizona and South Carolina - have similar referendums this year.

Animal rights groups are out and about saying "What's the point?"

"It's a solution in search of a problem," said Michael Markarian, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. "These measures don't accomplish anything."

The better-known and more rabid People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also had a take on Tennessee's amendment.

"All these amendments are a solution in search of a problem," Ashley Byrne of PETA told the Tennessean. "If people have a right to hunt, why not a right to shop or golf?"

Of course, while Markarian says there's no problem, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, Wayne Pacelle, has his group actively fighting Arizona's amendment, called Proposition 109. In Arizona, HSUA has joined up with the Sierra Club and the Animal Defense League to try and defeat the amendment.     Read More

Animal rights groups most certainly have hunting and fishing restrictions or outright elimination as their goals. We’ve learned it’s important to get ahead of them with common sense legislation that will hopefully protect these honored and necessary traditions.

Animals Getting More Attention Than Abused Kids

Spotlight on animal abuse doesn't sit right with some
Adrian Humphreys, National Post, With Files From Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star Published: Friday, May 21, 2010

A mob of 200 gathered outside a Windsor, Ont., courthouse this week, showering vitriol and threats of torture and death on a man accused of sexually mutilating his dog. The crowd sought "Justice for Tyson," the wounded black lab mix.

A few days earlier, more than 100 protesters in Newmarket, Ont., held a mock funeral for animals euthanized during a ringworm outbreak at an animal shelter. Despite the pretend gravestones, real tears were shed.

Such public anguish and mass mobilization over animals has social advocates wondering why the streets often fall silent when such unfortunate fates befall fellow humans. One academic plans to launch a study of the phenomenon. "I look forward to the day when 200 people are speaking out about sexual abuse of children," said sex abuse survivor John Swales, a Windsor-based victim's advocate and support services advisor.

"There's no public display; it's just business as usual.... It is a dismal reflection of society when an animal receives more concern than a child." Read More

It doesn’t make sense to me how these animal rights activists can become zealots for animals while barely acknowledging the fact that many humans, especially children, go unnoticed. It’s hard to believe but some people, including upper-level personnel at groups like PETA and HSUS, truly feel that the lives of their own children don’t deserve any more consideration than that of the smallest insect. Obviously this is a pretty radical viewpoint they have taken and I feel sorry for their kids. The vast majority of people would never feel that way about their children but these radical viewpoints continue to permeate our society. ~Troy

PETA Allegations Disproved

Feds find only minor infractions at U. animal labs
PETA probe » USDA and NIH follow-up inspection of operations give good grades.
By Christopher Smart
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 04/22/2010 09:13:13 PM MDT

Despite a list of cruelty allegations compiled by an animal rights group, federal officials have found, for the most part, that University of Utah biomedical laboratories operate ethically and in accordance with U.S. regulations.

An official inspection of the university's animal research laboratories earlier this year did turn up some infractions, the most egregious of which was a kitten that died after an improper injection.
Other notable deviations from protocol included a primate near the end of life that was not afforded a companion, and "intermittent overcrowding" of rodent breeding cages.

But overall, inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found the university's animal research programs to be "in good order."

That's a stark contrast to a complaint filed last fall with the USDA by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Read More

In an effort to get a big splash in the media, groups like PETA have to make wild accusations that generate headlines. Unfortunately for them, when the sensationalism stops and the investigation begins the story is usually different. In this case, there were a few things that weren’t done correctly but for the most part they were doing everything right. I have no doubt that the university will quickly correct their mistakes and continue on with their vital research. It certainly isn’t a reason to stop all animal research like PETA suggested.

Activists Protest Donkey Basketball

Animal rights activists protest donkey basketball
by Ray Lane

SNOHOMISH, Wash. -- Donkey basketball -- is it clean fun, or simply cruel?

On Wednesday night, animal rights activists targeted Snohomish High School, where the popular annual family event took center court.

Simple advice and a pep talk paved the way for the tipoff, and a stampede of action on the court. Eight donkeys jumped into action with players on their backs.

The event was a fundraiser for a senior class graduation party with teachers and staff in black jerseys taking on the students in white.

But not everyone thinks it's fun and games. Animal rights activists quietly protested outside, saying it's simply cruel.

"The donkeys are pushed, kicked, shoved, and prodded to do something that is unnatural for them and confusing," said protester David Schirk. Read More

If you have ever owned or worked with a donkey you already know what happens when you try to make a donkey do something it doesn’t want to do. If these donkeys were suffering from abuse as claimed by these animal rights activists, they simply wouldn’t cooperate. Especially when you consider that people with very limited experience are riding them most of the time, it means the donkeys are in control most of the time doing what they want to do. As with most situations like this, those who are doing the complaining have the least amount of knowledge of the situation.

HSUS Drops In Charity Rating

HSUS Downgraded by Charity Evaluator
By Pork news source Monday, April 05, 2010

New ratings from Charity Navigator, the nation's largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities, show a downgrade for the Humane Society of the United States.

“Charity Navigator now gives HSUS a lower level of trustworthiness than the notoriously radical People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA),” the Center for Consumer Freedom points out in a press release.

The Center for Consumer Freedom points to this as evidence that HSUS “is not adequately fulfilling its stated charitable purpose.”

“HSUS’s 2008 tax filing shows that the group spent less than one percent of its collected donations on grants to hands-on pet shelters. It put five times as much into its executive pension plan during that year,” the Center for Consumer Freedom says.

David Martosko, CCF’s Director of Research and the editor of HumaneWatch.org, released the following statement on HSUS’s new ranking:

• Charity Navigator’s downgrading of the Humane Society of the United States and its international arm sends a clear message: Animal charities can’t stuff donor dollars away in pension plans, shortchange pet shelters, and expect that no one will notice.

• HSUS raises tens of millions of dollars a year from Americans who believe their money is trickling down to local pet shelters. Instead, their contributions fund a bloated staff of well-paid lawyers and lobbyists, PETA-style propaganda campaigns, and a hefty executive pension plan.

Article Link

After hearing Pacelle and the HSUS continually point to their Charity Navigator rating as proof of their “good work”, the story has now changed. After a re-assessment, Charity Navigator significantly reduced their score for the HSUS. In fact, PETA, who has spent money in the past urging college students to drink beer as opposed to milk, now has a higher rating than the HSUS. Humane Society International took an even bigger hit this round and now is given only 1 out of 4 stars for it’s rating.

KY Forming Livestock Care Board

State Livestock Care Standards Commission Poised to Become Law
by Tim Thornberry

FRANKFORT, KY – As the 2010 General Assembly winds down, animal agriculturalists have anxiously waited to see the fate of an important piece of legislation that would affect them.

Senate Bill 105 called for the creation a 14-member Kentucky Livestock Care Standards Commission (KLCSC) that would set rules for the treatment of animals and poultry on the farm in an effort to head off by groups such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to impose their legislative agendas on the industry in Kentucky.

The much anticipated bill was passed unanimously by the full Senate earlier in the month and finally got through the House last Wednesday but not without a few changes made in the House Agriculture and Small Business Committee.

"I'm pleased that the House finally got the bill voted on and moved and was very appreciative of the substantial support that we had there," said David Givens (R-Greensburg) sponsor of the legislation. "This is so important to our livestock producers and all of agriculture because our livestock producers are such a key component and a key customer to our grain producers. We are really all involved in this together." Read More

And just as Ohio is implementing their board, the state of Kentucky is getting close to establishing their own livestock care board. Many states are looking at similar types of boards to protect their livestock from emotionally driven legislation that can actually decrease the welfare of the animals.

PETA Attacks Congressman For Killing A Rabid Raccoon

FOXNews.com
February 16, 2010
Iowa Lawmaker Tells PETA Not to Have a Cow Over Raccoon Kill
Rep. Steve King didn't back down from a home-invading raccoon and now he's not backing down from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which blasted the Iowa Republican for tweeting about fatally shooting the animal.

Rep. Steve King didn't back down from a home-invading raccoon and now he's not backing down from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which blasted the Iowa Republican for tweeting about fatally shooting the animal.

On Tuesday, the animal welfare group challenged the Iowa Republican to "pick on someone your own size, not a small animal seeking warmth in a blizzard."

"It doesn't give you comfort in your representatives when a member of Congress finds it amusing to boast of shooting a desperately cold animal who is 100 times smaller than he is and whose only misstep was trying to get into a large, warm house," Jaime Zalac, a PETA spokeswoman, said a written statement provided to FoxNews.com.

"I hope he's not on any committees that made decisions regarding cruel and unusual punishment," Zalac added. "Decent people would call animal control for help, not get on Twitter to boast about having a really, really big gun."

Last week, King tweeted that a "Crazy Raccoon chewing & clawing his way into my house" didn't make it out alive.

"Desert Eagle 1, Crazy Raccoon 0," King wrote, revealing the pistol he used to kill the raccoon.

Roll Call newspaper reported that King said he felt he needed to kill the critter because he believed it was rabid and could potentially hurt his family. He also told the newspaper that he appreciates wildlife, saying that he often sees deer, rabbits, squirrels and other animals on his property.

King told Fox News on Tuesday that he'd offer PETA more hospitality than the animal.

"That crazy coon ran up against 'a man's home is his castle' and this man's castle won. But if it had been PETA volunteers outside in the middle of a blizzard, I'd like to think they would have rang the doorbell, instead of trying to claw into the house. And I would have given them shelter for the night and served them bacon and eggs the next morning," he said in a statement. Link

Rep. Steve King from Iowa has about as much common sense as you can find in Washington DC. He’s never been afraid to share the real story of agriculture, especially when farmers and ranchers get unfairly attacked by animal rights zealots. In fact just one year ago, Robert Kennedy Jr was testifying before Congress when Rep. King got a chance to ask him some questions. I have to laugh when Kennedy considers it an inflammatory remark to restate some of his own quotes. Apparently when you claim that hog farmers are a bigger threat to American democracy that bin Laden, it just doesn't sound very good when someone reads it back to you. Here’s the video of the exchange.

Zac Brown Band Responds to PETA

Zac Brown Responds To PETA Challenge
2/10/2010 1:26 PM ET
RTT News

The Zac Brown Band have responded to an e-mail they received from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals. After being challenged by the animal rights group to remove the animal products from its pre-show menu, the "Chicken Fried" hit makers made no apologies for their eating habits.

"Dear PETA -- Plants are living creatures too . . . Bacon had a mother, but so did Pickle. It takes life to support life -- welcome to the planet," the Grammy-winning group wrote on their Twitter page.

The 2010 Best New Artist winners apparently still plan on offering animal products at their pre-show rituals, where they welcome lucky fans backstage to "eat and greet" with the band.

The challenge from PETA came last week when the organization sent an open letter to country music website TheBoot.com that was addressed to the band, saying, "If PETA has its way, the 'Chicken Fried' singers will be hosting an all-vegan edition of their celebrated 'eat and greets' for fans." Link

I had heard last week that PETA contacted the Zac Brown Band concerning their “Chicken Fried” song. That didn’t surprise me much, but the band’s response was certainly refreshing. Amazingly, we can’t assume that country singers always support the country lifestyle and the farming and ranching that go with it. A big thanks to the Zac Brown Band, your music will sound even sweeter from now on.

Judge Calls Animal Activist A Terrorist

Animal-rights activist gets 2 years in prison

By Nate Carlisle
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 02/04/2010 07:45:06 PM MST

Depending on who you believe, William James Viehl is either Harriet Beecher Stowe or a terrorist.

U.S. District Court Judge Dee Benson voted for the latter and on Thursday sentenced Viehl to two years in prison for releasing hundreds of minks from a South Jordan farm.

"I don't know any better word for it than 'terror,'" Benson said during a long explanation of his decision. "It's a form of terrorism."

Viehl last year pleaded guilty to one count of damaging and interfering with animal enterprises. On Aug. 19, 2008, Viehl helped release about 425 female and 225 male minks from the farm.

Vehicles hit and killed seven, seven died of stress and 20 were never recovered, said the farm's owner, Lindsey McMullin. Viehl and his co-defendant also are accused of removing pedigree tags, forcing the McMullins to sell the females for their pelts rather than breeding them.

The bandits also spray painted "ALF," for Animal Liberation Front, on a barn and the words, "We are watching." Read More

The judge in this case made it very clear that this type of behavior is pure and simple terrorism. He also made it clear that his goal is to make sure the punishment is painful enough to discourage this type of terrorism from happening in the future. Unfortunately, there will probably be more of these terrorist acts in the future waged against family farmers and ranchers. Groups like the Animal Liberation Front actively recruit young people and brainwash them into thinking that it’s alright to kill people if you have to do it in order to save an animal. It’s the standard practice of terrorist groups around the world. The only thing that changes is who or what they are trying to “save”. If you have to wear a ski mask to carry out the activities of your group, then you are probably a terrorist. And so are those that support these organizations.

Anti-PETA Facebook Group

City man starts anti-PETA Facebook group
CORNER BROOK
GARY KEAN
The Western Star

Jordan Stringer cares about animals, but the public swatting of a politician with a pie to the face was the straw that broke the camel’s back in his growing frustration with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The latest stunt by a PETA supporter happened Monday when Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea was struck in the face by a tofu cream pie as she was about to give a speech in Burlington, Ont.

In claiming responsibility for the attack, PETA said it was part of a campaign against the seal fishery.

Later on the same day as the attack, Stringer started up a Facebook group called “I care about animals, but not the radical views and actions of PETA!” In two days, the group has attracted about 350 members.

“I guess it was just their attitude that you have to have this extreme, radical viewpoint or take that kind of action to show you care about animals,” Stringer said of why he started the Facebook group.

“I’m just getting sick and tired of the way some of these groups lump everybody together, like if you support the seal hunt, eat meat or if you eat KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). I just think it’s ridiculous because they are putting everybody into this category under false pretenses.”

Read More

Here’s an example of how common sense people are getting tired of hearing and seeing the antics and rhetoric being used by animal rights groups. This mainstream group of people that represent greater than 90% of the population is where our story needs to be told. They want to meet a real farmer or rancher and know that you are doing a good job. If we do that, we will be successful.

HSUS Uses Common PETA Tactic

HSUS Targets Two Restaurants
By Pork news source Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The Humane Society of the United States announced it has purchased shares of Steak 'n Shake and Jack in the Box restaurants, according to Meatingplace.com. The action is part of an HSUS effort to pressure the restaurants to stop purchasing eggs from caged hens, pork from crated sows, and poultry from producers that use certain slaughter methods.

HSUS uses its shareholder status to propose changes to publicly traded companies and has charged both companies with a "complete lack of meaningful movement on animal welfare." Restaurant chains such as Burger King, Wendy's, Quiznos, Denny's, Hardee's and Carl's Jr. have already created policies more to the animal activist group's liking. Link

Does this really sound like something a non-profit organization would be doing?? In the same week they are begging for money to help pets in Haiti, they are buying up stock in national chain restaurants. At the same time, our local dog and cat shelters continue operating on shoe-string budgets. Just imagine if the Humane Society of the United States did what their name implies. Maybe then some of that $200 million dollar budget would end up helping animals.

PETA Employee Accused of Neglecting Animals

Attorney: PETA Worker Neglected Snakes in His Care
Attorney says PETA worker neglected job with exotic animal dealer in effort to shut it down
ARLINGTON, Texas December 29, 2009 (AP)

Attorneys for an exotic animal dealer have accused an employee of intentionally neglecting animals to further his work as an undercover investigator for an animal rights group.

Howard Goldman could have done more to provide food, water and care for the animals that he said were being mistreated, said Lance Evans, an attorney for Jasen and Vanessa Shaw, the owners of U.S. Global Exotics.

Instead, Goldman secretly took photos and made daily reports to send to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Evans said.

"He was more concerned about helping PETA achieve its goal of putting U.S. Global out of business than actually aiding any animals that he felt were in distress," Evans said. Goldman worked at the Arlington facility for seven months.

Goldman testified last week that PETA asked him to apply for a job at U.S. Global Exotics to investigate conditions. PETA paid him $135 for each day he turned in a report while working as snake caretaker. Read More

I have talked about this before. If an employer hires someone to do a job and they are busy filming instead of doing the job they were hired for, aren’t they part of the problem? These people are hired to help prevent problems. When they don’t do their job, they create problems, and then film them. Remember, this guy didn’t get paid unless he turned in a report. How long do you think PETA is going to pay out if the reports come back clean every time? If your employment depends on finding problems, you will probably make sure problems are found.

HSUS, PETA Attack Food Donation Program

Animal groups' criticism bounces off hunters who feed hungry
By Courtland Milloy
Wednesday, December 16, 2009

During a recent deer hunt in Southern Maryland, Blaise Higgs killed a doe and then took it to a butcher shop for dressing. After setting aside several pounds of venison for his family, he donated the rest to an organization that helps feed the hungry.

"A lot of people are having a difficult time putting food on the table, so if you can help them, why not?" said Higgs, 38, a resident of Mechanicsville and a hunter since he was 6.

In the long-running dispute with animal rights advocates over the ethics of deer hunting, Higgs and other sportsmen have found what they believe to be the moral high ground: stocking food banks and soup kitchens with their kills.

One day last week, about 50 people dined on venison chili at the Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen, which operates out of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Leonardtown.

"We call it 'Bambi chili,' " said Shirley Morton, a volunteer cook.

Higgs's bounty was distributed through Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, a national outreach ministry headquartered in Williamsport, Md. Steve White, a coordinator for the group, said participants in Maryland provided enough food for 497,800 meals between June 2008 and this past July.

Animal rights activists are not impressed.

"I find it offensive that people would try to justify immoral behavior by claiming that something good comes out of it," said Bruce Friedrich, a spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "They can't defend ruthlessly blowing away animals for fun, so they come up with these ancillary benefits."

The controversy over deer hunting has heated up in the Washington area in recent months, with several jurisdictions approving deer hunts in public parks as a way to control the herds.

But groups including PETA and the Humane Society of the United States have expressed strong opposition to the hunts, calling them cruel to animals and dangerous for human beings.

Read More

How sad is it that PETA and the Humane Society of the United States, who have combined resources in the neighborhood of one-quarter of a billion dollars, would rather complain about deer hunting than help out hungry families. While farmers, ranchers and hunters work to help feed the families in their communities, PETA and HSUS work to stop their efforts. Why Bruce Friedrich and Wayne Pacelle would let their organizations actively work towards causing more people to go hungry is beyond me.

What I Did On My Thanksgiving Vacation

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, our friends from PETA held a protest in downtown Rapid City. Their goal was to show people that dairy cows are being abused by the farmers that own them. In addition to this, they were going to be wastefully dumping milk and encouraging everyone else to throw out their dairy products.

With only 24 hours notice, I was able to get several area ranchers to show up for the protest to make ourselves available for media interviews to share the true story of livestock production. Along with that, several ag organizations committed to donating milk to the local food pantry in response. In fact, so far there have been over 1000 gallons of milk (updated as of 12/8/09)committed for donation to food banks in South Dakota. Even though it turned out they weren’t dumping real milk, it’s reckless and irresponsible to suggest that people should waste food when there are some right here in our community that struggle to provide food for their families.

Even though none of the ranchers at the protest were dairy producers, they still showed up to let people know that the things PETA was saying weren’t accurate. I have friends that dairy and have been luck enough to tour several dairies all across the country. I have never seen the abuse and neglect that PETA claims is running rampant at these family farms.

Besides that, the things they were claiming didn’t even make sense. In fact Virginia Fort, the PETA representative at the protest, claimed that since we lived n the 21st century, we no longer needed to utilize any resources that livestock provide us. When asked where our food would come from, she claimed we could be farming the land that cows are currently grazing. I was proud of my brother-in-law when he countered with the question, “So you want us breaking up pristine, native rangeland to start farming it?” Her response was priceless. She said, we might as well break it up because we are letting cows poop on it anyhow. I asked if I could get her on video with that comment and a look of horror crossed her face. She said absolutely not, since she was realizing that she had said something more ridiculous than the standard claims they make.

At that point she declined to visit with us anymore. But as with everything you do in life, there are lessons to be learned. The first lesson is that we have to view these types of things as opportunities to teach people about agriculture. If we hadn’t been there, all of the local media would only have talked to the PETA protesters. Instead, almost without exception, more attention was given to the local farmers and ranchers and their stories than was given to the protesters. Along with that, through the donations to the food bank, we emphasized that not only do we care about our livestock, but we also care about our neighbors that live in our rural communities in South Dakota.

The other lesson that needs to be shared is that these protesters knew nothing about dairy production other than what was printed on their handouts. When we tried to have a conversation about what they were saying, they couldn’t do it. It drives home the point that farmers and ranchers are the experts. We are the ones with the first-hand, lifetime knowledge about agriculture. With modesty to a fault, it’s hard for most of us to go out and tell people that, but we need to. Our consumers want to go to a trusted source for their information about food production. We need to make sure that everyone knows we are the trusted source.

So the next time something like this happens in your region, treat it like an opportunity to tell your story. Agriculture was a big winner last Wednesday in South Dakota and it’s because PETA helped us do it.

Click here for some video of the event.

Farm-City Week

Farm/City Week Tackles Livestock Myths vs. Facts
National panel clarifies animal welfare issues.
Tom Bechman
Published: Nov 20, 2009

Anyone present in the audience at the kickoff of National Farm/City Week Thursday, Nov 19 or listening via Agri-Talk radio got the message loud and clear. Farmers and groups that work with farmers are realizing that it's time to fight back against so-called animal welfare groups who issue damaging videos and spew half-truths. And the best way to fight back is for farmers and ranchers to tell their own story.

"One of our goals is for farmers and ranchers to sit down and tell the story of agriculture whenever they can," says Roger Berry, field director for the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska. "The other goal we have as an organization is to work with farmers and ranchers who want to bring a son or daughter back home into the operation, and find a way to do it. Often that involves turning to livestock to generate more income."

"When consumers ask questions about where their food comes from or if it's safe, that's a great opportunity to talk," Berry says. That's when we need to have farmers tell their stories."

While opponents of livestock agriculture, such as PETA and the Humane Society of the United States, are good at evoking emotion by placing disturbing videos on places like YouTube, ag supporters can do the same thing, Berry says. And many already have. There are plenty of YouTube videos on line today that show farmers doing the job of animal care the right way.

"The opposition looks for a bad actor and wants the public to think that's what all of livestock agriculture is like," he continues. "There will always be bad actors in any industry. But for every bad actor, there are thousands of farmers and ranchers out there doing things right." Read More


It’s Farm-City Week and there’s probably no more appropriate time to have it than during the week prior to Thanksgiving. I hope that in your own way, you will help spread the real story of agriculture this week. Along with that, please remember all of the people that are responsible for our ability to enjoy Thanksgiving. Our military and our farmers and ranchers are the reason we will be enjoying this holiday. Don’t forget about them in your prayers.

Researching Animal Welfare

Researchers ask: Are caged chickens miserable?
'Researchers ask: Are caged chickens miserable?';
By MICHAEL J. CRUMB Associated Press Writer
Published: Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 4:11 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 4:11 a.m.

DES MOINES, Iowa - Are cramped chickens crazy chickens?

Researchers are trying to answer that question through several studies that intend to take emotions out of an angry debate between animal welfare groups and producers.

At issue are small cages, typically 24 inches wide by 25 1/2 inches deep, that can be shared by up to nine hens. About 96 percent of eggs sold in the United States come from hens who live in the so-called battery cages from the day they're born until their egg-laying days end 18 to 24 months later.

Public opinion appears to side with those who oppose the cages. Voters in California approved a proposition last year that bans cramped cages for hens. And Michigan's governor signed legislation last month requiring confined animals to have enough room to turn around and fully extend their limbs.

But even as Skewes and others conduct research, some question the need to study an issue they argue was resolved long ago.

Bruce Friedrich, a spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said banning the cages is a solution to an obvious problem.

"Think about the ... effects of not moving for up to 24 months," Friedrich said. "Their bones and muscles waste away and they go insane."

Paul Shapiro, senior director of the Humane Society of the United States' Factory Farming Campaign, agreed.

"The egg industry is trying to muddy the waters by misleading people into believing that it's possible to confine birds in barren, tiny cages and have high welfare," he said. Read More

It seems that this article really shows the true colors of those of us in agriculture and those that are pushing an animal rights agenda. I have never heard anyone in agriculture speak against research that might further our knowledge of animal care like they are hoping to accomplish with this study. The HSUS and PETA, on the other hand, are upset that this study is going to be done. It’s disappointing, but not surprising that these animal rights groups aren’t interested in it.