Veganism Is Murder
By Wesley J. Smith
PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — is at it again. When actress Jessica Simpson recently wore a T-shirt bearing the words “Real Girls Eat Meat,” the animal-rights zealots pounced. “Jessica Simpson might have a right to wear what she wants,” a PETA spokesperson said, “but she doesn’t have a right to eat what she wants — eating meat is about suffering and death.”
Listening to animal-rights activists bray on about the wrongness of slaughtering animals for food — summarized in their advocacy phrase “meat is murder” — one would think that the choice we have is between a diet in which animals are killed and a strictly vegan diet involving no animal deaths.
But life is never that simple: Plant agriculture results each year in the mass slaughter of countless animals, including rabbits, gophers, mice, birds, snakes, and other field creatures. These animals are killed during harvesting, and in the various mechanized farming processes that produce wheat, corn, rice, soybeans, and other staples of vegan diets. And that doesn’t include the countless rats and mice poisoned in grain elevators, or the animals that die from loss of habitat cleared for agricultural use. Read More
While most vegans tend to believe they have taken the high moral ground, they fail to understand how food is raised. This is a great article that every vegan should read. If they truly believe that every animal life is equal, switching to a meat based diet would be their only option to reduce suffering.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
PETA Could Become "Welfare Cops"
Crazy US laws could give PETA right of farm entry
ROD SMITH
21/07/2008 9:35:00 AM
Animal rights and vegetarian activists could have the authority to enter and search California farm buildings and arrest producers for suspected violations of animal welfare laws if California voters approve a ballot initiative in coming months.
This is the conclusion of attorneys who are analyzing the legal consequences of the initiative for agricultural and food interests in California, whose "Californians for SAFE Food" coalition is organised to educate Californians on the initiative and urge them to vote no on the measure.
The determination makes it exceedingly important for producers and production companies, trade associations and allied industry across the US to become involved in the "SAFE Food" coalition, its supporters said. Read More
The thought of PETA or HSUS being the “animal welfare cops” in California should make everyone extremely concerned. There is no doubt that they would use their power to run everyone involved in production agriculture out of business.
ROD SMITH
21/07/2008 9:35:00 AM
Animal rights and vegetarian activists could have the authority to enter and search California farm buildings and arrest producers for suspected violations of animal welfare laws if California voters approve a ballot initiative in coming months.
This is the conclusion of attorneys who are analyzing the legal consequences of the initiative for agricultural and food interests in California, whose "Californians for SAFE Food" coalition is organised to educate Californians on the initiative and urge them to vote no on the measure.
The determination makes it exceedingly important for producers and production companies, trade associations and allied industry across the US to become involved in the "SAFE Food" coalition, its supporters said. Read More
The thought of PETA or HSUS being the “animal welfare cops” in California should make everyone extremely concerned. There is no doubt that they would use their power to run everyone involved in production agriculture out of business.
Prop 2 Could Break Egg Industry in CA
Measure could send egg industry packing, study says
By Reed Fujii
Record Staff Writer
July 23, 2008 6:00 AM
Proposition 2, a ballot initiative that aims to provide egg-laying hens in California room to move, more likely would force the state's $300million egg industry to move out of the state or out of business entirely if approved, a University of California, Davis, study suggests.
Proponents, however, argue that the measure on the November ballot will lead instead to widespread reform of egg-production practices.
Proposition 2 would establish a state law requiring that certain confined farm animals be allowed enough space to extend their limbs or wings fully, lie down, stand up and turn around. Laying hens would have to have space to spread their wings without touching the sides of the cage or other hens.
That would practically eliminate the current practice of confining laying hens to small cages, raising the cost of production 20 percent or more, and require the industry to invest about $500million in new housing for the chickens, said Daniel Sumner, co-author of the study released Tuesday and director of the Agricultural Issues Center at UC Davis.
Those are expenses state egg producers can't absorb while remaining competitive, he said. Read More
The egg industry will no doubt be very seriously harmed economically if Proposition 2 passes in California. While proponents argue that it didn’t happen in Arizona with the approval of Prop 204, the size of the industry that it affected in Arizona was much, much smaller. It will affect a $300 million dollar industry in California that will no longer be able to compete.
By Reed Fujii
Record Staff Writer
July 23, 2008 6:00 AM
Proposition 2, a ballot initiative that aims to provide egg-laying hens in California room to move, more likely would force the state's $300million egg industry to move out of the state or out of business entirely if approved, a University of California, Davis, study suggests.
Proponents, however, argue that the measure on the November ballot will lead instead to widespread reform of egg-production practices.
Proposition 2 would establish a state law requiring that certain confined farm animals be allowed enough space to extend their limbs or wings fully, lie down, stand up and turn around. Laying hens would have to have space to spread their wings without touching the sides of the cage or other hens.
That would practically eliminate the current practice of confining laying hens to small cages, raising the cost of production 20 percent or more, and require the industry to invest about $500million in new housing for the chickens, said Daniel Sumner, co-author of the study released Tuesday and director of the Agricultural Issues Center at UC Davis.
Those are expenses state egg producers can't absorb while remaining competitive, he said. Read More
The egg industry will no doubt be very seriously harmed economically if Proposition 2 passes in California. While proponents argue that it didn’t happen in Arizona with the approval of Prop 204, the size of the industry that it affected in Arizona was much, much smaller. It will affect a $300 million dollar industry in California that will no longer be able to compete.
Loose Horses
Horses may become highway hazards
Worried about hitting a deer with your vehicle?
In the future, you may have to expand that fear to include horses.
Throughout Illinois, including La Salle County, equines left to run at large or abandoned are increasing as owners find them too costly to care for.
One day, that is going to result in a collision with a vehicle, says Dr. Colleen O'Keefe, the Illinois Department of Agriculture's division manager of Food Safety and Animal Protection. "It's bad enough when you hit a dog or a deer, but hitting a horse, that's the fear I think everybody is holding their breath hoping wont happen," she said. Read More
We continue to hear more stories of abandoned horses from across the country. As is mentioned in the article, most areas won’t have animal shelters that can handle the larger animals, so how will they handle it? If this situation isn’t addressed sooner, it will be the taxpayers that will be footing the bill for these horses that need to be cared for or put down.
Worried about hitting a deer with your vehicle?
In the future, you may have to expand that fear to include horses.
Throughout Illinois, including La Salle County, equines left to run at large or abandoned are increasing as owners find them too costly to care for.
One day, that is going to result in a collision with a vehicle, says Dr. Colleen O'Keefe, the Illinois Department of Agriculture's division manager of Food Safety and Animal Protection. "It's bad enough when you hit a dog or a deer, but hitting a horse, that's the fear I think everybody is holding their breath hoping wont happen," she said. Read More
We continue to hear more stories of abandoned horses from across the country. As is mentioned in the article, most areas won’t have animal shelters that can handle the larger animals, so how will they handle it? If this situation isn’t addressed sooner, it will be the taxpayers that will be footing the bill for these horses that need to be cared for or put down.
Managing Wild Horses
Activists oppose BLM proposal to kill mustangs
By JESSICA ESTEPA and Frank X. Mullen Jr. Reno Gazette-Journal
In the desert near Gerlach, a tame bay horse dashed out to meet five wild horses fleeing from a government helicopter. Instinct told the mustangs to follow the bay, but it was a "Judas horse" trained to lead the wild ones into a corral.
A gate slammed. The horses were free no more.
During the past 30 years, the fates of these captured mustangs and more than 400 rounded up in Northern Nevada this month would be clear: They would be sent to an adoption center and kept until placed with a family. But now, these mustangs and hundreds like them in adoption or holding centers in the West eventually could be under a death sentence.
The animals have been a protected species since 1971, but because BLM officials say their facilities are overcrowded, adoptions have decreased and money is tight, they might euthanize some of the animals to make room for the thousands of mustangs they say would starve if left on the range.
A meeting on the proposal is expected in September.
"We know this is not a popular option, but we are at a critical point where we must consider using the legal authority allowed us," agency officials said in a prepared statement. Read More
Whenever management of animals, such as wild horses, comes up there is sure to be plenty of people that believe the best management practice is no management. Apparently the thought of these horses starving to death is more appealing to animal activists than humane euthanasia. While that isn’t the option anyone would look forward to, management of the horses is necessary. While adoption of these animals is an option, you don’t seem to see many activists adopting these horses to alleviate the situation.
By JESSICA ESTEPA and Frank X. Mullen Jr. Reno Gazette-Journal
In the desert near Gerlach, a tame bay horse dashed out to meet five wild horses fleeing from a government helicopter. Instinct told the mustangs to follow the bay, but it was a "Judas horse" trained to lead the wild ones into a corral.
A gate slammed. The horses were free no more.
During the past 30 years, the fates of these captured mustangs and more than 400 rounded up in Northern Nevada this month would be clear: They would be sent to an adoption center and kept until placed with a family. But now, these mustangs and hundreds like them in adoption or holding centers in the West eventually could be under a death sentence.
The animals have been a protected species since 1971, but because BLM officials say their facilities are overcrowded, adoptions have decreased and money is tight, they might euthanize some of the animals to make room for the thousands of mustangs they say would starve if left on the range.
A meeting on the proposal is expected in September.
"We know this is not a popular option, but we are at a critical point where we must consider using the legal authority allowed us," agency officials said in a prepared statement. Read More
Whenever management of animals, such as wild horses, comes up there is sure to be plenty of people that believe the best management practice is no management. Apparently the thought of these horses starving to death is more appealing to animal activists than humane euthanasia. While that isn’t the option anyone would look forward to, management of the horses is necessary. While adoption of these animals is an option, you don’t seem to see many activists adopting these horses to alleviate the situation.
Prop 2 Commentary
Prop. 2: City slickers try to tell farmers how to run their farms
The November ballot is filled with hot-button proposals -- a proposed ban on gay marriage, a parental notification requirement for a girl to have an abortion, and an effort by city-dwelling animal lovers to tell farmers how to run their businesses.
OK, I put a negative spin on that last one, but it's the way that many people in agriculture see Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act. The initiative affects three kinds of animals: egg-laying chickens, calves raised for veal and pregnant pigs. The act is vague, simply requiring "that an enclosure or tether confining specified farm animals allow the animals for the majority of every day to fully extend their limbs or wings, lie down, stand up and turn around." It would impose a fine of as much as $1,000 or six months in jail for violations. Read More
As I continue to monitor what is being said about Proposition 2 in California I have noticed that proponents of the bill like to dismiss the affect it’s passage will have on the economics of raising livestock there. The California Veterinary Medical Association didn’t even consider it when they agreed to support the measure. I would imagine if there business was going to be more regulated by a proposed law that they would consider the economic impact it would have on their livelihood. However, it didn’t seem to concern them when it will hurt the livestock producers.
The November ballot is filled with hot-button proposals -- a proposed ban on gay marriage, a parental notification requirement for a girl to have an abortion, and an effort by city-dwelling animal lovers to tell farmers how to run their businesses.
OK, I put a negative spin on that last one, but it's the way that many people in agriculture see Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act. The initiative affects three kinds of animals: egg-laying chickens, calves raised for veal and pregnant pigs. The act is vague, simply requiring "that an enclosure or tether confining specified farm animals allow the animals for the majority of every day to fully extend their limbs or wings, lie down, stand up and turn around." It would impose a fine of as much as $1,000 or six months in jail for violations. Read More
As I continue to monitor what is being said about Proposition 2 in California I have noticed that proponents of the bill like to dismiss the affect it’s passage will have on the economics of raising livestock there. The California Veterinary Medical Association didn’t even consider it when they agreed to support the measure. I would imagine if there business was going to be more regulated by a proposed law that they would consider the economic impact it would have on their livelihood. However, it didn’t seem to concern them when it will hurt the livestock producers.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Only Humans are Human
Ethics @ Work: Animal rights: Are they good for people?
Jul. 17, 2008
Asher Meir , THE JERUSALEM POST
Last week I wrote about Leona Helmsley's will, which left large sums for the care of animals. I claimed that it is technically as well as ethically impossible to actually bequeath the money directly to the animals. Technically, because animals don't have any legal standing; ethically because this technicality reflects the ethical reality that animals are unable to communicate their desires and therefore any human judgment regarding their welfare is necessarily conjectural.
This week we will learn that my point of view is not universally accepted, at least among people.
A prolonged legal battle is raging in Austria to get a 26-year-old chimpanzee named Pan declared a person, so that he may obtain a court-appointed guardian and hold property in his own name. An Austrian judge ruled earlier this year that apes are not humans, but a group of humans is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights on Pan's behalf.
And just a few weeks ago a parliamentary committee in Spain supported a bill that would give rights to great apes, making it illegal to deprive them of life and liberty. Thus, it would be illegal to use them in medical experiments or in films or circuses in Spain.
Technically, these provisions don't give animals rights; they only impose duties on human beings as is done all over the world. Animal-abuse statutes in many countries (though not in Spain) outlaw bullfighting, but that doesn't mean that bulls have rights. However, the rhetoric of the Spanish bill is a rhetoric of rights, and its supporters are vocally promoting an agenda of giving rights to great apes, and ultimately to other species. Read More
Lately, I have been selecting articles that show how some people and organizations have chosen to advocate for making animals equal to people, such as Spain’s decision to grant rights to apes. The author of this article sums up very well what I have been saying. Human rights should not be granted to animals. Doing so will begin negating what it means to be a human being.
Jul. 17, 2008
Asher Meir , THE JERUSALEM POST
Last week I wrote about Leona Helmsley's will, which left large sums for the care of animals. I claimed that it is technically as well as ethically impossible to actually bequeath the money directly to the animals. Technically, because animals don't have any legal standing; ethically because this technicality reflects the ethical reality that animals are unable to communicate their desires and therefore any human judgment regarding their welfare is necessarily conjectural.
This week we will learn that my point of view is not universally accepted, at least among people.
A prolonged legal battle is raging in Austria to get a 26-year-old chimpanzee named Pan declared a person, so that he may obtain a court-appointed guardian and hold property in his own name. An Austrian judge ruled earlier this year that apes are not humans, but a group of humans is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights on Pan's behalf.
And just a few weeks ago a parliamentary committee in Spain supported a bill that would give rights to great apes, making it illegal to deprive them of life and liberty. Thus, it would be illegal to use them in medical experiments or in films or circuses in Spain.
Technically, these provisions don't give animals rights; they only impose duties on human beings as is done all over the world. Animal-abuse statutes in many countries (though not in Spain) outlaw bullfighting, but that doesn't mean that bulls have rights. However, the rhetoric of the Spanish bill is a rhetoric of rights, and its supporters are vocally promoting an agenda of giving rights to great apes, and ultimately to other species. Read More
Lately, I have been selecting articles that show how some people and organizations have chosen to advocate for making animals equal to people, such as Spain’s decision to grant rights to apes. The author of this article sums up very well what I have been saying. Human rights should not be granted to animals. Doing so will begin negating what it means to be a human being.
Young Farmers and Ranchers
Energy prices hit agriculture especially hard, young farmers tell Congress
Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:34 PM MDT
Rapidly increasing energy prices are hitting agriculture harder than most sectors of the economy, several young Nebraska Farm Bureau leaders told the state’s Congressional delegation in visits to Capitol Hill. That makes the need for a comprehensive energy policy very apparent, they said.
“We’re not reaping the benefit of the high prices we’re seeing in the news,” Hilary Maricle of St. Edward, Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee co-chair, said July 16. “Our input costs are offsetting the higher prices.”
Kristi Weeks of Juniata cited fuel, chemical and fertilizer costs which have increased more than 50 percent in one year. Her husband, Ryan Weeks, explained, “Four years ago my cost of production for a bushel of irrigated corn was $2. This year it will be about $3.40 and next year, more than $4.” Read More
Young farmers and ranchers are sometimes viewed as a mythical creature like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, everyone has heard of them but most people don’t think they really exist. But these young agriculturalists from Nebraska are making their presence known to our political leaders by telling their story and being involved in shaping their industry. Many times the things we do off the farm or ranch can be just as important to our survival as the things we do on our operations.
Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:34 PM MDT
Rapidly increasing energy prices are hitting agriculture harder than most sectors of the economy, several young Nebraska Farm Bureau leaders told the state’s Congressional delegation in visits to Capitol Hill. That makes the need for a comprehensive energy policy very apparent, they said.
“We’re not reaping the benefit of the high prices we’re seeing in the news,” Hilary Maricle of St. Edward, Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee co-chair, said July 16. “Our input costs are offsetting the higher prices.”
Kristi Weeks of Juniata cited fuel, chemical and fertilizer costs which have increased more than 50 percent in one year. Her husband, Ryan Weeks, explained, “Four years ago my cost of production for a bushel of irrigated corn was $2. This year it will be about $3.40 and next year, more than $4.” Read More
Young farmers and ranchers are sometimes viewed as a mythical creature like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, everyone has heard of them but most people don’t think they really exist. But these young agriculturalists from Nebraska are making their presence known to our political leaders by telling their story and being involved in shaping their industry. Many times the things we do off the farm or ranch can be just as important to our survival as the things we do on our operations.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Animal rights group targets popular Wyo. rodeo
By BOB MOEN
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Western heritage runs deep in this high plains city, and nothing typifies the local cowboy and ranching culture more than the 10-day Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration, which boasts the world's largest outdoor rodeo.
Yet, as this year's "Daddy of 'Em All" rodeo gets under way this weekend, the event is fighting off allegations of animal cruelty, which prompted the rock band Matchbox Twenty to cancel a scheduled performance.
Animal-rights activists want certain rodeo events banned. Organizers and competitors are calling it an attack on Western tradition.
"I feel like it's like gun control. If you let him take one event, they're going to try to get another. And then, I think, it's just going to snowball from there," said Brian McNamee, a past rodeo competitor from Wyoming. Read More
Cheyenne Frontier Days has come under attack this year by a group that would like to get their foot in the door of eliminating this sport. Just as most of the people that would like to eliminate animal agriculture, these protestors fail to understand some of the things they are concerned about. Handling animals and their welfare will always be a top priority for the sport because without them there is no rodeo.
By BOB MOEN
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Western heritage runs deep in this high plains city, and nothing typifies the local cowboy and ranching culture more than the 10-day Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration, which boasts the world's largest outdoor rodeo.
Yet, as this year's "Daddy of 'Em All" rodeo gets under way this weekend, the event is fighting off allegations of animal cruelty, which prompted the rock band Matchbox Twenty to cancel a scheduled performance.
Animal-rights activists want certain rodeo events banned. Organizers and competitors are calling it an attack on Western tradition.
"I feel like it's like gun control. If you let him take one event, they're going to try to get another. And then, I think, it's just going to snowball from there," said Brian McNamee, a past rodeo competitor from Wyoming. Read More
Cheyenne Frontier Days has come under attack this year by a group that would like to get their foot in the door of eliminating this sport. Just as most of the people that would like to eliminate animal agriculture, these protestors fail to understand some of the things they are concerned about. Handling animals and their welfare will always be a top priority for the sport because without them there is no rodeo.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Arizona Women in Agriculture Conference
Stacy and I spent last Friday at the Arizona Women in Agriculture Conference in Prescott and we had a blast. They had a very enthusiastic group of women there and it was obvious that they were very excited and committed to telling the story of agriculture.
Arizona Farm Bureau along with several other sponsors coordinated the event and we want to thank Peggy Jo Goodfellow and her team for the tremendous job they did hosting us.
There is nothing more invigorating for us than to be around other people that understand the importance of telling the positive story of agriculture to the consumer. No matter what you raise or how you raise it, it is imperative we remember that all of us are in agriculture together. Arizona agriculture is in good hands with the leadership and enthusiasm we witnessed there.
Troy
Arizona Farm Bureau along with several other sponsors coordinated the event and we want to thank Peggy Jo Goodfellow and her team for the tremendous job they did hosting us.
There is nothing more invigorating for us than to be around other people that understand the importance of telling the positive story of agriculture to the consumer. No matter what you raise or how you raise it, it is imperative we remember that all of us are in agriculture together. Arizona agriculture is in good hands with the leadership and enthusiasm we witnessed there.
Troy
Exploiting Women
Why does a pro-vegetarian organisation treat women like meat?
Josephine Tovey July 17, 2008
For an organisation that's so passionate about chicks, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has a shaky reputation with women.
On Monday the high-profile animal rights organisation held a demonstration out the front of the George Street KFC, involving three young women wearing nothing but lacy knickers and nipple tape in a cage with the sign "Chicks Agree: Boycott KFC".
PETA has also invited a former Big Brother housemate, Brigitte Stavaruk, to strip for its campaign, said a report in The Daily Telegraph yesterday. PETA offered the job to her because of her "big assets" - including her big personality, of course.
This is the sophisticated publicity technique the organisation has been perfecting over the past decade, with scores of their campaigns using the female body to try to raise awareness about animal rights. Not in a John-and-Yoko, dimply-bottoms-out-for-peace kind of way, but in a "put a hot naked chick next to a product you're trying to sell" way. Read More
I have always said that anti animal agriculture groups will place the human condition under that of animals. If they need to exploit women to accomplish their goals, the end justifies the means in their mind. But those of us that try to improve the lives of fellow human beings through our churches or charities are accused of “speciesism” by these groups. That’s one label, though, that won’t bother me.
Josephine Tovey July 17, 2008
For an organisation that's so passionate about chicks, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has a shaky reputation with women.
On Monday the high-profile animal rights organisation held a demonstration out the front of the George Street KFC, involving three young women wearing nothing but lacy knickers and nipple tape in a cage with the sign "Chicks Agree: Boycott KFC".
PETA has also invited a former Big Brother housemate, Brigitte Stavaruk, to strip for its campaign, said a report in The Daily Telegraph yesterday. PETA offered the job to her because of her "big assets" - including her big personality, of course.
This is the sophisticated publicity technique the organisation has been perfecting over the past decade, with scores of their campaigns using the female body to try to raise awareness about animal rights. Not in a John-and-Yoko, dimply-bottoms-out-for-peace kind of way, but in a "put a hot naked chick next to a product you're trying to sell" way. Read More
I have always said that anti animal agriculture groups will place the human condition under that of animals. If they need to exploit women to accomplish their goals, the end justifies the means in their mind. But those of us that try to improve the lives of fellow human beings through our churches or charities are accused of “speciesism” by these groups. That’s one label, though, that won’t bother me.
A Tragedy Exploited
Tony Snow's Cancer: Is There a Lesson for Us?
Posted on: Wednesday, 16 July 2008, 09:00 CDT
As a two-time cancer survivor, I would love to see Tony Snow's tragic death last week help raise awareness about colorectal cancer. The former White House press secretary was just three years younger than me and I know all too well how tough his battle was. Sadly, it's one that 50,000 Americans lose each year.
When famous people like Snow or journalist Tim Russert pass away, their deaths often inspire news coverage about their particular disease. That's good because it helps educate the public. Unfortunately, the articles often focus on early detection or the latest treatments.
As someone who detected her first cancer early and lives with many complications from various treatments, I know there's an infinitely better approach. It's cheaper, less painful, and comes with fewer side effects. It's called prevention. I would be thrilled if Tony Snow's death inspired a serious discussion about cancer prevention. That's the best hope any of us have for a long, healthy life.
One way we can help prevent cancer _ in addition to not smoking, keeping slim, exercising and not drinking _ is to eat right. But what constitutes "eating right" is often up for debate.
Food manufacturers and their lobbyists like to pretend that even the most unhealthful foods _ like hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats _ are OK in moderation. And anyone with a pepperoni addiction likes to pretend that jogging three miles a day will keep them healthy. But late last year, the game was up.
That's when two prestigious cancer research organizations _ the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research _ released a landmark report on diet and cancer risk. The scientists announced that when it comes to colon cancer, there is absolutely no amount of processed meat that's safe to eat. Read More
We probably should have seen this coming, a vegetarian using the death of Tony Snow to further their agenda. If you have watched the news at all over the last 20 years, everything causes cancer. Apparently just eating causes cancer along with breathing and sleeping. Using the tragic death of Tony Snow to promote vegetarianism is shameful.
Posted on: Wednesday, 16 July 2008, 09:00 CDT
As a two-time cancer survivor, I would love to see Tony Snow's tragic death last week help raise awareness about colorectal cancer. The former White House press secretary was just three years younger than me and I know all too well how tough his battle was. Sadly, it's one that 50,000 Americans lose each year.
When famous people like Snow or journalist Tim Russert pass away, their deaths often inspire news coverage about their particular disease. That's good because it helps educate the public. Unfortunately, the articles often focus on early detection or the latest treatments.
As someone who detected her first cancer early and lives with many complications from various treatments, I know there's an infinitely better approach. It's cheaper, less painful, and comes with fewer side effects. It's called prevention. I would be thrilled if Tony Snow's death inspired a serious discussion about cancer prevention. That's the best hope any of us have for a long, healthy life.
One way we can help prevent cancer _ in addition to not smoking, keeping slim, exercising and not drinking _ is to eat right. But what constitutes "eating right" is often up for debate.
Food manufacturers and their lobbyists like to pretend that even the most unhealthful foods _ like hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats _ are OK in moderation. And anyone with a pepperoni addiction likes to pretend that jogging three miles a day will keep them healthy. But late last year, the game was up.
That's when two prestigious cancer research organizations _ the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research _ released a landmark report on diet and cancer risk. The scientists announced that when it comes to colon cancer, there is absolutely no amount of processed meat that's safe to eat. Read More
We probably should have seen this coming, a vegetarian using the death of Tony Snow to further their agenda. If you have watched the news at all over the last 20 years, everything causes cancer. Apparently just eating causes cancer along with breathing and sleeping. Using the tragic death of Tony Snow to promote vegetarianism is shameful.
California Prop 2
Californians for SAFE Food Launches Campaign Opposing Proposition 2: 'The Un-SAFE Food Initiative'
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Californians for SAFE Food, a coalition of public health and food safety experts, labor unions, consumers, family farmers and veterinarians, today officially launched its campaign to oppose Proposition 2, the November ballot initiative that bans almost all modern egg production in California.
Dubbing Prop. 2 the "un-SAFE food initiative," Californians for SAFE Food also introduced its Web site, http://www.safecaliforniafood.org and released an updated list of organizations and individuals who have joined the opposition campaign.
"Proposition 2, quite simply, is an un-SAFE food initiative. It undermines California's current high food safety standards, putting us at greater risk with exposure to illness and disease like Salmonella and Bird Flu," said Julie Buckner, spokeswoman for the "NO on Prop. 2" campaign. "While the proponents claim the measure is 'moderate,' it is really a wide-sweeping, risky, and dangerous measure that will have costly, negative consequences for California." Read More
The ballot issue in California that will decide how farm animals can be raised in that state has been officially labeled as Proposition 2. While those that are striving to ban the use of cages claim this is a welfare issue, it really is a food and animal safety issue. With it’s passage, farmers and ranchers in California will lose their ability to effectively protect their animals from disease and will more than likely force the industry out of the state. It is vital that all of us in agriculture do what we can to stop it’s passage. This shouldn’t be viewed as a state issue, the outcome of this vote will have far-reaching implications nationwide.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Californians for SAFE Food, a coalition of public health and food safety experts, labor unions, consumers, family farmers and veterinarians, today officially launched its campaign to oppose Proposition 2, the November ballot initiative that bans almost all modern egg production in California.
Dubbing Prop. 2 the "un-SAFE food initiative," Californians for SAFE Food also introduced its Web site, http://www.safecaliforniafood.org and released an updated list of organizations and individuals who have joined the opposition campaign.
"Proposition 2, quite simply, is an un-SAFE food initiative. It undermines California's current high food safety standards, putting us at greater risk with exposure to illness and disease like Salmonella and Bird Flu," said Julie Buckner, spokeswoman for the "NO on Prop. 2" campaign. "While the proponents claim the measure is 'moderate,' it is really a wide-sweeping, risky, and dangerous measure that will have costly, negative consequences for California." Read More
The ballot issue in California that will decide how farm animals can be raised in that state has been officially labeled as Proposition 2. While those that are striving to ban the use of cages claim this is a welfare issue, it really is a food and animal safety issue. With it’s passage, farmers and ranchers in California will lose their ability to effectively protect their animals from disease and will more than likely force the industry out of the state. It is vital that all of us in agriculture do what we can to stop it’s passage. This shouldn’t be viewed as a state issue, the outcome of this vote will have far-reaching implications nationwide.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Leona's Billions
Put Helmsley's billions to use in animal shelters
By DAVID MARTOSKO GUEST COLUMNIST
Pundits in India have a saying: "Those who do good in this life will come back in the next one as a dog in America." They might be on to something. As The New York Times reported this month, the $8 billion estate of the late hotel magnate Leona Helmsley is literally going "to the dogs."
This ostentatious act of pet philanthropy may seem bizarre. But the prospect of honoring Helmsley's dying wish shines a bright light on a national animal-welfare problem, and an even brighter one on the roadblocks impeding serious progress.
So far, two familiar national animal rights groups, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society of the United States have announced their intentions to claim big slices of the $8 billion bounty. But neither one has the track record to handle such a responsibility.
Look at how PETA has spent the money it already has: The group raised more than $30 million last year, and found adoptive homes for 17 animals. Just 17. Meanwhile, it killed 1,815 dogs and cats -- slightly more than the number of naked interns it sent out to "save" cows, chickens, and minks.
And although much of the public (and press) consider HSUS to be an actual "humane society," its record isn't any better. The group's name hides its lack of affiliation with any hands-on pet shelter anywhere in America. Of the $85-plus million HSUS spent in 2006, it gave only 4.2 percent to pet shelters. Read More
It’s interesting to me to read people’s comments on how to use this fortune to benefit animals. Granted, this was Helmsley’s money and she can do what she wishes with it, but imagine what $8 billion dollars could do to improve the human condition in this country. Animal shelters are no doubt strapped for cash most of the time, but so are community cupboards that many families rely on for food. But that is the mentality of these anti-agriculture groups, they put the welfare of animals over that of people.
By DAVID MARTOSKO GUEST COLUMNIST
Pundits in India have a saying: "Those who do good in this life will come back in the next one as a dog in America." They might be on to something. As The New York Times reported this month, the $8 billion estate of the late hotel magnate Leona Helmsley is literally going "to the dogs."
This ostentatious act of pet philanthropy may seem bizarre. But the prospect of honoring Helmsley's dying wish shines a bright light on a national animal-welfare problem, and an even brighter one on the roadblocks impeding serious progress.
So far, two familiar national animal rights groups, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society of the United States have announced their intentions to claim big slices of the $8 billion bounty. But neither one has the track record to handle such a responsibility.
Look at how PETA has spent the money it already has: The group raised more than $30 million last year, and found adoptive homes for 17 animals. Just 17. Meanwhile, it killed 1,815 dogs and cats -- slightly more than the number of naked interns it sent out to "save" cows, chickens, and minks.
And although much of the public (and press) consider HSUS to be an actual "humane society," its record isn't any better. The group's name hides its lack of affiliation with any hands-on pet shelter anywhere in America. Of the $85-plus million HSUS spent in 2006, it gave only 4.2 percent to pet shelters. Read More
It’s interesting to me to read people’s comments on how to use this fortune to benefit animals. Granted, this was Helmsley’s money and she can do what she wishes with it, but imagine what $8 billion dollars could do to improve the human condition in this country. Animal shelters are no doubt strapped for cash most of the time, but so are community cupboards that many families rely on for food. But that is the mentality of these anti-agriculture groups, they put the welfare of animals over that of people.
Bo's Appointment
Bo Derek appointed to Calif. horse racing board
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger named actress and animal rights activist Bo Derek on Tuesday to a state commission overseeing horse racing.
Derek, 51, was appointed to fill one of two vacant posts on the California Horse Racing Board, a position requires confirmation by the state Senate and pays $100 per diem.
Derek is a horse lover who has lobbied Congress for the past five years to ban the slaughter of the animals. She also owns the pet care products company Bless the Beasts, which sells such items as dog shampoos, conditioner and fur polish. Read More
Bo Derek is among a whole host of famous people who have pushed very hard in the public and also in Washington, DC to pass the horse slaughter ban. There is no doubt that she will use her new position to continue her efforts to tell you how you can manage your livestock.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger named actress and animal rights activist Bo Derek on Tuesday to a state commission overseeing horse racing.
Derek, 51, was appointed to fill one of two vacant posts on the California Horse Racing Board, a position requires confirmation by the state Senate and pays $100 per diem.
Derek is a horse lover who has lobbied Congress for the past five years to ban the slaughter of the animals. She also owns the pet care products company Bless the Beasts, which sells such items as dog shampoos, conditioner and fur polish. Read More
Bo Derek is among a whole host of famous people who have pushed very hard in the public and also in Washington, DC to pass the horse slaughter ban. There is no doubt that she will use her new position to continue her efforts to tell you how you can manage your livestock.
A New Spokesman
Matthew McConaughey Becomes Spokesman For Beef
July 16th, 2008
In a move sure to aggravate animal rights group PETA, Matthew McConaughey has thrown his support behind a new campaign promoting beef as the voice-over of their radio commercials.
McConaughey, whose girlfriend Camilla Alves just gave birth to their first child, is part of the new push to eat meat from the National Cattleman’s Beef Association.
Meghan Pusey, a spokeswoman for the organization said, “We are certain once consumers hear it, they will recognize the new voice for its endearing quality and it will reinforce their passion for beef and the protein body benefits it provides.”
There had been no response from PETA at the time of writing. Link
It seems pretty amazing these days when a celebrity is not out promoting a vegetarian diet or trying to tell people how we should raise livestock. While using celebrities to promote our products can be effective, the best advocates for agriculture are those of us working everyday on the farms and ranches across this country. Only you can tell your story.
July 16th, 2008
In a move sure to aggravate animal rights group PETA, Matthew McConaughey has thrown his support behind a new campaign promoting beef as the voice-over of their radio commercials.
McConaughey, whose girlfriend Camilla Alves just gave birth to their first child, is part of the new push to eat meat from the National Cattleman’s Beef Association.
Meghan Pusey, a spokeswoman for the organization said, “We are certain once consumers hear it, they will recognize the new voice for its endearing quality and it will reinforce their passion for beef and the protein body benefits it provides.”
There had been no response from PETA at the time of writing. Link
It seems pretty amazing these days when a celebrity is not out promoting a vegetarian diet or trying to tell people how we should raise livestock. While using celebrities to promote our products can be effective, the best advocates for agriculture are those of us working everyday on the farms and ranches across this country. Only you can tell your story.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The EPA's Proposal
The EPA’s Blueprint for Disaster
Opponents of massive new energy taxes and regulations breathed a small sigh of relief last month when the Lieberman-Warner climate-tax bill went down in flames on the Senate floor. Even 10 Democrats broke from the party line and voted against it, writing that they would have opposed the bill on final passage. Unfortunately, power-mad bureaucrats at the Environmental Protection Agency remain undaunted.
The EPA is expected today to release a document that blueprints a dizzying array of greenhouse-gas regulatory programs under dozens of different provisions of the 1970 Clean Air Act. The document, called an “Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,” will formally begin the process of implementing restrictions more draconian than those in the Lieberman-Warner bill — all without a single vote of Congress.
A 5-4 Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA opened the door to this mischief, although that ruling was limited to motor-vehicle regulation. The EPA blueprint, judging by various leaked versions, goes far beyond that. At more than 200 pages, along with an appendix of more than 800 pages, it is a radical plan for reordering the entire U.S. economy. Read More
With no evidence that greenhouse gasses are actually having an effect on our climate or that regulating them could stop climate change if it is happening, the EPA seems to be willing to implement some outlandish regulations. While no one knows for sure if climate change is man-made, I can guarantee that these regulations would affect everyone.
Opponents of massive new energy taxes and regulations breathed a small sigh of relief last month when the Lieberman-Warner climate-tax bill went down in flames on the Senate floor. Even 10 Democrats broke from the party line and voted against it, writing that they would have opposed the bill on final passage. Unfortunately, power-mad bureaucrats at the Environmental Protection Agency remain undaunted.
The EPA is expected today to release a document that blueprints a dizzying array of greenhouse-gas regulatory programs under dozens of different provisions of the 1970 Clean Air Act. The document, called an “Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,” will formally begin the process of implementing restrictions more draconian than those in the Lieberman-Warner bill — all without a single vote of Congress.
A 5-4 Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA opened the door to this mischief, although that ruling was limited to motor-vehicle regulation. The EPA blueprint, judging by various leaked versions, goes far beyond that. At more than 200 pages, along with an appendix of more than 800 pages, it is a radical plan for reordering the entire U.S. economy. Read More
With no evidence that greenhouse gasses are actually having an effect on our climate or that regulating them could stop climate change if it is happening, the EPA seems to be willing to implement some outlandish regulations. While no one knows for sure if climate change is man-made, I can guarantee that these regulations would affect everyone.
Guilting Parents
New Rx for Kids is a Tough Pill for This Dad to Swallow
Posted on: Monday, 14 July 2008, 09:00 CDT
My daughter Kaitlyn is 8 years old. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, she's ready for cholesterol-lowering drugs. Yes, you read that right. In a move that has left many parents incredulous, the nation's pediatricians recently issued new guidelines calling for cholesterol screening of children as young as 2 _ and cholesterol drugs for kids as young as 8. Without intervention, the doctors say, today's overweight youngsters are doomed to become tomorrow's heart patients.
Do we really want to start our kids off on a decades-long regimen of drugs usually reserved for retirees?
A better solution, I think, is to teach kids to eat their veggies. Kaitlyn and her older sister, Gabriella, who is 13, are both vegetarian. Simply by eliminating meat from their diet, my daughters' risk of obesity and heart disease has been slashed. Studies show that meat-eaters are four times as likely to be obese as vegetarians are _ and 10 times more likely to suffer from heart disease. Read More
In an attempt to further push their anti-agriculture agenda, PETA is trying to guilt parents into forcing their children to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. They are trying to convince parents that if you don’t have your children on a vegetarian diet that they will certainly suffer from a host of diseases and it will be your fault. The truth is that parents should encourage their children to eat a balanced diet and be active.
Posted on: Monday, 14 July 2008, 09:00 CDT
My daughter Kaitlyn is 8 years old. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, she's ready for cholesterol-lowering drugs. Yes, you read that right. In a move that has left many parents incredulous, the nation's pediatricians recently issued new guidelines calling for cholesterol screening of children as young as 2 _ and cholesterol drugs for kids as young as 8. Without intervention, the doctors say, today's overweight youngsters are doomed to become tomorrow's heart patients.
Do we really want to start our kids off on a decades-long regimen of drugs usually reserved for retirees?
A better solution, I think, is to teach kids to eat their veggies. Kaitlyn and her older sister, Gabriella, who is 13, are both vegetarian. Simply by eliminating meat from their diet, my daughters' risk of obesity and heart disease has been slashed. Studies show that meat-eaters are four times as likely to be obese as vegetarians are _ and 10 times more likely to suffer from heart disease. Read More
In an attempt to further push their anti-agriculture agenda, PETA is trying to guilt parents into forcing their children to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. They are trying to convince parents that if you don’t have your children on a vegetarian diet that they will certainly suffer from a host of diseases and it will be your fault. The truth is that parents should encourage their children to eat a balanced diet and be active.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Improving our Cattle
SDSU dairy research considers history of methane emissions
By SDSU Extension
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Modern dairy cows produce more methane than their predecessors, but fewer dairy herds and a smaller dairy cow population has resulted in less overall methane emission.
South Dakota State University Extension Dairy Specialist Alvaro Garcia, along with James Linn, head of the University of Minnesota Department of Animal Science, looked at the role cattle and dairy cows play in methane emission.
Garcia and Linn presented their findings at the 2008 American Dairy Science Association meeting in Indianapolis.
They compared today's dairy herds to those of 1924, the first year U.S.Department of Agriculture cattle and dairy statistics were compiled. Read More
Agriculture has continually been improving its efficiency and this is a great look back at how far we have come. Being able to produce more with less is how we can continue to feed a growing population. This is another one of the great stories that agriculture has to tell.
By SDSU Extension
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Modern dairy cows produce more methane than their predecessors, but fewer dairy herds and a smaller dairy cow population has resulted in less overall methane emission.
South Dakota State University Extension Dairy Specialist Alvaro Garcia, along with James Linn, head of the University of Minnesota Department of Animal Science, looked at the role cattle and dairy cows play in methane emission.
Garcia and Linn presented their findings at the 2008 American Dairy Science Association meeting in Indianapolis.
They compared today's dairy herds to those of 1924, the first year U.S.Department of Agriculture cattle and dairy statistics were compiled. Read More
Agriculture has continually been improving its efficiency and this is a great look back at how far we have come. Being able to produce more with less is how we can continue to feed a growing population. This is another one of the great stories that agriculture has to tell.
Hugging Trees not Communities
Mineral County an unlikely, feisty player in national legal drama
Wednesday, July 09 2008 @ 07:51 AM MDT
by John Q. Murray
A small county along the Montana-Idaho border with 82 percent U.S. Forest Service land and a population hovering around 4,000 souls, Mineral County was an unlikely player in a national legal drama.
Wildfires that burned nearly 40,000 acres around Superior and in the Upper Ninemile in 2000 prompted the Forest Service to recommend a large-scale restoration and salvage project--the Lolo post-burn.
Just as the logging work was getting underway in February, 2003, two environmental corporations, the Ecology Center Inc. and Sierra Club Inc., filed separate lawsuits against the project. Read More
When groups file lawsuits just because they know that it will be tied up in court long enough that the timber will no longer be good enough to harvest, it is an incredible waste of natural resources. It’s also a shame that these groups can’t appreciate the importance of logging to the small communities that depend on it. They seem to place more importance on tree than a community of families.
Wednesday, July 09 2008 @ 07:51 AM MDT
by John Q. Murray
A small county along the Montana-Idaho border with 82 percent U.S. Forest Service land and a population hovering around 4,000 souls, Mineral County was an unlikely player in a national legal drama.
Wildfires that burned nearly 40,000 acres around Superior and in the Upper Ninemile in 2000 prompted the Forest Service to recommend a large-scale restoration and salvage project--the Lolo post-burn.
Just as the logging work was getting underway in February, 2003, two environmental corporations, the Ecology Center Inc. and Sierra Club Inc., filed separate lawsuits against the project. Read More
When groups file lawsuits just because they know that it will be tied up in court long enough that the timber will no longer be good enough to harvest, it is an incredible waste of natural resources. It’s also a shame that these groups can’t appreciate the importance of logging to the small communities that depend on it. They seem to place more importance on tree than a community of families.
Beef Makes for Good Blood Health
Blood donors urged to beef up iron
6 hours ago
TV chef Phil Vickery has called on barbecue enthusiasts to beef up their iron and donate healthy blood.
Vickery has joined up with the National Blood Service (NBS) in a bid to encourage people to eat iron-rich foods and do their bit to ensure Britain's blood banks are stocked up.
It comes after research showed that last year, one in 20 would-be donors were unable to give blood because the haemoglobin in their samples were too low. Read More
Beef is a great source of zinc, iron and protein, all of which are vital for a healthy, balanced diet. While some people like to claim that we could get along without eating meat, this shows the importance of this nutrient dense food. Eat beef, donate blood and save a life.
6 hours ago
TV chef Phil Vickery has called on barbecue enthusiasts to beef up their iron and donate healthy blood.
Vickery has joined up with the National Blood Service (NBS) in a bid to encourage people to eat iron-rich foods and do their bit to ensure Britain's blood banks are stocked up.
It comes after research showed that last year, one in 20 would-be donors were unable to give blood because the haemoglobin in their samples were too low. Read More
Beef is a great source of zinc, iron and protein, all of which are vital for a healthy, balanced diet. While some people like to claim that we could get along without eating meat, this shows the importance of this nutrient dense food. Eat beef, donate blood and save a life.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Domestic Terrorists
Animal activists attacking scientists’ homes
More protesters using firebombs, flooding, acid at researchers’ front doors
The Associated Press
updated 4:14 p.m. MT, Mon., July. 7, 2008
BERKELEY, Calif. - In the hills above the University of California's Berkeley campus, nine protesters gathered in front of the home of a toxicology professor, their faces covered with scarves and hoods despite the warm spring weather.
One scrawled "killer" in chalk on the scientist's doorstep, while another hurled insults through a bullhorn and announced, "Your neighbor kills animals!" Someone shattered a window.
Borrowing the kind of tactics used by anti-abortion demonstrators, animal rights activists are increasingly taking their rage straight to scientists' front doors. Read More
These terrorists continue to threaten researchers and the medical breakthroughs that could result from their research. These people shouldn’t have to live in fear because they are trying to improve the human condition. We cannot allow these terrorists to dictate how human medicine will advance in our society. That is why California, in particular, is developing new laws to afford more protection to these scientists.
More protesters using firebombs, flooding, acid at researchers’ front doors
The Associated Press
updated 4:14 p.m. MT, Mon., July. 7, 2008
BERKELEY, Calif. - In the hills above the University of California's Berkeley campus, nine protesters gathered in front of the home of a toxicology professor, their faces covered with scarves and hoods despite the warm spring weather.
One scrawled "killer" in chalk on the scientist's doorstep, while another hurled insults through a bullhorn and announced, "Your neighbor kills animals!" Someone shattered a window.
Borrowing the kind of tactics used by anti-abortion demonstrators, animal rights activists are increasingly taking their rage straight to scientists' front doors. Read More
These terrorists continue to threaten researchers and the medical breakthroughs that could result from their research. These people shouldn’t have to live in fear because they are trying to improve the human condition. We cannot allow these terrorists to dictate how human medicine will advance in our society. That is why California, in particular, is developing new laws to afford more protection to these scientists.
Tastes like Chicken
Forget free-range - the tastiest chickens are the ones in cages
By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:01am BST /07/2008
Food scientists assessed the quality of birds raised in a variety of conditions and found those that were intensively farmed had the best flavour, while those reared under organic guidelines were the least tasty.
Their findings contradict claims by campaigners who insist that organic and free-range chickens produce tastier, healthier meat because they have more freedom to move around and are given better food.
A panel of 10 taste experts sampled meat from 120 cage-reared, maize-fed, organic or free-range birds. They found the cage-reared chicken meat the least acidic, though it had a less attractive colour than other types. Dr Paul Warriss, who led the study at Bristol University's school of veterinary science, said: "In general, higher ratings were given for texture, juiciness, flavour and overall preference for meat from the birds reared in the standard system." Read More
Some animal rights activists have used the argument that the meat is better from birds that are raised outside, however this study disagrees. If some producers prefer to raise birds in a cage free system that is perfectly fine, but it is imperative that we all work together to defeat the ban on cages that Californian’s will be voting on this fall. Producers should have that choice.
By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:01am BST /07/2008
Food scientists assessed the quality of birds raised in a variety of conditions and found those that were intensively farmed had the best flavour, while those reared under organic guidelines were the least tasty.
Their findings contradict claims by campaigners who insist that organic and free-range chickens produce tastier, healthier meat because they have more freedom to move around and are given better food.
A panel of 10 taste experts sampled meat from 120 cage-reared, maize-fed, organic or free-range birds. They found the cage-reared chicken meat the least acidic, though it had a less attractive colour than other types. Dr Paul Warriss, who led the study at Bristol University's school of veterinary science, said: "In general, higher ratings were given for texture, juiciness, flavour and overall preference for meat from the birds reared in the standard system." Read More
Some animal rights activists have used the argument that the meat is better from birds that are raised outside, however this study disagrees. If some producers prefer to raise birds in a cage free system that is perfectly fine, but it is imperative that we all work together to defeat the ban on cages that Californian’s will be voting on this fall. Producers should have that choice.
Fertilizer
Market growing for Alpharetta firm's 'chicken litter' fertilizer
By DOUG NURSE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/03/08
It's a fertile world for Organic Growing Systems in Alpharetta.
The newly formed company is cashing in on the rising price of synthetic fertilizer by specializing in reconstituted "chicken litter," as it's delicately put.
As the price of traditional, petroleum-based fertilizer skyrocketed 200 percent to 300 percent since 2005, more and more farmers and sod-growers are turning to natural alternatives, said Chris Nichols, the company CEO.
"Everyone is looking at us like we're the hot chick at the prom," said Marc Nichols, Chris' nephew and national sales manager. "Today we sold a third of what we did last year." Read More
At the same time there is a push by some people to have animal manure considered a toxic and hazardous material, the demand for it by consumers is growing by leaps and bounds. Because commercial fertilizer prices have been skyrocketing, the demand for manure has grown. It’s just another way that livestock producers are helping the environment.
By DOUG NURSE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/03/08
It's a fertile world for Organic Growing Systems in Alpharetta.
The newly formed company is cashing in on the rising price of synthetic fertilizer by specializing in reconstituted "chicken litter," as it's delicately put.
As the price of traditional, petroleum-based fertilizer skyrocketed 200 percent to 300 percent since 2005, more and more farmers and sod-growers are turning to natural alternatives, said Chris Nichols, the company CEO.
"Everyone is looking at us like we're the hot chick at the prom," said Marc Nichols, Chris' nephew and national sales manager. "Today we sold a third of what we did last year." Read More
At the same time there is a push by some people to have animal manure considered a toxic and hazardous material, the demand for it by consumers is growing by leaps and bounds. Because commercial fertilizer prices have been skyrocketing, the demand for manure has grown. It’s just another way that livestock producers are helping the environment.
Monday, July 7, 2008
A Nation of "We Can't"?
Has anyone else noticed how we have become a nation of "we can't" as of late.
We can't drill for oil in Alaska because it will destroy the land. We can't drill for oil off our coasts because it will pollute the water. We can't use wind energy because nobody wants to look at those turbines and they harm the birds. We can't use nuclear energy because they will blow up. We can't use coal because it releases plant food (CO2) into the air. We can't build pipelines and refineries to make gasoline because they will leak.
We can't use modern farming techniques because they destroy the soil. We can't use chemicals to protect our crops because it is bad for people. We can't grow enough food to feed our planet because of ethanol. We can't use commercial fertilizers because they are made from fossil fuels. We can't use animal waste to fertilize because it contaminates water sheds.
We can't raise cattle because they release methane into the air. We can't raise any animals too close together because they produce too much waste. We can't use antibiotics to treat our animals because it will produce super bugs. We can't feed cattle corn because people need to eat it. We can't graze cattle on grass because they destroy riparian areas. We can't graze on public lands because of some endangered species. We can't raise poultry in an environementally controlled facility because it is cruel. We can't harvest animals for human consumption because it is inhumane and unethical.
When did "We Can't" become our national motto? I have had people question why Stacy and I spend so much time and energy trying to tell the story of agriculture because we can't stop the likes of HSUS and PETA from destroying animal agriculture in this country. I, however, believe that we can. If we all work together in agriculture, we can stop this movement in it's tracks. All of us need to realize that we are in this together.
Many of us in agriculture have several generations of the land in our blood. This did not happen because our ancestors said "we can't". We are the product of people that said "we can". And that is the one thing that the anti-agriculture groups have failed to take into account.
We can't drill for oil in Alaska because it will destroy the land. We can't drill for oil off our coasts because it will pollute the water. We can't use wind energy because nobody wants to look at those turbines and they harm the birds. We can't use nuclear energy because they will blow up. We can't use coal because it releases plant food (CO2) into the air. We can't build pipelines and refineries to make gasoline because they will leak.
We can't use modern farming techniques because they destroy the soil. We can't use chemicals to protect our crops because it is bad for people. We can't grow enough food to feed our planet because of ethanol. We can't use commercial fertilizers because they are made from fossil fuels. We can't use animal waste to fertilize because it contaminates water sheds.
We can't raise cattle because they release methane into the air. We can't raise any animals too close together because they produce too much waste. We can't use antibiotics to treat our animals because it will produce super bugs. We can't feed cattle corn because people need to eat it. We can't graze cattle on grass because they destroy riparian areas. We can't graze on public lands because of some endangered species. We can't raise poultry in an environementally controlled facility because it is cruel. We can't harvest animals for human consumption because it is inhumane and unethical.
When did "We Can't" become our national motto? I have had people question why Stacy and I spend so much time and energy trying to tell the story of agriculture because we can't stop the likes of HSUS and PETA from destroying animal agriculture in this country. I, however, believe that we can. If we all work together in agriculture, we can stop this movement in it's tracks. All of us need to realize that we are in this together.
Many of us in agriculture have several generations of the land in our blood. This did not happen because our ancestors said "we can't". We are the product of people that said "we can". And that is the one thing that the anti-agriculture groups have failed to take into account.
Animal Rights Groups Hope to Find a Cash Cow
Animal groups out to fetch part of Helmsley estate
NEW YORK (AP) — Animal welfare groups are set to try to fetch some of Leona Helmsley's vast fortune.
At least two groups are eyeing the hotel queen's estate — estimated to be up to $8 billion — following a report Helmsley wanted her fortune to go to the dogs.
The real estate baroness, sometimes called "The Queen of Mean" for the imperious way she treated her staff, died in August. The New York Times reported Wednesday that she left instructions that her estate be spent on the care and welfare of dogs.
While the instructions are not part of her will, and there may be wiggle room for the estate's trustees, the Times reported that courts consider expressions of intent.
The Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said they will be suggesting programs and applying for funds if Helmsley's billions really end up funding dog welfare. Read More
The thought of HSUS getting their hands on $400 million is more than scary. Mainly because of how they would actually use it. Their claim is that they would use the money to help dogs, but they don’t operate any shelters. There are still investigations going on to discover what they did with the millions of dollars they raised in the name of helping animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to that, their own tax records suggest that less than 5% of their budget is used to help shelters that actually get their hands dirty working with animals. I seriously doubt their standard operating procedure would be changing if they acquired any of this money.
NEW YORK (AP) — Animal welfare groups are set to try to fetch some of Leona Helmsley's vast fortune.
At least two groups are eyeing the hotel queen's estate — estimated to be up to $8 billion — following a report Helmsley wanted her fortune to go to the dogs.
The real estate baroness, sometimes called "The Queen of Mean" for the imperious way she treated her staff, died in August. The New York Times reported Wednesday that she left instructions that her estate be spent on the care and welfare of dogs.
While the instructions are not part of her will, and there may be wiggle room for the estate's trustees, the Times reported that courts consider expressions of intent.
The Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said they will be suggesting programs and applying for funds if Helmsley's billions really end up funding dog welfare. Read More
The thought of HSUS getting their hands on $400 million is more than scary. Mainly because of how they would actually use it. Their claim is that they would use the money to help dogs, but they don’t operate any shelters. There are still investigations going on to discover what they did with the millions of dollars they raised in the name of helping animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to that, their own tax records suggest that less than 5% of their budget is used to help shelters that actually get their hands dirty working with animals. I seriously doubt their standard operating procedure would be changing if they acquired any of this money.
Undermining Food Production
Greens add food production to their hit list
By Dennis T. Avery
web posted July 7, 2008
British diesel is a self-inflicted $12 per gallon, biofuels have nearly doubled their food prices, and 40 percent of U.K electrical power will be shut down over the next six years. Now, the same Green alarmists, who warn of man-made warming while the planet cools, demand sharp reductions in Europe's pesticide use. That will slash Europe's crop production in half during a global food emergency.
Is Green really the world's way forward?
Europe's Large Combustion Plant Directive will shutter 17 big generating plants in the UK alone for emitting too much CO2. Never mind that the earth has not warmed as the alarmists predicted—and has been actually cooling for 16 months in defiance of the climate models. Read More
Those that promote the claim of global warming say that the debate is over on the subject, and it seems that they are trying to claim to same thing when it comes to how we should produce food and fiber on our planet. The idea that we can feed the world with organic gardens is utterly ridiculous. Since humans figured out how to cultivate food, they have been trying to improve yields through technology, and that is the same story today. Whether it is developing a simple tool or deciphering a plant’s genetic code, every step along the way has improved our ability to grow food and that is something that will have to continue.
By Dennis T. Avery
web posted July 7, 2008
British diesel is a self-inflicted $12 per gallon, biofuels have nearly doubled their food prices, and 40 percent of U.K electrical power will be shut down over the next six years. Now, the same Green alarmists, who warn of man-made warming while the planet cools, demand sharp reductions in Europe's pesticide use. That will slash Europe's crop production in half during a global food emergency.
Is Green really the world's way forward?
Europe's Large Combustion Plant Directive will shutter 17 big generating plants in the UK alone for emitting too much CO2. Never mind that the earth has not warmed as the alarmists predicted—and has been actually cooling for 16 months in defiance of the climate models. Read More
Those that promote the claim of global warming say that the debate is over on the subject, and it seems that they are trying to claim to same thing when it comes to how we should produce food and fiber on our planet. The idea that we can feed the world with organic gardens is utterly ridiculous. Since humans figured out how to cultivate food, they have been trying to improve yields through technology, and that is the same story today. Whether it is developing a simple tool or deciphering a plant’s genetic code, every step along the way has improved our ability to grow food and that is something that will have to continue.
Tony Blair won't veg out
No need to give up meat to save planet: Tony Blair
Mon Jul 7, 2008 11:55am BST
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has distanced himself from the idea that he should become a vegetarian as a way of highlighting the dangers of deforestation in his role as a climate change campaigner.
Blair, who is backing a plan for the world to halve greenhouse gases by 2050, said deforestation was responsible for producing four times as many as emissions as the airline industry.
"The destruction of tropical rainforests for conversion to farmland -- for meat and crops -- must be halted, and reversed," Blair told readers of the Independent in a question and answer session.
He was asked by one reader: "will you (therefore) go vegetarian and lead by example?"
Blair replied: "This does not mean the world has to give up meat." Read More
Tony Blair has resisted protesters calls for him to switch to a vegetarian diet. Apparently he hasn’t fallen for the bizarre notion that eliminating animal agriculture would somehow solve all of the world’s problems. The real story is that animal agriculture will be part of the solution for a world that will need more food as our population grows.
Mon Jul 7, 2008 11:55am BST
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has distanced himself from the idea that he should become a vegetarian as a way of highlighting the dangers of deforestation in his role as a climate change campaigner.
Blair, who is backing a plan for the world to halve greenhouse gases by 2050, said deforestation was responsible for producing four times as many as emissions as the airline industry.
"The destruction of tropical rainforests for conversion to farmland -- for meat and crops -- must be halted, and reversed," Blair told readers of the Independent in a question and answer session.
He was asked by one reader: "will you (therefore) go vegetarian and lead by example?"
Blair replied: "This does not mean the world has to give up meat." Read More
Tony Blair has resisted protesters calls for him to switch to a vegetarian diet. Apparently he hasn’t fallen for the bizarre notion that eliminating animal agriculture would somehow solve all of the world’s problems. The real story is that animal agriculture will be part of the solution for a world that will need more food as our population grows.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Common Practice Considered Mutilation
FAWC concerns over ‘mutilation’ of lambs
By Joe Watson
Published: 02/07/2008
Concerns about the castration and tail-docking of millions of lambs were voiced yesterday by the independent Farm Animal Welfare Council.
It branded them painful mutilations and said farmers needed strong justification to continue carrying out both tasks.
The condemnation of age-old industry practices emerged in a new report from the independent FAWC, which advises UK agriculture ministers on welfare issues.
Farmers, however, argued that in many situations it is necessary to dock lambs’ tails to prevent flystrike – a debilitating animal welfare problem – and castrate male animals to avoid unnecessary pregnancies. Read More
When common practices like castration and tail docking are starting to be considered “painful mutilations” that should require “strong justification”, well then you can see the road that the UK is headed down. Practices such as these are extremely beneficial to the animal, and those around it, over the course of their lives. That is why producers started using these practices ages ago.
By Joe Watson
Published: 02/07/2008
Concerns about the castration and tail-docking of millions of lambs were voiced yesterday by the independent Farm Animal Welfare Council.
It branded them painful mutilations and said farmers needed strong justification to continue carrying out both tasks.
The condemnation of age-old industry practices emerged in a new report from the independent FAWC, which advises UK agriculture ministers on welfare issues.
Farmers, however, argued that in many situations it is necessary to dock lambs’ tails to prevent flystrike – a debilitating animal welfare problem – and castrate male animals to avoid unnecessary pregnancies. Read More
When common practices like castration and tail docking are starting to be considered “painful mutilations” that should require “strong justification”, well then you can see the road that the UK is headed down. Practices such as these are extremely beneficial to the animal, and those around it, over the course of their lives. That is why producers started using these practices ages ago.
Details get in Way of Global Warming
Are Volcanoes Melting Arctic?
By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY Posted Monday, June 30, 2008 4:20 PM PT
Climate Change: While the media scream that man-made global warming is making the North Pole ice-free, another possible cause is as old as the Earth itself. They just have to look deeper.
To the delight of Al Gore and the rest of the Gaia groupies, scientists at the National Snow & Ice Data Center in Colorado are predicting that the North Pole will be completely free of ice this summer. The apocalyptic headlines already are starting to appear.
"From the viewpoint of science, the North Pole is just another point on the globe, but symbolically it is hugely important," says the center's Mark Serreze. "There is supposed to be ice at the North Pole, not open water."
Icebergs breaking away and polar bears supposedly drowning are good theater, but they do not reflect reality. In April, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published a study, based on last September's data, showing Arctic ice has shrunk from 13 million square kilometers to just 3 million.
What the WWF didn't mention was that by March of this year the Arctic ice had recovered to 14 million square kilometers and that ice-cover around the Bering Strait and Alaska was at its highest level ever recorded. Ice freezes. Ice melts. That's what ice does. Read More
Has anyone else noticed this trend of global warming advocates not sharing all of the details. Details like the fact that this melted ice will freeze back up, like there have been a string of volcanic eruptions under the ice, and 98% of Antarctica has been on a cooling trend. Those dang detail always get in the way, don’t they!
By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY Posted Monday, June 30, 2008 4:20 PM PT
Climate Change: While the media scream that man-made global warming is making the North Pole ice-free, another possible cause is as old as the Earth itself. They just have to look deeper.
To the delight of Al Gore and the rest of the Gaia groupies, scientists at the National Snow & Ice Data Center in Colorado are predicting that the North Pole will be completely free of ice this summer. The apocalyptic headlines already are starting to appear.
"From the viewpoint of science, the North Pole is just another point on the globe, but symbolically it is hugely important," says the center's Mark Serreze. "There is supposed to be ice at the North Pole, not open water."
Icebergs breaking away and polar bears supposedly drowning are good theater, but they do not reflect reality. In April, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published a study, based on last September's data, showing Arctic ice has shrunk from 13 million square kilometers to just 3 million.
What the WWF didn't mention was that by March of this year the Arctic ice had recovered to 14 million square kilometers and that ice-cover around the Bering Strait and Alaska was at its highest level ever recorded. Ice freezes. Ice melts. That's what ice does. Read More
Has anyone else noticed this trend of global warming advocates not sharing all of the details. Details like the fact that this melted ice will freeze back up, like there have been a string of volcanic eruptions under the ice, and 98% of Antarctica has been on a cooling trend. Those dang detail always get in the way, don’t they!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Cows & the Environment
Hormone use may make dairy farming greener-US study
Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:24pm EDT
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO, June 30 (Reuters) - Using bovine growth hormones to boost milk production could help the dairy industry significantly reduce its impact on the environment, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
They said supplementing 1 million cows with the growth hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin or rbST would have the same effect as removing about 400,000 cars from the road or planting 300 million trees.
"That's a pretty substantial impact," said Dale Bauman of Cornell University, whose research appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read More
The same groups that claim that animal agriculture is inefficient also fight and argue against technologies that improve efficiencies at the production level. Why? Because their goal is to eliminate our industry and anything that comes along that will mess with their argument has to be blown off as untrue. The efficiencies that we have gained in agriculture over the last 100 years is phenomenal and that is something that we should be proud of.
Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:24pm EDT
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO, June 30 (Reuters) - Using bovine growth hormones to boost milk production could help the dairy industry significantly reduce its impact on the environment, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
They said supplementing 1 million cows with the growth hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin or rbST would have the same effect as removing about 400,000 cars from the road or planting 300 million trees.
"That's a pretty substantial impact," said Dale Bauman of Cornell University, whose research appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read More
The same groups that claim that animal agriculture is inefficient also fight and argue against technologies that improve efficiencies at the production level. Why? Because their goal is to eliminate our industry and anything that comes along that will mess with their argument has to be blown off as untrue. The efficiencies that we have gained in agriculture over the last 100 years is phenomenal and that is something that we should be proud of.
The War on Coal
Georgia Judge Cites Carbon Dioxide in Denying Coal Plant Permit
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Published: July 1, 2008
A judge in Georgia has thrown out an air pollution permit for a new coal-fired power plant because the permit did not set limits on carbon dioxide emissions.
Both opponents of coal use and the company that wants to build the plant said it was the first time a court decision had linked carbon dioxide to an air pollution permit.
The decision’s broader legal impact was not clear, either for the plant, proposed to be built near Blakely, in Early County, Ga., or for others outside Georgia, but it signaled that builders of coal plants would face continued difficulties in the court system as well as with elected officials in many states. Read More
Coal is one of our most abundant natural resources in this country. We have many centuries worth of coal available to us. With electricity demands always increasing, every proposed coal plant project has been met with lawsuits over the plant food (carbon dioxide) that they emit. At the same time, there are no guidelines to regarding the emissions of carbon dioxide. Why is it that those who like to complain about how our electricity is made are still more than happy to consume it?
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Published: July 1, 2008
A judge in Georgia has thrown out an air pollution permit for a new coal-fired power plant because the permit did not set limits on carbon dioxide emissions.
Both opponents of coal use and the company that wants to build the plant said it was the first time a court decision had linked carbon dioxide to an air pollution permit.
The decision’s broader legal impact was not clear, either for the plant, proposed to be built near Blakely, in Early County, Ga., or for others outside Georgia, but it signaled that builders of coal plants would face continued difficulties in the court system as well as with elected officials in many states. Read More
Coal is one of our most abundant natural resources in this country. We have many centuries worth of coal available to us. With electricity demands always increasing, every proposed coal plant project has been met with lawsuits over the plant food (carbon dioxide) that they emit. At the same time, there are no guidelines to regarding the emissions of carbon dioxide. Why is it that those who like to complain about how our electricity is made are still more than happy to consume it?
Don't Skip the Meat Case
Beef Is What's For Dinner
Your household budget may be taking a big hit. Not only because of the cost of fuel, but food. Because grocery prices are increasing at the fastest rate in almost 20 years, you may find yourself skimping on foods you normally stock up on. But there's one aisle you don't want to avoid.
The meat case at your grocery may seem more full than normal. That because as the price of oil goes up, so does the price of your favorite cuts of meat. But there is a way to stretch your dollar and still get this protein in your diet.
“If you're trying to get your protein needs and you're trying to skimp on your dollar there...you're not getting the nutritional benefits that you think you are,” says Holly Swee, Director of Nutrition for the South Dakota Beef Council. Read More
With the increases in the price of food, anti-animal agriculture groups are taking advantage of the situation to promote vegetarian diets as a way of lowering your grocery bill. But meat will always provide consumers with a very nutrient dense food source that is a key ingredient for a balanced diet.
Your household budget may be taking a big hit. Not only because of the cost of fuel, but food. Because grocery prices are increasing at the fastest rate in almost 20 years, you may find yourself skimping on foods you normally stock up on. But there's one aisle you don't want to avoid.
The meat case at your grocery may seem more full than normal. That because as the price of oil goes up, so does the price of your favorite cuts of meat. But there is a way to stretch your dollar and still get this protein in your diet.
“If you're trying to get your protein needs and you're trying to skimp on your dollar there...you're not getting the nutritional benefits that you think you are,” says Holly Swee, Director of Nutrition for the South Dakota Beef Council. Read More
With the increases in the price of food, anti-animal agriculture groups are taking advantage of the situation to promote vegetarian diets as a way of lowering your grocery bill. But meat will always provide consumers with a very nutrient dense food source that is a key ingredient for a balanced diet.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Euthanizing Needs to be an Option
Are no-kill shelters humane? Some dogs unadoptable, dangerous to volunteers
By Celia Gilner For the Journal-Constitution
Our Pal's Place, a no-kill dog adoption facility in Marietta, was recently featured in the AJC about its fund-raising drive, the "million penny campaign." Sniffles, a dog at the shelter who was euthanized after suffering numerous health problems, has also been in the news.
Undoubtedly, no-kill shelters including Our Pal's Place do a tremendous amount of good by finding homes for terrific dogs that would have been euthanized. But, as illustrated by Sniffles, there are times when it is appropriate to put a dog to sleep.
Our Pal's Place is dependent on volunteers to feed and care for its 15-plus dogs and puppies. I was a volunteer for more than a year and took pride in the care we gave on limited funds.
During orientation, we were told to use a plastic garbage can lid and a spray that has repeatedly been ineffective to break up dogfights. With experience as a registered nurse, boarding horses for more than 30 years and having various pets all my life, I am safety-conscious and would never interact with Lucy or Brinks, two dogs who have been at the facility for more than two years and have repeatedly attacked both dogs and people. Read More
There has been a big push to make animal shelters become no-kill facilities, in other words they won’t euthanize any animals. However, there are times when that is necessary and these shelters will no longer have that option. It seems that some people would rather send a dangerous animal to a home with kids than have it put down.
By Celia Gilner For the Journal-Constitution
Our Pal's Place, a no-kill dog adoption facility in Marietta, was recently featured in the AJC about its fund-raising drive, the "million penny campaign." Sniffles, a dog at the shelter who was euthanized after suffering numerous health problems, has also been in the news.
Undoubtedly, no-kill shelters including Our Pal's Place do a tremendous amount of good by finding homes for terrific dogs that would have been euthanized. But, as illustrated by Sniffles, there are times when it is appropriate to put a dog to sleep.
Our Pal's Place is dependent on volunteers to feed and care for its 15-plus dogs and puppies. I was a volunteer for more than a year and took pride in the care we gave on limited funds.
During orientation, we were told to use a plastic garbage can lid and a spray that has repeatedly been ineffective to break up dogfights. With experience as a registered nurse, boarding horses for more than 30 years and having various pets all my life, I am safety-conscious and would never interact with Lucy or Brinks, two dogs who have been at the facility for more than two years and have repeatedly attacked both dogs and people. Read More
There has been a big push to make animal shelters become no-kill facilities, in other words they won’t euthanize any animals. However, there are times when that is necessary and these shelters will no longer have that option. It seems that some people would rather send a dangerous animal to a home with kids than have it put down.
Oprah and Friends
Jeff Reinartz: Oprah and PETA on the same team? Scary stuff
6/28/2008 8:41:12 AM
Comments (6)
Listen up Austin, we have a problem, and it threatens to jeopardize our way of life, our very existence. We must remain strong. We must remain vigilant. We must stick together and stand tall in the face of ... vegetarians?
Well, not all vegetarians. That wouldn't be fair. I'm referring to certain groups of vegetarians that would have you believe that if you don't allow them to force you to adopt their lifestyle, that you're somehow morally and ethically careless.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is one such group. PETA is an organization of militant vegetarians who envision a world where an end has been put to the production of meat and the world subsists on a diet of rabbit food, presumably not tomatoes.
Apparently frustrated in their efforts, now they're even attempting to tie their cause to what I call the global warming myth, suddenly making meat manufacturers the number one producer of CO2 and the bellwether in the march toward this inevitable, horrifying calamity. In other words, if you eat meat then you don't care about animals, you don't care about the planet and global warming is your fault, you gluttonous carnivores. Read More
Oprah’s attempt at a vegan diet turned out to be quite difficult for her. As always, it comes back to eating a balanced diet. Her dieting adventures over the years have been well documented, and hopefully she has realized that eating a vegan diet will not make you or the environment any healthier.
6/28/2008 8:41:12 AM
Comments (6)
Listen up Austin, we have a problem, and it threatens to jeopardize our way of life, our very existence. We must remain strong. We must remain vigilant. We must stick together and stand tall in the face of ... vegetarians?
Well, not all vegetarians. That wouldn't be fair. I'm referring to certain groups of vegetarians that would have you believe that if you don't allow them to force you to adopt their lifestyle, that you're somehow morally and ethically careless.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is one such group. PETA is an organization of militant vegetarians who envision a world where an end has been put to the production of meat and the world subsists on a diet of rabbit food, presumably not tomatoes.
Apparently frustrated in their efforts, now they're even attempting to tie their cause to what I call the global warming myth, suddenly making meat manufacturers the number one producer of CO2 and the bellwether in the march toward this inevitable, horrifying calamity. In other words, if you eat meat then you don't care about animals, you don't care about the planet and global warming is your fault, you gluttonous carnivores. Read More
Oprah’s attempt at a vegan diet turned out to be quite difficult for her. As always, it comes back to eating a balanced diet. Her dieting adventures over the years have been well documented, and hopefully she has realized that eating a vegan diet will not make you or the environment any healthier.
Sharing Ag's Story
A chance to tell agriculture’s story
In August 2005 the Stephenson County Farm Bureau had a unique opportunity to share the important message of agriculture’s relevance in our world to a special audience. On that sunny Saturday we brought our “adopted” legislator State Senator Edward Maloney (D-18th) and a busload of his constituents from the south side of Chicago and neighboring suburbs, for a day of education and rural hospitality in Stephenson County. The group visited Scheidairy Farms near Freeport, Bremmer Farms at Pearl City (where they enjoyed a delicious country lunch, petting zoo, and tour), and Adkins Energy Ethanol near Lena. Among those enjoying the day were the retired chief of the Chicago Fire Department and the assistant state’s attorney for Cook County. Read More
I always enjoy sharing the stories of how people are promoting agriculture in their area. The Stephenson Co. Farm Bureau in Illinois have enjoyed some great success with the bus tours of local farms. Congratulations to them for telling the story of agriculture!
In August 2005 the Stephenson County Farm Bureau had a unique opportunity to share the important message of agriculture’s relevance in our world to a special audience. On that sunny Saturday we brought our “adopted” legislator State Senator Edward Maloney (D-18th) and a busload of his constituents from the south side of Chicago and neighboring suburbs, for a day of education and rural hospitality in Stephenson County. The group visited Scheidairy Farms near Freeport, Bremmer Farms at Pearl City (where they enjoyed a delicious country lunch, petting zoo, and tour), and Adkins Energy Ethanol near Lena. Among those enjoying the day were the retired chief of the Chicago Fire Department and the assistant state’s attorney for Cook County. Read More
I always enjoy sharing the stories of how people are promoting agriculture in their area. The Stephenson Co. Farm Bureau in Illinois have enjoyed some great success with the bus tours of local farms. Congratulations to them for telling the story of agriculture!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Milk Does a Body Good
The Science Is In: Drink Your Milk!
Thanks to researchers at the University of Illinois, activist-driven smear campaigns against milk and meat hit a major bump in the road this week. Contradicting what the animal rights clan has been claiming in recent years, a study published in this month’s Journal of Nutrition shows that milk still does a body good. And this latest evidence proves that the 1970s-era science cited by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is as old and antiquated as lava lamps and leisure suits.
In a futile attempt to get everyone to stop drinking milk, PETA and PCRM have been perpetuating the claim that diets in animal-based proteins actually suck calcium from our bones. PETA promotes the idea that drinking milk "can cause people to excrete calcium through their urine and increase their risk of osteoporosis." And PCRM blindly insists that milk should be yanked from school lunches because "consuming too much protein causes calcium to be pulled from the bones and excreted through urine." Read More
Another study has determined that drinking milk is good for you. It’s highly doubtful that this will stop those that are trying to eliminate animal agriculture, but science has one again proven that mom was right when she told us to drink our milk.
Thanks to researchers at the University of Illinois, activist-driven smear campaigns against milk and meat hit a major bump in the road this week. Contradicting what the animal rights clan has been claiming in recent years, a study published in this month’s Journal of Nutrition shows that milk still does a body good. And this latest evidence proves that the 1970s-era science cited by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is as old and antiquated as lava lamps and leisure suits.
In a futile attempt to get everyone to stop drinking milk, PETA and PCRM have been perpetuating the claim that diets in animal-based proteins actually suck calcium from our bones. PETA promotes the idea that drinking milk "can cause people to excrete calcium through their urine and increase their risk of osteoporosis." And PCRM blindly insists that milk should be yanked from school lunches because "consuming too much protein causes calcium to be pulled from the bones and excreted through urine." Read More
Another study has determined that drinking milk is good for you. It’s highly doubtful that this will stop those that are trying to eliminate animal agriculture, but science has one again proven that mom was right when she told us to drink our milk.
The "Rocking" Tree Farmer
AFB: Rolling Stones Rocker Calls for More Agriculture & Nature Education
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 25, 2008 — Today’s children are increasingly disconnected from the natural world and schools can play a big role in fixing this. That’s the message Chuck Leavell, Rolling Stones keyboardist, shared during his keynote address at the Ag in the Classroom conference in Costa Mesa, Calif., this week. Leavell addressed the teachers present not as a musician but as a Georgia tree farmer and the author of the 2007 American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Book of the Year The Tree Farmer.
Leavell told the group of more than 500 attendees he wrote his book in response to what he calls “nature-deficit disorder,” where younger generations don’t understand or appreciate nature and agriculture. He adds that classrooms are the ideal place to fix this but teachers are facing increased pressure to teach towards standardized tests.
“Programs like Ag in the Classroom and the American Forest Foundation’s Project Learning Tree help educators make outdoor experiences part of their everyday lesson plans,” Leavell said. “They teach core subjects through experiences in nature and show that learning through environmental education is not incompatible with math and reading instruction.” He adds that this method has also been shown to improve test scores.
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 25, 2008 — Today’s children are increasingly disconnected from the natural world and schools can play a big role in fixing this. That’s the message Chuck Leavell, Rolling Stones keyboardist, shared during his keynote address at the Ag in the Classroom conference in Costa Mesa, Calif., this week. Leavell addressed the teachers present not as a musician but as a Georgia tree farmer and the author of the 2007 American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Book of the Year The Tree Farmer.
Leavell told the group of more than 500 attendees he wrote his book in response to what he calls “nature-deficit disorder,” where younger generations don’t understand or appreciate nature and agriculture. He adds that classrooms are the ideal place to fix this but teachers are facing increased pressure to teach towards standardized tests.
“Programs like Ag in the Classroom and the American Forest Foundation’s Project Learning Tree help educators make outdoor experiences part of their everyday lesson plans,” Leavell said. “They teach core subjects through experiences in nature and show that learning through environmental education is not incompatible with math and reading instruction.” He adds that this method has also been shown to improve test scores.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
More Allegations of Abuse
Humane Society releases video of cattle being abused
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The group whose undercover slaughterhouse video prompted the largest beef recall in U.S. history in February alleged on Wednesday that cattle continue to be abused, this time at livestock auctions.
The Humane Society of the United States, an animal rights group, said a new investigation discovered dairy cattle being abused in May at a livestock auction in New Mexico. The group said an investigator watched three cows and calves "being mistreated and tormented in order to get them to stand and walk" into an auction ring in Portales. The group said state inspectors "were present at the auctions and apparently saw much of the abuse."
At the group's headquarters, president Wayne Pacelle played for reporters a short video that showed a stockyard worker kicking a cow, another cow struggling to pull itself forward by its front legs and another being dragged by a hind leg with a chain attached to a Bobcat-type tractor.
A meat industry trade association condemned the handling practices shown in the video, calling them "simply inexplicable." Read More
The release of another video showing sale barn workers mis-handling livestock serves as yet another reminder that HSUS will continue to try eliminating animal agriculture by searching all over the United States for these isolated cases. The actions taken by these employees cannot be defended which is why everyone of us involved in animal agriculture need to do our part to make sure no more videos get released.
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The group whose undercover slaughterhouse video prompted the largest beef recall in U.S. history in February alleged on Wednesday that cattle continue to be abused, this time at livestock auctions.
The Humane Society of the United States, an animal rights group, said a new investigation discovered dairy cattle being abused in May at a livestock auction in New Mexico. The group said an investigator watched three cows and calves "being mistreated and tormented in order to get them to stand and walk" into an auction ring in Portales. The group said state inspectors "were present at the auctions and apparently saw much of the abuse."
At the group's headquarters, president Wayne Pacelle played for reporters a short video that showed a stockyard worker kicking a cow, another cow struggling to pull itself forward by its front legs and another being dragged by a hind leg with a chain attached to a Bobcat-type tractor.
A meat industry trade association condemned the handling practices shown in the video, calling them "simply inexplicable." Read More
The release of another video showing sale barn workers mis-handling livestock serves as yet another reminder that HSUS will continue to try eliminating animal agriculture by searching all over the United States for these isolated cases. The actions taken by these employees cannot be defended which is why everyone of us involved in animal agriculture need to do our part to make sure no more videos get released.
Spain Takes the Plunge
Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes
Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:27pm EDT
By Martin Roberts
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's parliament voiced its support on Wednesday for the rights of great apes to life and freedom in what will apparently be the first time any national legislature has called for such rights for non-humans.
Parliament's environmental committee approved resolutions urging Spain to comply with the Great Apes Project, devised by scientists and philosophers who say our closest genetic relatives deserve rights hitherto limited to humans.
"This is a historic day in the struggle for animal rights and in defense of our evolutionary comrades, which will doubtless go down in the history of humanity," said Pedro Pozas, Spanish director of the Great Apes Project. Read More
Spain has become the first nation to plunge off the cliff and grant human rights to apes. They use the logic that since they are “almost” human, they should be granted these rights. This is ridiculous, “almost” and “pretty close” shouldn’t cut it. I would hope that since these apes have been granted these rights that they will also start contributing to human society.
Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:27pm EDT
By Martin Roberts
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's parliament voiced its support on Wednesday for the rights of great apes to life and freedom in what will apparently be the first time any national legislature has called for such rights for non-humans.
Parliament's environmental committee approved resolutions urging Spain to comply with the Great Apes Project, devised by scientists and philosophers who say our closest genetic relatives deserve rights hitherto limited to humans.
"This is a historic day in the struggle for animal rights and in defense of our evolutionary comrades, which will doubtless go down in the history of humanity," said Pedro Pozas, Spanish director of the Great Apes Project. Read More
Spain has become the first nation to plunge off the cliff and grant human rights to apes. They use the logic that since they are “almost” human, they should be granted these rights. This is ridiculous, “almost” and “pretty close” shouldn’t cut it. I would hope that since these apes have been granted these rights that they will also start contributing to human society.
HSUS Tries to Blackmail Universities
New Front in Battle Over Studies of Animals
Activists take aim at nonresearch colleges
By JEFFREY BRAINARD
Far from the front lines of the nasty fight over laboratory-animal experiments at large research universities, activists are strategically drawing some teaching-oriented institutions into the same battle.
Amherst College, Fairfield University, Francis Marion University, and 10 other institutions, none of which are known for conducting animal experiments, recently signed a pledge not to subject any research animals to "severe" unrelieved pain or distress. The pledge was written by the Humane Society of the United States, which has sent it to a total of 301 presidents at similar institutions.
Signing the pledge was easy, said officials on some of those campuses, because no such research went on there. And that is just what the advocacy group is counting on: a wave of no-fuss pledge signings that will put pressure on larger universities, which do conduct extensive animal research, to follow suit. Read More
This is the same strategy that the HSUS has used to pass legislation to ban gestation and veal crates in Florida and Arizona. They start with those it affects the least to establish a precedent and then go from there. These universities are also feeling pressured to sign it, because the HSUS has promised not to go public with any infractions if they have signed the document. Doesn’t that sound like blackmail?
Activists take aim at nonresearch colleges
By JEFFREY BRAINARD
Far from the front lines of the nasty fight over laboratory-animal experiments at large research universities, activists are strategically drawing some teaching-oriented institutions into the same battle.
Amherst College, Fairfield University, Francis Marion University, and 10 other institutions, none of which are known for conducting animal experiments, recently signed a pledge not to subject any research animals to "severe" unrelieved pain or distress. The pledge was written by the Humane Society of the United States, which has sent it to a total of 301 presidents at similar institutions.
Signing the pledge was easy, said officials on some of those campuses, because no such research went on there. And that is just what the advocacy group is counting on: a wave of no-fuss pledge signings that will put pressure on larger universities, which do conduct extensive animal research, to follow suit. Read More
This is the same strategy that the HSUS has used to pass legislation to ban gestation and veal crates in Florida and Arizona. They start with those it affects the least to establish a precedent and then go from there. These universities are also feeling pressured to sign it, because the HSUS has promised not to go public with any infractions if they have signed the document. Doesn’t that sound like blackmail?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
New Antimicrobial Developed
New Invention Effectively Kills Foodborne Pathogens In Minutes
ScienceDaily (June 25, 2008) — University of Georgia researchers have developed an effective technology for reducing contamination of dangerous bacteria on food. The new antimicrobial wash rapidly kills Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on foods ranging from fragile lettuce to tomatoes, fruits, poultry products and meats. It is made from inexpensive and readily available ingredients that are recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The new technology, which has commercial application for the produce, poultry, meat and egg processing industries, is available for licensing from the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., which has filed a patent application on the new technology. Read More
As always, we continually look to improve what is already the safest food supply in the world. This new antimicrobial technology shows great promise to being another tool that we can use. However, it will always be important that consumers still follow proper food handling guidelines.
ScienceDaily (June 25, 2008) — University of Georgia researchers have developed an effective technology for reducing contamination of dangerous bacteria on food. The new antimicrobial wash rapidly kills Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on foods ranging from fragile lettuce to tomatoes, fruits, poultry products and meats. It is made from inexpensive and readily available ingredients that are recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The new technology, which has commercial application for the produce, poultry, meat and egg processing industries, is available for licensing from the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., which has filed a patent application on the new technology. Read More
As always, we continually look to improve what is already the safest food supply in the world. This new antimicrobial technology shows great promise to being another tool that we can use. However, it will always be important that consumers still follow proper food handling guidelines.
PETA's Dark Side
PETA isn't all warm and fuzzy
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
- Greg Francek, Pine Grove
People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals has become a household name and is now so mainstream that its press releases and "animal action alerts" have begun to appear in scores of American newspapers, including the Ledger Dispatch.
With close to 1 million members and financial contributors, PETA is an influential and powerful non-profit organization that, on the surface, garners the sympathies of animal lovers from all walks of life. PETA has been a vocal advocate to end animal suffering and cruelty, which most would agree is a noble cause. The four areas that they focus their campaigns are: factory farms, animal/medical research laboratories, the entertainment industry and the clothing trade (fur coats, leather products). There is, however, a darker and more militant side to PETA. Read More
The dark side of PETA is one that they would rather you not be aware of because they would like to greatly alter the way we live. They encourage violence and place human health and well being at the bottom of their priority list.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
- Greg Francek, Pine Grove
People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals has become a household name and is now so mainstream that its press releases and "animal action alerts" have begun to appear in scores of American newspapers, including the Ledger Dispatch.
With close to 1 million members and financial contributors, PETA is an influential and powerful non-profit organization that, on the surface, garners the sympathies of animal lovers from all walks of life. PETA has been a vocal advocate to end animal suffering and cruelty, which most would agree is a noble cause. The four areas that they focus their campaigns are: factory farms, animal/medical research laboratories, the entertainment industry and the clothing trade (fur coats, leather products). There is, however, a darker and more militant side to PETA. Read More
The dark side of PETA is one that they would rather you not be aware of because they would like to greatly alter the way we live. They encourage violence and place human health and well being at the bottom of their priority list.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
BLM Against the Horse Slaughter Ban
The unbridled range
Proposed slaughter ban could unleash unwanted horses on public, private land
West of Hagerman, hidden in a dusty valley flanked by bluffs and within earshot of the U.S. Air Force's thunderous bombing ranges, tribes of multi-colored horses - led by warring studs - survive in a delicate balance.
They depend on sparse patches of cheatgrass and metal water troughs - provided by the Bureau of Land Management for the horses to share with grazing cattle, elk and antelopes. Birth control limits the horses to about 150 head.
You never hear about these horses unless your cattle graze on the range. Most Idahoans only see the nearly quarter-million horses resting in Idaho's stables, lolling next to tall haystacks, earning prizes at rodeos.
But if Congress finalizes a total ban on horse slaughter for human consumption, domesticated and wild horses could merge and spread over patchworks of private and public lands with catastrophic results, Idaho equine regulators and BLM officials say. Read More
The issue of horse slaughter continues to be at the forefront of many conversations. While those of us in agriculture can continue to find more problems relating to the ban, the HSUS can only say “that’s absurd”. It is very important that horse owners have the ability to manage their animals as is necessary and that we don’t go down this slippery slope of banning the slaughter of livestock.
Proposed slaughter ban could unleash unwanted horses on public, private land
West of Hagerman, hidden in a dusty valley flanked by bluffs and within earshot of the U.S. Air Force's thunderous bombing ranges, tribes of multi-colored horses - led by warring studs - survive in a delicate balance.
They depend on sparse patches of cheatgrass and metal water troughs - provided by the Bureau of Land Management for the horses to share with grazing cattle, elk and antelopes. Birth control limits the horses to about 150 head.
You never hear about these horses unless your cattle graze on the range. Most Idahoans only see the nearly quarter-million horses resting in Idaho's stables, lolling next to tall haystacks, earning prizes at rodeos.
But if Congress finalizes a total ban on horse slaughter for human consumption, domesticated and wild horses could merge and spread over patchworks of private and public lands with catastrophic results, Idaho equine regulators and BLM officials say. Read More
The issue of horse slaughter continues to be at the forefront of many conversations. While those of us in agriculture can continue to find more problems relating to the ban, the HSUS can only say “that’s absurd”. It is very important that horse owners have the ability to manage their animals as is necessary and that we don’t go down this slippery slope of banning the slaughter of livestock.
Mexican Gray Wolf
Wolf recovery failing as ranchers are left out of equation
Jun. 22, 2008
Aaaahhhoooooooo! The wolf howls as it stands over its recent kill of a calf. A leaf falls in the forest as another season changes from fall to winter, and a ranch family stands on its porch with a telemetry antenna to determine if their dogs are barking at a wolf approaching their home.
Two days later, they take one of their prized animals, an 8-year-old trained dog, to the veterinarian to stitch up a wound from an encounter with a wolf. This is real nature, an actual occurrence and what is happening under the current wolf-recovery program today. So, you can understand why ranching families in northeastern Arizona are concerned about the direction of the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program.
The wolf-recovery program is failing. It is not failing because ranch families are protecting their homes, property and animals. It is failing because the reintroduction of a "top of the chain" predator, with mixed canine bloodlines (the current population of wolves has a 2 to 3 percent mixture of coyote ancestry) has become a political pawn for those who want to vilify or remove ranching families from the area. Read More
Farmers and ranchers are on the front lines when it comes to preserving wildlife. Any attempts at re-introducing species will be a failure if farmers and ranchers are not considered a stake holder in the process.
Jun. 22, 2008
Aaaahhhoooooooo! The wolf howls as it stands over its recent kill of a calf. A leaf falls in the forest as another season changes from fall to winter, and a ranch family stands on its porch with a telemetry antenna to determine if their dogs are barking at a wolf approaching their home.
Two days later, they take one of their prized animals, an 8-year-old trained dog, to the veterinarian to stitch up a wound from an encounter with a wolf. This is real nature, an actual occurrence and what is happening under the current wolf-recovery program today. So, you can understand why ranching families in northeastern Arizona are concerned about the direction of the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program.
The wolf-recovery program is failing. It is not failing because ranch families are protecting their homes, property and animals. It is failing because the reintroduction of a "top of the chain" predator, with mixed canine bloodlines (the current population of wolves has a 2 to 3 percent mixture of coyote ancestry) has become a political pawn for those who want to vilify or remove ranching families from the area. Read More
Farmers and ranchers are on the front lines when it comes to preserving wildlife. Any attempts at re-introducing species will be a failure if farmers and ranchers are not considered a stake holder in the process.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Meat is not to Blame
Meat Habit is Fueling World Famine
Posted on: Friday, 20 June 2008, 09:00 CDT
Approximately 854 million people do not have enough to eat. Thirty-three countries are facing food crises, according to the World Bank, and food riots have recently erupted in Egypt, Haiti, Yemen, Malaysia and other poor nations. This is hard for most Americans to comprehend. The closest many of us will ever come to a food riot is when someone cuts in line for more nachos and hot dogs at the baseball-stadium concession stand.
But we need look no further than our own shores to figure out what's causing food crises overseas: While millions of people are starving, a billion more _ many of them Americans _ are overweight. Our addiction to meat is largely to blame for both problems. Read More
This article was written by PETA in an effort to further their agenda against animal agriculture. There are several things they fail to mention however. First, if we didn’t have livestock we wouldn’t be able to utilize much of the land resources available to us in this country. Next, the biggest reason for starving people has been politics. How often do we hear about food aid not making it to those who need it most because of foreign governments that won’t give it out. Finally, in the case of ruminant animals, such as cattle, we need them to convert undigestible plants into a form that humans can utilize.
Posted on: Friday, 20 June 2008, 09:00 CDT
Approximately 854 million people do not have enough to eat. Thirty-three countries are facing food crises, according to the World Bank, and food riots have recently erupted in Egypt, Haiti, Yemen, Malaysia and other poor nations. This is hard for most Americans to comprehend. The closest many of us will ever come to a food riot is when someone cuts in line for more nachos and hot dogs at the baseball-stadium concession stand.
But we need look no further than our own shores to figure out what's causing food crises overseas: While millions of people are starving, a billion more _ many of them Americans _ are overweight. Our addiction to meat is largely to blame for both problems. Read More
This article was written by PETA in an effort to further their agenda against animal agriculture. There are several things they fail to mention however. First, if we didn’t have livestock we wouldn’t be able to utilize much of the land resources available to us in this country. Next, the biggest reason for starving people has been politics. How often do we hear about food aid not making it to those who need it most because of foreign governments that won’t give it out. Finally, in the case of ruminant animals, such as cattle, we need them to convert undigestible plants into a form that humans can utilize.
Hunting Activists Convicted
Animal rights activists' convictions upheld
by Jim Lockwood/The Star-Ledger
The state Appellate Division has upheld municipal convictions against animal-rights activists who interfered with hunters during New Jersey's 2005 bear hunt.
In a decision released today, the Appellate Division affirmed prior rulings in Vernon Municipal Court and Superior Court in Newton that the activists, Angela Metler, Albert Kazemian and Janet Piszar, had harassed hunters, one of whom was an undercover police officer, by encircling them and hooting and hollering to keep bears away. Read More
Hunting has been under fire for some time now and these activists believe they have the right to harass hunters with no consequences to their actions. However, these activists found out they will have to pay the price. Hunting is an important means of managing wildlife and whether these activists realize it or not, wildlife need to be managed for greater health among all species involved.
by Jim Lockwood/The Star-Ledger
The state Appellate Division has upheld municipal convictions against animal-rights activists who interfered with hunters during New Jersey's 2005 bear hunt.
In a decision released today, the Appellate Division affirmed prior rulings in Vernon Municipal Court and Superior Court in Newton that the activists, Angela Metler, Albert Kazemian and Janet Piszar, had harassed hunters, one of whom was an undercover police officer, by encircling them and hooting and hollering to keep bears away. Read More
Hunting has been under fire for some time now and these activists believe they have the right to harass hunters with no consequences to their actions. However, these activists found out they will have to pay the price. Hunting is an important means of managing wildlife and whether these activists realize it or not, wildlife need to be managed for greater health among all species involved.
Houston Chronicle Editorial
Eat that?
Agriculture secretary's reassurance rings hollow in light of current industrial beef processing
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer recently assured Americans that USDA inspectors check "every single" processed American beef carcass. Charitably put, his statement is highly misleading. USDA inspections are perfunctory and fall far short of checks performed by other countries' meat watchdogs.
The issue arose after South Korea agreed this April to lift most of the restrictions it had placed on U.S. beef imports. That prompted intense protests by South Koreans who say they fear mad cow disease in U.S. beef. They want their government to negotiate a tougher deal or to scrap it.
In Texas last week touring meat processing plants, Secretary Schafer defended domestic meats as safe. Read More
There are never a shortage of people that like to say that some segments of agriculture are too big, move too fast, and are too cruel. What they fail to give us is what solution they would like to see. What chain speed would they like and how many animals are too many? This article seems to be a typical editorial because they make blanket claims against our industry about how we feed and raise our livestock without presenting any substantial reporting of specifics. The story of American agriculture is a great one and articles like this serve as a reminder of our duty to tell it.
Agriculture secretary's reassurance rings hollow in light of current industrial beef processing
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer recently assured Americans that USDA inspectors check "every single" processed American beef carcass. Charitably put, his statement is highly misleading. USDA inspections are perfunctory and fall far short of checks performed by other countries' meat watchdogs.
The issue arose after South Korea agreed this April to lift most of the restrictions it had placed on U.S. beef imports. That prompted intense protests by South Koreans who say they fear mad cow disease in U.S. beef. They want their government to negotiate a tougher deal or to scrap it.
In Texas last week touring meat processing plants, Secretary Schafer defended domestic meats as safe. Read More
There are never a shortage of people that like to say that some segments of agriculture are too big, move too fast, and are too cruel. What they fail to give us is what solution they would like to see. What chain speed would they like and how many animals are too many? This article seems to be a typical editorial because they make blanket claims against our industry about how we feed and raise our livestock without presenting any substantial reporting of specifics. The story of American agriculture is a great one and articles like this serve as a reminder of our duty to tell it.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Livestock & Flooding
Iowa farmer makes a sorrowful choice
By David Greising Tribune correspondent
2:42 AM CDT, June 18, 2008
OAKVILLE, Iowa - By the time a friend sped up the lane to Ron Lanz's farm Saturday evening—shouting that the Iowa River levee had blown—Lanz knew he faced a fateful decision: To save his own life, more than 800 of his hogs would have to die.
By instinct, Lanz shut the door on the semitrailer that was half-filled with hogs. He feared a wall of water might rush across his 450-acre farm any minute. Then Lanz jumped into the bed of his friend's pickup truck and rode for his life.I
t's a decision Lanz is having a hard time living with."It's devastating to leave those hogs behind," said Lanz, 36. "I don't like to think about it." Read More
If anyone ever questions the dedication of livestock producers, they only need to watch them during a time of crisis. Floods have been decimating many parts of the Midwest and producers have had to make many tough choices about how best to save the animals they care for. Hopefully the water will soon recede and these producers can begin putting their lives back together.
By David Greising Tribune correspondent
2:42 AM CDT, June 18, 2008
OAKVILLE, Iowa - By the time a friend sped up the lane to Ron Lanz's farm Saturday evening—shouting that the Iowa River levee had blown—Lanz knew he faced a fateful decision: To save his own life, more than 800 of his hogs would have to die.
By instinct, Lanz shut the door on the semitrailer that was half-filled with hogs. He feared a wall of water might rush across his 450-acre farm any minute. Then Lanz jumped into the bed of his friend's pickup truck and rode for his life.I
t's a decision Lanz is having a hard time living with."It's devastating to leave those hogs behind," said Lanz, 36. "I don't like to think about it." Read More
If anyone ever questions the dedication of livestock producers, they only need to watch them during a time of crisis. Floods have been decimating many parts of the Midwest and producers have had to make many tough choices about how best to save the animals they care for. Hopefully the water will soon recede and these producers can begin putting their lives back together.
Canadian Horse Slaughter Ban
Group calls for national ban on horse slaughter
Jordana Huber , Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
TORONTO - A group calling for a national ban on the slaughtering of horses released more documents and video footage Wednesday from inside a Saskatchewan processing facility as further evidence they said of the "inhumane" killing of horses.
The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition said more than a dozen Canadian Food Inspection Agency violations can be seen in hidden-camera footage taken at the Natural Valley Farms slaughter plant in Neudorf, Sask.
In a report entitled Black Beauty Betrayed, the coalition detailed concerns about improper transport and slaughter practices at the facility but suggest problems in the industry are widespread. Read More
A push has begun in Canada to ban the slaughter of horses in that country. Horse slaughter has increased 37% in 2007 due to the ban in the US. If Canada bans the harvesting of horses, you will see the even more problems in this country with abandoned and neglected horses.
Jordana Huber , Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
TORONTO - A group calling for a national ban on the slaughtering of horses released more documents and video footage Wednesday from inside a Saskatchewan processing facility as further evidence they said of the "inhumane" killing of horses.
The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition said more than a dozen Canadian Food Inspection Agency violations can be seen in hidden-camera footage taken at the Natural Valley Farms slaughter plant in Neudorf, Sask.
In a report entitled Black Beauty Betrayed, the coalition detailed concerns about improper transport and slaughter practices at the facility but suggest problems in the industry are widespread. Read More
A push has begun in Canada to ban the slaughter of horses in that country. Horse slaughter has increased 37% in 2007 due to the ban in the US. If Canada bans the harvesting of horses, you will see the even more problems in this country with abandoned and neglected horses.
Logging Research Protested
Logging started in Robinson Forest
By: Allie Garza
Posted: 6/19/08
After months of debate, sit-ins and meetings, logging has begun in Robinson Forest.
When UK College of Agriculture Dean Scott Smith announced that logging would begin last year, students and activists alike rallied together in efforts to halt the proposed Streamside Management Zone Project, in which logging would be a necessary component.
The project, conducted by the Department of Forestry, plans to analyze different techniques for protecting water quality during logging. By producing and collecting the data, researchers intend to find new ways to manage water resources in the state with a better and stronger criteria for timber harvesting. Read More
No matter the reason for an area being logged, some people will never be happy. This research project is aimed at finding the best logging techniques for protecting water quality. Trees are a fantastic renewable resource that are growing faster than we are harvesting them in this country. The information gathered from this project will only help us better manage this resource.
By: Allie Garza
Posted: 6/19/08
After months of debate, sit-ins and meetings, logging has begun in Robinson Forest.
When UK College of Agriculture Dean Scott Smith announced that logging would begin last year, students and activists alike rallied together in efforts to halt the proposed Streamside Management Zone Project, in which logging would be a necessary component.
The project, conducted by the Department of Forestry, plans to analyze different techniques for protecting water quality during logging. By producing and collecting the data, researchers intend to find new ways to manage water resources in the state with a better and stronger criteria for timber harvesting. Read More
No matter the reason for an area being logged, some people will never be happy. This research project is aimed at finding the best logging techniques for protecting water quality. Trees are a fantastic renewable resource that are growing faster than we are harvesting them in this country. The information gathered from this project will only help us better manage this resource.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Cash Reward Against Agriculture
Cash reward for an end to factory farms
Louise Hall June 15, 2008
A LEADING animal rights activist will give $25,000 to any person who can come up with a viable way to end factory farming in Australia.
The outspoken former corporate heavyweight Brian Sherman, the founder of animal rights group Voiceless, announced the incentive as part of a new round of grants for projects that improve the lives of Australian animals.
Speaking at the Vegan Expo at Sydney's Wharf 8 yesterday, Mr Sherman said the projects could include advertising or awareness campaigns, academic reports, education and lobbying to pressure industry and government to ban intensive piggeries, battery hens, broiler chickens and feedlots. Read More
Whenever you read about someone speaking of the horrors of the so-called factory farming, you have to wonder how they define what is and isn’t factory farming. How big is too big? Is there some magic number that you go over that makes you too big? No one ever seems to be able to answer these questions.
Louise Hall June 15, 2008
A LEADING animal rights activist will give $25,000 to any person who can come up with a viable way to end factory farming in Australia.
The outspoken former corporate heavyweight Brian Sherman, the founder of animal rights group Voiceless, announced the incentive as part of a new round of grants for projects that improve the lives of Australian animals.
Speaking at the Vegan Expo at Sydney's Wharf 8 yesterday, Mr Sherman said the projects could include advertising or awareness campaigns, academic reports, education and lobbying to pressure industry and government to ban intensive piggeries, battery hens, broiler chickens and feedlots. Read More
Whenever you read about someone speaking of the horrors of the so-called factory farming, you have to wonder how they define what is and isn’t factory farming. How big is too big? Is there some magic number that you go over that makes you too big? No one ever seems to be able to answer these questions.
Biotech Crops Gaining Approval
Brasher: Genetically engineered food getting 2nd look around world
Philip Brasher
Gannett News Service
Global food inflation has some people overseas taking another look at genetically engineered crops.
Biotech giants like Pioneer Hi-Bred and Monsanto have struggled for years to get into markets in Africa and Asia with varying degrees of success.
But there's evidence resistance to the technology may be easing, at least in part because of the skyrocketing price of commodities like corn, soybeans, rice and wheat.
South Korea, for example, recently issued its first approval for import of biotech corn for food.
"It's a change in course, basically," said Clive James, founder and chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, a group that tracks the use of biotech crops.
"The decision was a very strong no before. It's now yes." Read More
Biotech crops have been the latest step in the history of humans trying to improve the plants they grow for food. As the world demands more food for an increasing population, biotech crops will play a very important role. The decreasing world food stocks seem to be changing the tune of those who have been fighting against the use of this technology.
Philip Brasher
Gannett News Service
Global food inflation has some people overseas taking another look at genetically engineered crops.
Biotech giants like Pioneer Hi-Bred and Monsanto have struggled for years to get into markets in Africa and Asia with varying degrees of success.
But there's evidence resistance to the technology may be easing, at least in part because of the skyrocketing price of commodities like corn, soybeans, rice and wheat.
South Korea, for example, recently issued its first approval for import of biotech corn for food.
"It's a change in course, basically," said Clive James, founder and chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, a group that tracks the use of biotech crops.
"The decision was a very strong no before. It's now yes." Read More
Biotech crops have been the latest step in the history of humans trying to improve the plants they grow for food. As the world demands more food for an increasing population, biotech crops will play a very important role. The decreasing world food stocks seem to be changing the tune of those who have been fighting against the use of this technology.
Waterkeepers Trespass
Waterkeepers, film crew trespass on poultry farm
6.17.2008 By STEPHANIE JORDAN Associate Editor
WILLARDS, Md. — Members of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization that held a “poultry summit” on the Eastern Shore last November, were found trespassing on a poultry farm just outside Willards, Md., on the morning of Sunday, June 8.
Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said his deputies responded to the property owner’s call about trespassers. When they arrived, they identified six individuals, members of the Waterkeeper organization, mostly from the Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County (Md.) area. Originally, there were eight trespassers but two of them left before the deputies arrived, Lewis added.
Also part of the group was part of a documentary film crew. The documentary, being produced by Hedrick Smith Productions, is at the heart of the trespassing, said Bill Satterfield, executive director of the Delmarva Poultry Industry (DPI) Inc. Read More
There are several anti-agriculture groups out there that have no regard or respect for private property. Their mentality is that the end justifies the means and will not hesitate to break the law nor worry about the harm they can cause on your property. This seems to be happening with more frequency and everyone should be aware of how to best handle these situations if you are ever faced with it. This article gives several tips that are worth remembering.
6.17.2008 By STEPHANIE JORDAN Associate Editor
WILLARDS, Md. — Members of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization that held a “poultry summit” on the Eastern Shore last November, were found trespassing on a poultry farm just outside Willards, Md., on the morning of Sunday, June 8.
Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said his deputies responded to the property owner’s call about trespassers. When they arrived, they identified six individuals, members of the Waterkeeper organization, mostly from the Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County (Md.) area. Originally, there were eight trespassers but two of them left before the deputies arrived, Lewis added.
Also part of the group was part of a documentary film crew. The documentary, being produced by Hedrick Smith Productions, is at the heart of the trespassing, said Bill Satterfield, executive director of the Delmarva Poultry Industry (DPI) Inc. Read More
There are several anti-agriculture groups out there that have no regard or respect for private property. Their mentality is that the end justifies the means and will not hesitate to break the law nor worry about the harm they can cause on your property. This seems to be happening with more frequency and everyone should be aware of how to best handle these situations if you are ever faced with it. This article gives several tips that are worth remembering.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Supreme Court Contributes to Horse Suffering
Supreme Court decision ends US horse slaughter
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US Supreme Court Monday refused to hear an appeal by the last US horse abattoir against its forced closure, despite claims that American horse meat is greatly valued in Europe.
Until last year, there were three horse abattoirs in the United States -- two in Texas and one in Illinois. But they closed after both states, under pressure from animal rights groups, passed laws banning killing horses for human consumption. Read More
The Supreme Court, by refusing to hear the arguments to reinstate horse slaughter, has contributed to the reduced welfare of American horses. As with any type of livestock, there needs to be an end market so that we can utilize these animals at the end of their useful lives rather than waste this valuable resource. With all of the concerns about food shortages in the world, another food source has been taken off the world’s plate.
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US Supreme Court Monday refused to hear an appeal by the last US horse abattoir against its forced closure, despite claims that American horse meat is greatly valued in Europe.
Until last year, there were three horse abattoirs in the United States -- two in Texas and one in Illinois. But they closed after both states, under pressure from animal rights groups, passed laws banning killing horses for human consumption. Read More
The Supreme Court, by refusing to hear the arguments to reinstate horse slaughter, has contributed to the reduced welfare of American horses. As with any type of livestock, there needs to be an end market so that we can utilize these animals at the end of their useful lives rather than waste this valuable resource. With all of the concerns about food shortages in the world, another food source has been taken off the world’s plate.
When Environmentalists Cause Harm
World’s Scariest Words: ‘I’m an Environmentalist and I’m Here to Help’
June 11
Two weeks ago the media was thrilled and alarmed by a film of a “lost” tribe of naked, painted Indians, living somewhere on the Brazil-Peru border and firing arrows at a helicopter flying overhead. Some reports claimed that this tribe was previously uncontacted by the modern world. But some anthropologists admitted that “this group is one of many in the Amazon that have chosen isolation.”
The fact that this tribe chose isolation did not stop the activists from the Brazilian government’s National Indian Foundation from distributing these films worldwide. They deliberately violated this tribe’s privacy because they wanted to use these Indians to prove that logging can be harmful to indigenous people.
Of course, the film shows no proof that loggers have violated this indigenous group’s privacy. It only shows proof that environmentalists violated their privacy. It also shows how much the natives appreciated their presence. Read More
Environmentalists have never looked at the law of unintended consequences. Some of their proudest accomplishments have worsened the human condition. Malaria was once nearly eliminated throughout the world until DDT was banned to allegedly save the birds. And also consider this, countless numbers of birds have died from West Nile disease because DDT isn’t available to effectively control mosquitoes.
June 11
Two weeks ago the media was thrilled and alarmed by a film of a “lost” tribe of naked, painted Indians, living somewhere on the Brazil-Peru border and firing arrows at a helicopter flying overhead. Some reports claimed that this tribe was previously uncontacted by the modern world. But some anthropologists admitted that “this group is one of many in the Amazon that have chosen isolation.”
The fact that this tribe chose isolation did not stop the activists from the Brazilian government’s National Indian Foundation from distributing these films worldwide. They deliberately violated this tribe’s privacy because they wanted to use these Indians to prove that logging can be harmful to indigenous people.
Of course, the film shows no proof that loggers have violated this indigenous group’s privacy. It only shows proof that environmentalists violated their privacy. It also shows how much the natives appreciated their presence. Read More
Environmentalists have never looked at the law of unintended consequences. Some of their proudest accomplishments have worsened the human condition. Malaria was once nearly eliminated throughout the world until DDT was banned to allegedly save the birds. And also consider this, countless numbers of birds have died from West Nile disease because DDT isn’t available to effectively control mosquitoes.
The Cost of fighting Global Warming
A BRIEF REPRIEVE
Posted June 15, 2008
Global warming is scary. I'm not so much worried about rising sea levels, superstorms, or floods and famine as I am about some of our hired help in Washington DC.
Among some circles it's been agreed that there's not enough data in to make an accurate global climate model to determine whether the Earth will be going through a global warming trend or a cooling trend. Some 31,000 plus scientists in this country have signed a petition (The Petition Project) rejecting the contention that greenhouse gases are damaging the planet's climate.
Moreover, some scientists have noted that Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto appear to be going through some warming trends of their own. Such would suggest that our very own star, the Sun, gets top billing for climate changes (unless Al Gore desires to suggest that Man is also affecting the climates of those planets as well). Read More
Luckily, the climate bill in Congress went nowhere this time around. Why should we spend untold billions of dollars to solve a problem that nobody can effectively prove exists. Not only can they not prove global warming exists, but there is a growing body of evidence that points to global cooling.
Posted June 15, 2008
Global warming is scary. I'm not so much worried about rising sea levels, superstorms, or floods and famine as I am about some of our hired help in Washington DC.
Among some circles it's been agreed that there's not enough data in to make an accurate global climate model to determine whether the Earth will be going through a global warming trend or a cooling trend. Some 31,000 plus scientists in this country have signed a petition (The Petition Project) rejecting the contention that greenhouse gases are damaging the planet's climate.
Moreover, some scientists have noted that Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto appear to be going through some warming trends of their own. Such would suggest that our very own star, the Sun, gets top billing for climate changes (unless Al Gore desires to suggest that Man is also affecting the climates of those planets as well). Read More
Luckily, the climate bill in Congress went nowhere this time around. Why should we spend untold billions of dollars to solve a problem that nobody can effectively prove exists. Not only can they not prove global warming exists, but there is a growing body of evidence that points to global cooling.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
No such thing as hormone free
Lifeway Foods Switches to 100% Certified Hormone Free Milk
Wednesday, June 11, 2008; Posted: 06:00 PM
MORTON GROVE, Ill., June 11, 2008
Lifeway Foods, Inc., makers of the nutritious, probiotic dairy beverage called kefir, announced today that they are now using milk that comes from cows not treated with hormones. This 100% certified hormone free milk comes with a Farmers Pledge, which Lifeway will market on the labels of its products. This change came as a response to a growing demand for hormone and antibiotic milk by customers. Read More
Here we go again with the claim of hormone free milk. There is no such thing. Milk comes from a cow which produces hormones. Hormones are essential to life on this planet. Plants and animals rely on hormones for their very survival. To say that this milk is 100% hormone free is completely untrue.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008; Posted: 06:00 PM
MORTON GROVE, Ill., June 11, 2008
Lifeway Foods, Inc., makers of the nutritious, probiotic dairy beverage called kefir, announced today that they are now using milk that comes from cows not treated with hormones. This 100% certified hormone free milk comes with a Farmers Pledge, which Lifeway will market on the labels of its products. This change came as a response to a growing demand for hormone and antibiotic milk by customers. Read More
Here we go again with the claim of hormone free milk. There is no such thing. Milk comes from a cow which produces hormones. Hormones are essential to life on this planet. Plants and animals rely on hormones for their very survival. To say that this milk is 100% hormone free is completely untrue.
US Beef is Safe
Agriculture secretary says U.S. beef is safe
SAN ANTONIO — Amid massive protests in South Korea over the planned resumption of U.S. beef imports, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said Tuesday that the meat is safe.
"Every single carcass that's processed is inspected by a USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) inspector," Schafer said. "That beef is stamped A-OK, and we want to certainly assure our consumers here in the United States, as well as our consumers outside of the U.S. in foreign countries, that we provide a good, clean, safe, abundant food supply here." Read More
It has been pretty amazing to see how violent some of the protests have been in South Korea over the soon to be resumed importation of US beef. Secretary Schafer said it all when he stated that we provide the safest food supply in the world. Our livelihood depends on us doing so and each and every one of us in food production has an obligation to do nothing less.
SAN ANTONIO — Amid massive protests in South Korea over the planned resumption of U.S. beef imports, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said Tuesday that the meat is safe.
"Every single carcass that's processed is inspected by a USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) inspector," Schafer said. "That beef is stamped A-OK, and we want to certainly assure our consumers here in the United States, as well as our consumers outside of the U.S. in foreign countries, that we provide a good, clean, safe, abundant food supply here." Read More
It has been pretty amazing to see how violent some of the protests have been in South Korea over the soon to be resumed importation of US beef. Secretary Schafer said it all when he stated that we provide the safest food supply in the world. Our livelihood depends on us doing so and each and every one of us in food production has an obligation to do nothing less.
Researchers Threatened
Protests at UC animal-lab workers' homes
Phillip Matier,Andrew Ross
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Officials have been trying to keep it quiet, but 24 UC Berkeley researchers and seven staffers have been harassed by animal rights activists in recent months, in some cases having their homes or cars vandalized.
"What they all have in common is that they all work in animal research," UC Berkeley spokesman Robert Sanders said of the targeted employees.
In several instances, the activists have shown up outside researchers' homes in the middle of the night with bullhorns and chanting, "Animal killers." Sometimes they have scrawled slogans on the sidewalk in chalk.
On more than one occasion, rocks have been thrown through the researchers' windows and their cars have been scratched up. Read More
The problem of our medical researchers being harassed by protesters has been going on for some time now, but it seems as though there has been more happening lately, especially in California. If these protesters are so adamant about stopping this research on animals and place their well being over that of humans it would seem appropriate that they would volunteer to have testing done on themselves in order to save these animals.
Phillip Matier,Andrew Ross
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Officials have been trying to keep it quiet, but 24 UC Berkeley researchers and seven staffers have been harassed by animal rights activists in recent months, in some cases having their homes or cars vandalized.
"What they all have in common is that they all work in animal research," UC Berkeley spokesman Robert Sanders said of the targeted employees.
In several instances, the activists have shown up outside researchers' homes in the middle of the night with bullhorns and chanting, "Animal killers." Sometimes they have scrawled slogans on the sidewalk in chalk.
On more than one occasion, rocks have been thrown through the researchers' windows and their cars have been scratched up. Read More
The problem of our medical researchers being harassed by protesters has been going on for some time now, but it seems as though there has been more happening lately, especially in California. If these protesters are so adamant about stopping this research on animals and place their well being over that of humans it would seem appropriate that they would volunteer to have testing done on themselves in order to save these animals.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
"Humane" High School
HSUS Launches “Humane High School”
By Pork news staff (Monday, June 09, 2008)
The Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal-rights group, has launched “Humane High School.” This is an online service targeting middle-school and high-school students that includes courses, educational videos, study/activity guides, service learning ideas and career advice.
The program is part of the organization’s Humane Society Youth division. According to HSUS, the program asks students to “think critically” about issues affecting animals. Read More
We are continually reminded why it is important to spread the positive message of agriculture to the youth of this country. Those that are trying to eliminate animal agriculture continue to target youth with their messages and frequently their messages fail to tell the truth. Programs such as Ag in the Classroom are vital for educating our children about the true story of food production in this country.
By Pork news staff (Monday, June 09, 2008)
The Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal-rights group, has launched “Humane High School.” This is an online service targeting middle-school and high-school students that includes courses, educational videos, study/activity guides, service learning ideas and career advice.
The program is part of the organization’s Humane Society Youth division. According to HSUS, the program asks students to “think critically” about issues affecting animals. Read More
We are continually reminded why it is important to spread the positive message of agriculture to the youth of this country. Those that are trying to eliminate animal agriculture continue to target youth with their messages and frequently their messages fail to tell the truth. Programs such as Ag in the Classroom are vital for educating our children about the true story of food production in this country.
PRCA get sued
Animal rights group sues rodeo over videos
By Rob Olmstead Daily Herald Staff
Contact writer
A Geneva animal rights group has filed suit against a Colorado rodeo association, claiming it intentionally lied about its videos in an effort to remove them from YouTube.
Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, or SHARK, filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court in Chicago against Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
According to the lawsuit, SHARK had posted more than a dozen videos of activities at rodeos throughout the country, including video of rodeo hands using electric prods on horses to encourage their bucking, a prohibited activity according to the lawsuit.
The rodeo group then contacted YouTube, claiming the videos were copyrighted and had YouTube take them down. Read More
SHARK continues their assault on the sport of rodeo. If you will recall, they were the group that convinced a band to not perform at Frontier Days in Cheyenne. It seems as if these different animal rights groups have to carve out their own niche in order to keep the donations flowing into their coffers. SHARK has decided to make rodeo their enemy and they will undoubtedly continue their efforts to make a name for themselves.
By Rob Olmstead Daily Herald Staff
Contact writer
A Geneva animal rights group has filed suit against a Colorado rodeo association, claiming it intentionally lied about its videos in an effort to remove them from YouTube.
Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, or SHARK, filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court in Chicago against Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
According to the lawsuit, SHARK had posted more than a dozen videos of activities at rodeos throughout the country, including video of rodeo hands using electric prods on horses to encourage their bucking, a prohibited activity according to the lawsuit.
The rodeo group then contacted YouTube, claiming the videos were copyrighted and had YouTube take them down. Read More
SHARK continues their assault on the sport of rodeo. If you will recall, they were the group that convinced a band to not perform at Frontier Days in Cheyenne. It seems as if these different animal rights groups have to carve out their own niche in order to keep the donations flowing into their coffers. SHARK has decided to make rodeo their enemy and they will undoubtedly continue their efforts to make a name for themselves.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
ELF Member to Serve Time
Environmental activist to serve 2 years under deal
By JOSEPH B. FRAZIER
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An environmental activist and former fugitive who once won thousands of votes in a congressional election pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges under a deal that would send him to prison for two years.
Tre Arrow, 34, pleaded guilty to the destruction of concrete-mixing trucks in Portland in April 2001 and to firebombing logging trucks at a contested logging sale near Mount Hood in June 2001. He had faced up to 40 years in prison if convicted of two counts of arson.
Arrow legally changed his name from Michael Scarpitti because he said the trees told him to do so. In 1998, he was arrested in Cincinnati wearing a pink bunny suit outside a Procter & Gamble Co. executive's home. He was charged with leafleting without a permit and fined $130. Read More
ALF and ELF are recognized by the FBI as the top domestic terrorist threats in the United States. One of the reasons they have earned this distinction is because of their total disregard for human life. They have advocated for the murder of medical researchers and have destroyed millions of dollars worth of property.
By JOSEPH B. FRAZIER
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An environmental activist and former fugitive who once won thousands of votes in a congressional election pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges under a deal that would send him to prison for two years.
Tre Arrow, 34, pleaded guilty to the destruction of concrete-mixing trucks in Portland in April 2001 and to firebombing logging trucks at a contested logging sale near Mount Hood in June 2001. He had faced up to 40 years in prison if convicted of two counts of arson.
Arrow legally changed his name from Michael Scarpitti because he said the trees told him to do so. In 1998, he was arrested in Cincinnati wearing a pink bunny suit outside a Procter & Gamble Co. executive's home. He was charged with leafleting without a permit and fined $130. Read More
ALF and ELF are recognized by the FBI as the top domestic terrorist threats in the United States. One of the reasons they have earned this distinction is because of their total disregard for human life. They have advocated for the murder of medical researchers and have destroyed millions of dollars worth of property.
Manitoba's Hog Facility Moratorium
Squeals of protest
Too much pig poop and nowhere to put it.
It's a lot more complicated than that, but that is a basic issue at the heart of Bill 17, a highly controversial law proposed by the Manitoba government, and one that has prompted more than 400 people to sign up to give a committee of MLAs a piece of their mind. The parade of presenters began Friday and won't finish before sometime this summer.
Bill 17, which the NDP government says is designed to protect water from nutrients that leach out of pig manure, would permanently prevent hog producers in 35 Manitoba rural municipalities from expanding their barns or manure storage facilities. Read More
Attacks on the hog industry don’t just happen in the United States. Hog producers in Manitoba are having their livelihoods threatened by the proposed moratorium on expansion in the region. This could seriously jeopardize the ability of these operations to continue if the next generation isn’t allowed to expand their facilities.
Too much pig poop and nowhere to put it.
It's a lot more complicated than that, but that is a basic issue at the heart of Bill 17, a highly controversial law proposed by the Manitoba government, and one that has prompted more than 400 people to sign up to give a committee of MLAs a piece of their mind. The parade of presenters began Friday and won't finish before sometime this summer.
Bill 17, which the NDP government says is designed to protect water from nutrients that leach out of pig manure, would permanently prevent hog producers in 35 Manitoba rural municipalities from expanding their barns or manure storage facilities. Read More
Attacks on the hog industry don’t just happen in the United States. Hog producers in Manitoba are having their livelihoods threatened by the proposed moratorium on expansion in the region. This could seriously jeopardize the ability of these operations to continue if the next generation isn’t allowed to expand their facilities.
Vegetative Treatment Areas
Unique system helps farmers use feedlot run-off to fertilize fields
By Victoria Hatterman/Daily Sun staff writer
Friday, Jun 06, 2008 - 09:49:39 am CDT
Their goal is to minimize their risk to the environment by installing vegetative treatment systems to handle livestock waste and the effect is cleaner drinking water for the state.
Several farmers in Southeast Nebraska have been working with Chris Henry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension to set up these Vegetative Treatment Systems as part of the Livestock Producer Environmental Assistance Project.
With aid from the Nebraska Environmental Trust grant, two brothers in the Adams area, Wes and Myron Dorn, are working towards a more environmentally friendly cattle operation. Wes said that he wanted to do something like this to ensure that the operation would be viable for future generations to use. Read More
Vegetative treatment areas are proving to be a very successful way to utilize the runoff from feedlots. The valuable nutrients in the runoff are consumed by the vegetation which in turn produces an excellent feed source that can be harvested and fed back to the livestock. This is a great example of how agriculture is continually improving our methods of raising livestock.
By Victoria Hatterman/Daily Sun staff writer
Friday, Jun 06, 2008 - 09:49:39 am CDT
Their goal is to minimize their risk to the environment by installing vegetative treatment systems to handle livestock waste and the effect is cleaner drinking water for the state.
Several farmers in Southeast Nebraska have been working with Chris Henry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension to set up these Vegetative Treatment Systems as part of the Livestock Producer Environmental Assistance Project.
With aid from the Nebraska Environmental Trust grant, two brothers in the Adams area, Wes and Myron Dorn, are working towards a more environmentally friendly cattle operation. Wes said that he wanted to do something like this to ensure that the operation would be viable for future generations to use. Read More
Vegetative treatment areas are proving to be a very successful way to utilize the runoff from feedlots. The valuable nutrients in the runoff are consumed by the vegetation which in turn produces an excellent feed source that can be harvested and fed back to the livestock. This is a great example of how agriculture is continually improving our methods of raising livestock.
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