How Environmentalism Misses the Forest for the Trees
By Edward L. Glaeser
Edward L. Glaeser is an economics professor at Harvard.
Can environmentalism be bad for the environment?
In Massachusetts, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound has led the fight against providing alternative energy with a wind farm off of Cape Cod. Greenpeace declares that “nuclear power is unsafe, uneconomical and unnecessary.” In Canada, the Sierra Club fights against the development of hydroelectric power, fearing “toxic mercury increases in fish.”
In these cases, groups are putting local environmental concerns first and the planet second. Wind farms, nuclear power plants and hydroelectric dams are ways of providing clean energy, which would reduce carbon emissions and the threat of global warming.
The old mantra “think globally, act locally,” is pretty silly. Local environmentalism is often bad environmentalism, because keeping one’s backyard pristine can make the planet worse off.
Preventing wind farms leaves Cape Cod’s views untouched, but increases carbon emissions.
In my own field of housing, a similar phenomenon occurs when some environmental groups put their own local interests ahead of global warming. Read More
When do environmentalists hurt the environment? When the issue is in their backyard. They seem to be all for a project or regulation when it affects someone else, but when they are forced to make the sacrifice, they seem to change their tune. The thing this author doesn’t take into account is agriculture. He claims that California farmers should pay the “true social cost” of the water they are irrigating with. The author should weigh the true social cost of importing food.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Slamming Meat on Earth Day
Eating can be energy-efficient, too
By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
With Americans looking to reduce their "carbon footprints," food seems an obvious place to start.
Choosing a diet with a smaller carbon footprint means choosing foods that are processed in ways that emit less carbon dioxide — a heat-trapping "greenhouse" gas — into the atmosphere. In general, experts say, it breaks down to these guidelines:
•Cut down on meat. "That doesn't mean never eat meat, it means eat less of it," says Gail Feenstra, a food systems analyst at the University of California-Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute.
Meat is less efficient because we eat the animal that eats the grain instead of eating the grain ourselves. It takes about 15 pounds of feed to make 1 pound of beef, 6 pounds of feed for 1 pound of pork and 5 pounds of feed for 1 pound of chicken, the Department of Agriculture estimates. For catfish, it's about 2 pounds of feed per pound of fish.
Add to the feed the cost of raising, transporting and producing cattle, and beef is by far the least energy-efficient meat. Nathan Fiala, a doctoral candidate in environmental economics at the University of California-Irvine, estimates it requires about 15 pounds of carbon dioxide to produce 1 pound of beef.
"A family of four that gives up eating beef one day a week has basically traded in their pickup for a Prius," he says. Read More
You will probably see articles like this in several places today. Unfortunately, the numbers they are using to try to make their point are wrong. For example, they are saying that eating beef leaves a large carbon footprint. The author claims that it takes 15 lbs of feed to make a pound of beef. If that was the feed conversion rate for cattle in this country, no one could afford to feed them. Cattle in a feedyard will normally convert between 6 and 7 pounds of feed into a pound of beef. In order to make informed decisions, consumers need accurate information. It’s the job of producers to make sure that happens.
By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
With Americans looking to reduce their "carbon footprints," food seems an obvious place to start.
Choosing a diet with a smaller carbon footprint means choosing foods that are processed in ways that emit less carbon dioxide — a heat-trapping "greenhouse" gas — into the atmosphere. In general, experts say, it breaks down to these guidelines:
•Cut down on meat. "That doesn't mean never eat meat, it means eat less of it," says Gail Feenstra, a food systems analyst at the University of California-Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute.
Meat is less efficient because we eat the animal that eats the grain instead of eating the grain ourselves. It takes about 15 pounds of feed to make 1 pound of beef, 6 pounds of feed for 1 pound of pork and 5 pounds of feed for 1 pound of chicken, the Department of Agriculture estimates. For catfish, it's about 2 pounds of feed per pound of fish.
Add to the feed the cost of raising, transporting and producing cattle, and beef is by far the least energy-efficient meat. Nathan Fiala, a doctoral candidate in environmental economics at the University of California-Irvine, estimates it requires about 15 pounds of carbon dioxide to produce 1 pound of beef.
"A family of four that gives up eating beef one day a week has basically traded in their pickup for a Prius," he says. Read More
You will probably see articles like this in several places today. Unfortunately, the numbers they are using to try to make their point are wrong. For example, they are saying that eating beef leaves a large carbon footprint. The author claims that it takes 15 lbs of feed to make a pound of beef. If that was the feed conversion rate for cattle in this country, no one could afford to feed them. Cattle in a feedyard will normally convert between 6 and 7 pounds of feed into a pound of beef. In order to make informed decisions, consumers need accurate information. It’s the job of producers to make sure that happens.
Ag Teachers Needed in IL
Illinois trying to grow, keep agriculture teachers
April 21, 2009 01:36 PM MDT
SPRINGFIELD (WREX) - The state of Illinois needs agricultural teachers and now schools are getting the money to develop them.
Several universities and community colleges in the state will share nearly $350,000 from the Illinois State Board of Education to help recruit and retain future high school agriculture teachers.
"Agriculture is the backbone of industry in Illinois. Having qualified instructors specialize in this field is essential to our standing in the world marketplace," said Christopher A. Koch, State Superintendent of Education.
One of the things the money will be used for is to help students gain experience through paid internships or other career-related activities to become agriculture science teachers.
The University of Illinois, Illinois State University, Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University as well as Black Hawk College in Kewanee, Land Lake College in Mattoon and Joliet Junior College will all get money from the grant. Link
It’s encouraging to see that the state of Illinois recognizes the importance of ag education in the schools. Never has it been more important for people to learn where their food comes from. We have an uneducated electorate that is making decisions about how their food will be produced without any regard to the consequences of their vote. If everyone had to take some ag classes, maybe we wouldn’t have the problems we do today.
April 21, 2009 01:36 PM MDT
SPRINGFIELD (WREX) - The state of Illinois needs agricultural teachers and now schools are getting the money to develop them.
Several universities and community colleges in the state will share nearly $350,000 from the Illinois State Board of Education to help recruit and retain future high school agriculture teachers.
"Agriculture is the backbone of industry in Illinois. Having qualified instructors specialize in this field is essential to our standing in the world marketplace," said Christopher A. Koch, State Superintendent of Education.
One of the things the money will be used for is to help students gain experience through paid internships or other career-related activities to become agriculture science teachers.
The University of Illinois, Illinois State University, Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University as well as Black Hawk College in Kewanee, Land Lake College in Mattoon and Joliet Junior College will all get money from the grant. Link
It’s encouraging to see that the state of Illinois recognizes the importance of ag education in the schools. Never has it been more important for people to learn where their food comes from. We have an uneducated electorate that is making decisions about how their food will be produced without any regard to the consequences of their vote. If everyone had to take some ag classes, maybe we wouldn’t have the problems we do today.
Vegan Terrorist on FBI List
Animal rights activist on FBI's 'Most Wanted Terrorists' list
By Terry Frieden
CNN Justice Department Producer
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI for the first time has placed an animal rights activist on the bureau's "Most Wanted Terrorists" list.
The FBI announced Tuesday the addition of Daniel Andreas San Diego to the list, hoping a burst of international publicity associated with the move will help investigators find him after six years on the run.
San Diego, 31, may appear to be out of place on a terrorist list with familiar names like al Qaeda's Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Adam Yahiye Gadahn. The "strict vegan," according to the FBI, is charged with bombing two corporate offices in California in 2003. The blasts caused extensive property damage but no deaths.
Vegans eat no meat or any other food containing animal products. Read More
For as much as animal rights activists would like you to think they are all peace loving people, their image will always be tainted by people like San Diego. His goal is to blow up buildings and kill people if necessary, in the name of saving animals. This mind set has led to him being placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. I will never be able to comprehend those who place the life of an animal above a human.
By Terry Frieden
CNN Justice Department Producer
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI for the first time has placed an animal rights activist on the bureau's "Most Wanted Terrorists" list.
The FBI announced Tuesday the addition of Daniel Andreas San Diego to the list, hoping a burst of international publicity associated with the move will help investigators find him after six years on the run.
San Diego, 31, may appear to be out of place on a terrorist list with familiar names like al Qaeda's Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Adam Yahiye Gadahn. The "strict vegan," according to the FBI, is charged with bombing two corporate offices in California in 2003. The blasts caused extensive property damage but no deaths.
Vegans eat no meat or any other food containing animal products. Read More
For as much as animal rights activists would like you to think they are all peace loving people, their image will always be tainted by people like San Diego. His goal is to blow up buildings and kill people if necessary, in the name of saving animals. This mind set has led to him being placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. I will never be able to comprehend those who place the life of an animal above a human.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Idaho Trying to Protect Ranchers
Bighorn legislation could come back to bite ranchers
- Idaho Statesman
Published: 04/20/09
Gov. Butch Otter must decide this week whether to sign a bill that would require the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to kill or remove bighorn sheep from public land where domestic sheep graze.
Signing Senate Bill 1175 will undercut a collaborative process he set up under the auspices of Fish and Game and the Idaho Department of Agriculture. And a House leader who supports the bill acknowledges it will play into the hands of activists who want to force sheep ranchers off public lands.
But lawmakers are so mad they can't help themselves.
The Idaho Legislature passed the bill with huge majorities because many members think Ron Shirts of Weiser and his family were treated unfairly when a 1997 agreement over transplanting bighorn sheep to Hells Canyon was overruled by a federal court. A federal judge ordered the Shirts to remove their domestic sheep from Smith Mountain in the Payette National Forest to prevent them from passing disease to bighorns.
House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, a cattle rancher, sees the issue as the latest in a familiar, and to him disturbing, trend in which protecting an iconic species becomes a surrogate for another agenda - this time driving sheep ranchers off of public land.
Jon Marvel, is executive director of the Western Watersheds Project.
Marvel resents being singled out as the voice of thousands of people in and out of Idaho who share his goals and love of native species and places. That's because his open disdain for ranchers, and especially the cowboy culture, undercuts the power of his cause. Read More
There comes a point in time when you finally have to draw that line in the sand and make your stand. The Idaho Legislature has apparently been backed into that corner and is now ready to do what it takes to protect their ranchers and our food supply. The animal rights activists and environmentalists are practically salivating at the opportunity to eliminate agriculture from public lands. If they get it done, how do we replace this lost resource. Remember, it’s only a resource if we can use it, otherwise it’s scenery and that won’t fill your stomach.
- Idaho Statesman
Published: 04/20/09
Gov. Butch Otter must decide this week whether to sign a bill that would require the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to kill or remove bighorn sheep from public land where domestic sheep graze.
Signing Senate Bill 1175 will undercut a collaborative process he set up under the auspices of Fish and Game and the Idaho Department of Agriculture. And a House leader who supports the bill acknowledges it will play into the hands of activists who want to force sheep ranchers off public lands.
But lawmakers are so mad they can't help themselves.
The Idaho Legislature passed the bill with huge majorities because many members think Ron Shirts of Weiser and his family were treated unfairly when a 1997 agreement over transplanting bighorn sheep to Hells Canyon was overruled by a federal court. A federal judge ordered the Shirts to remove their domestic sheep from Smith Mountain in the Payette National Forest to prevent them from passing disease to bighorns.
House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, a cattle rancher, sees the issue as the latest in a familiar, and to him disturbing, trend in which protecting an iconic species becomes a surrogate for another agenda - this time driving sheep ranchers off of public land.
Jon Marvel, is executive director of the Western Watersheds Project.
Marvel resents being singled out as the voice of thousands of people in and out of Idaho who share his goals and love of native species and places. That's because his open disdain for ranchers, and especially the cowboy culture, undercuts the power of his cause. Read More
There comes a point in time when you finally have to draw that line in the sand and make your stand. The Idaho Legislature has apparently been backed into that corner and is now ready to do what it takes to protect their ranchers and our food supply. The animal rights activists and environmentalists are practically salivating at the opportunity to eliminate agriculture from public lands. If they get it done, how do we replace this lost resource. Remember, it’s only a resource if we can use it, otherwise it’s scenery and that won’t fill your stomach.
The Cowboy Way
Cowboy Ethics and Cowboy Values
By Patrick Dorinson Political Commentator
When it comes to analyzing America’s current economic woes and how we got here, I have heard just about all the whining, navel-gazing, excuses, television talk show psychobabble, hand wringing and pundit puffery I can stomach. This is not just about lost home value or diminished 401(K)s.
In all my born days I have never witnessed a spectacle quite as ridiculous as this. America is on the psychiatrist’s couch looking for a cure to a self-inflicted problem.
The cure for this disease is not more group therapy. It is as simple and as old as America itself and it still lives in the hearts and minds of the most iconic figure in our history-the American cowboy.
For all you tenderfoots and high buttoned shoe Easterners let me try to explain.
Unlike politicians and our current crop of business “leaders”, a cowboy still makes a deal with a handshake and his word is his bond. A cowboy does not make rash decisions because the wrong decision can be the difference between life and death for him, his horse and those he works with.
And a cowboy lives by a code-a set of unwritten principles that no one has to teach him because it is instilled in him at birth. Cowboys don’t whine and stomp their feet like spoiled children as some people seem to do when the going gets tough. Read More
I saw this article posted in a couple different places late last week and I wanted to continue passing it along. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that when the nation’s ethics and values become corrupted that people look to the cowboy, agriculture, and rural America for the solution. You see, we didn’t have to read a book to learn these, it was taught to us at a very young age with the expectation that we would live our lives this way. This is what made America great in the first place. If the cowboy was every kids role model instead of athletes and celebrities, we could probably eliminate several of the problems we are seeing today.
By Patrick Dorinson Political Commentator
When it comes to analyzing America’s current economic woes and how we got here, I have heard just about all the whining, navel-gazing, excuses, television talk show psychobabble, hand wringing and pundit puffery I can stomach. This is not just about lost home value or diminished 401(K)s.
In all my born days I have never witnessed a spectacle quite as ridiculous as this. America is on the psychiatrist’s couch looking for a cure to a self-inflicted problem.
The cure for this disease is not more group therapy. It is as simple and as old as America itself and it still lives in the hearts and minds of the most iconic figure in our history-the American cowboy.
For all you tenderfoots and high buttoned shoe Easterners let me try to explain.
Unlike politicians and our current crop of business “leaders”, a cowboy still makes a deal with a handshake and his word is his bond. A cowboy does not make rash decisions because the wrong decision can be the difference between life and death for him, his horse and those he works with.
And a cowboy lives by a code-a set of unwritten principles that no one has to teach him because it is instilled in him at birth. Cowboys don’t whine and stomp their feet like spoiled children as some people seem to do when the going gets tough. Read More
I saw this article posted in a couple different places late last week and I wanted to continue passing it along. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that when the nation’s ethics and values become corrupted that people look to the cowboy, agriculture, and rural America for the solution. You see, we didn’t have to read a book to learn these, it was taught to us at a very young age with the expectation that we would live our lives this way. This is what made America great in the first place. If the cowboy was every kids role model instead of athletes and celebrities, we could probably eliminate several of the problems we are seeing today.
ALF Members Indicted
2 indicted in UCLA animal liberation case
1:32 PM April 20, 2009
A grand jury has indicted two associates of an animal rights group, charging them with conspiracy, stalking and other felonies for targeting UCLA researchers who do animal research and a local juice company, prosecutors said Monday.
Linda Faith Greene, 61, and Kevin Richard Olliff, 22, who prosecutors say are part of the radical Animal Liberation Front,pleaded not guilty to the charges after their arrest Thursday. Greene was held on $450,000 bail and Olliff on $460,000 bail.
The Los Angeles County grand jury indicted each defendant on three counts of conspiracy to commit stalking, three counts of stalking and two counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of threatening a public officer or school employee.
The alleged victims included UCLA researchers and POM Wonderful Juice Co. Link
Animal rights activists continue to be taken into custody for their violent crimes. Law enforcement has done an excellent job of identifying these criminals even though they are involved with the shadow group Animal Liberation Front. And here is the question of the day: Since many of these animal rights activists believe that animals have the same emotional depth as humans, do you think the animal kingdom is grieving, sad, angry or experiencing some other emotional feeling today since they got caught?
1:32 PM April 20, 2009
A grand jury has indicted two associates of an animal rights group, charging them with conspiracy, stalking and other felonies for targeting UCLA researchers who do animal research and a local juice company, prosecutors said Monday.
Linda Faith Greene, 61, and Kevin Richard Olliff, 22, who prosecutors say are part of the radical Animal Liberation Front,pleaded not guilty to the charges after their arrest Thursday. Greene was held on $450,000 bail and Olliff on $460,000 bail.
The Los Angeles County grand jury indicted each defendant on three counts of conspiracy to commit stalking, three counts of stalking and two counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of threatening a public officer or school employee.
The alleged victims included UCLA researchers and POM Wonderful Juice Co. Link
Animal rights activists continue to be taken into custody for their violent crimes. Law enforcement has done an excellent job of identifying these criminals even though they are involved with the shadow group Animal Liberation Front. And here is the question of the day: Since many of these animal rights activists believe that animals have the same emotional depth as humans, do you think the animal kingdom is grieving, sad, angry or experiencing some other emotional feeling today since they got caught?
Monday, April 20, 2009
HSUS Hoax?
Published: April 17, 2009 11:22 pm
Cruelty story a hoax?
As a concerned Oklahoma veterinarian I believe that the recent story involving a large gift allegedly being redirected away from the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine was largely a hoax designed to expand the political and fundraising agenda of Humane Society of the United States in Oklahoma.
HSUS is a national organization that uses sensational stories involving animals to encourage donations to their organization.
The story broke when a wealthy friend of HSUS, Madeline Pickens, told the press that she was, “redirecting,” a grant she had made for the veterinary teaching college to another college within the university.
Her statements implied that the grant had been made and would now be withdrawn and sent to a different part of the university system.
She said she was doing this because of cruelty allegations leveled against the veterinary teaching college by an anonymous person claiming to be a student at the college. Read More
This is an interesting letter to read. I posted in February about Madeline Pickens taking this money away for the vet college and now it looks as though this was all a publicity stunt. HSUS has become so focused on fundraising and eliminating animal agriculture that now they are even working to discredit veterinarian schools. To me it is just one more example showing that HSUS really doesn’t care about animals or the care they receive. It is about how much money they can make exploiting animals.
Cruelty story a hoax?
As a concerned Oklahoma veterinarian I believe that the recent story involving a large gift allegedly being redirected away from the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine was largely a hoax designed to expand the political and fundraising agenda of Humane Society of the United States in Oklahoma.
HSUS is a national organization that uses sensational stories involving animals to encourage donations to their organization.
The story broke when a wealthy friend of HSUS, Madeline Pickens, told the press that she was, “redirecting,” a grant she had made for the veterinary teaching college to another college within the university.
Her statements implied that the grant had been made and would now be withdrawn and sent to a different part of the university system.
She said she was doing this because of cruelty allegations leveled against the veterinary teaching college by an anonymous person claiming to be a student at the college. Read More
This is an interesting letter to read. I posted in February about Madeline Pickens taking this money away for the vet college and now it looks as though this was all a publicity stunt. HSUS has become so focused on fundraising and eliminating animal agriculture that now they are even working to discredit veterinarian schools. To me it is just one more example showing that HSUS really doesn’t care about animals or the care they receive. It is about how much money they can make exploiting animals.
Cuban Agriculture
CUBANS STARVE ON DIET OF LIES
BY: DENNIS T. AVERY
April 2, 2009
CHURCHVILLE, VA—The Cubans told the world they had heroically learned to feed themselves without fuel or farm chemicals after their Soviet subsidies collapsed in the early 1990s. They bragged about their “peasant cooperatives,” their biopesticides and organic fertilizers. They heralded their earthworm culture and the predator wasps they unleashed on destructive caterpillars. They boasted about the heroic ox teams they had trained to replace tractors.
Organic activists all over the world swooned. Now, a senior Ministry of Agriculture official has admitted in the Cuban press that 84 percent of Cuba’s current food consumption is imported, according to our agricultural attaché in Havana. The organic success was all a lie—a great, gaudy, Communist-style Big Lie of the type that dictators behind the Iron Curtain routinely used throughout the Cold War to hornswoggle the Free World.
This time the victims of the Big Lie are the Greens in the organic movement who want us to trust our future food supplies to their low-yield “natural farming” The Greens want us to outlaw nitrogen fertilizer, biotechnology and whatever else might save room for the planet’s wildlife through higher farm productivity.
The Cuban farming deception was aided by the “useful idiots” in the non-Communist world. The late Donnella Meadows, who wrote the stunningly-foolish book Limits to Growth in 1972, gushed over Cuban farming: “Suddenly deprived of half its food and most of its agricultural inputs, [Cuba] has not only maintained but increased its food supply in a way that creates jobs and improves the environment.”
Right, by importing 84 percent of the food. Read More
The truth is finally surfacing about agriculture in Cuba. Many people thought this was the type of food production we needed in the United States, it was looked at as almost romantic. However, after finally seeing the actual results of their effort, we find out that it was starving their population. The European Union continues to move their ag system this direction as well. Even though they can’t feed their population, it doesn’t seem to be affecting their policies toward agriculture.
BY: DENNIS T. AVERY
April 2, 2009
CHURCHVILLE, VA—The Cubans told the world they had heroically learned to feed themselves without fuel or farm chemicals after their Soviet subsidies collapsed in the early 1990s. They bragged about their “peasant cooperatives,” their biopesticides and organic fertilizers. They heralded their earthworm culture and the predator wasps they unleashed on destructive caterpillars. They boasted about the heroic ox teams they had trained to replace tractors.
Organic activists all over the world swooned. Now, a senior Ministry of Agriculture official has admitted in the Cuban press that 84 percent of Cuba’s current food consumption is imported, according to our agricultural attaché in Havana. The organic success was all a lie—a great, gaudy, Communist-style Big Lie of the type that dictators behind the Iron Curtain routinely used throughout the Cold War to hornswoggle the Free World.
This time the victims of the Big Lie are the Greens in the organic movement who want us to trust our future food supplies to their low-yield “natural farming” The Greens want us to outlaw nitrogen fertilizer, biotechnology and whatever else might save room for the planet’s wildlife through higher farm productivity.
The Cuban farming deception was aided by the “useful idiots” in the non-Communist world. The late Donnella Meadows, who wrote the stunningly-foolish book Limits to Growth in 1972, gushed over Cuban farming: “Suddenly deprived of half its food and most of its agricultural inputs, [Cuba] has not only maintained but increased its food supply in a way that creates jobs and improves the environment.”
Right, by importing 84 percent of the food. Read More
The truth is finally surfacing about agriculture in Cuba. Many people thought this was the type of food production we needed in the United States, it was looked at as almost romantic. However, after finally seeing the actual results of their effort, we find out that it was starving their population. The European Union continues to move their ag system this direction as well. Even though they can’t feed their population, it doesn’t seem to be affecting their policies toward agriculture.
Making Animals Human
Don't have a cow!
Famous animal lover Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, the author of "The Face on Your Plate," talks about why you should consider giving up the burgers -- and the fromage.
By Katharine Mieszkowski
Apr. 18, 2009
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, 68, is a former psychoanalyst, known for his popular books about the emotional lives not of humans, but of animals. As scientists continue to debate which species have feelings, Masson has written bestsellers celebrating their emotions, such as "Dogs Never Lie About Love" and "When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals," which he co-authored with frequent Salon contributor Susan McCarthy.
In his new book (which is his 24th), "The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food," Masson brings his heartfelt take on the feathered and four-legged to the dinner table. Five years ago, the prolific author, who was already a vegetarian, went vegan, giving up not just animal meat but also animal products, such as dairy, eggs and even honey. To be precise, Masson describes himself as "veganish," since he occasionally slips up when he's not at home and accidentally eats, say, a cookie prepared with milk; this vegan's not the sort of purist who would make a scene in public by spitting out an offending morsel.
Masson changed his diet because he's an animal lover, and he wants to tempt readers to do the same, whether we're motivated by environmental, health or animal-welfare rationales. As a polemicist, he marshals an impressive litany of mainstream sources to make his case that eating less flesh is a worthy goal, from the Meatless Mondays campaign, advocated by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, to the 2006 United Nations report on the environmental impacts of raising meat called "Livestock's Long Shadow."
I spoke with Masson at Salon's offices in San Francisco, where he enthused about the new White House vegetable garden, and challenged Michael Pollan, the author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," to a friendly public debate.
How did you become vegan?
I was raised, actually, vegetarian, but when I went off to college, I just didn't know how to eat as a vegetarian, and pretty soon I was eating meat.
I didn't give it all that much thought, to be honest, until I started doing the research for "When Elephants Weep," and I realized that animals felt things as deeply as did humans. It occurred to me: How can I go on eating animals, when I feel that they're capable of love and gratitude and boredom and loneliness, and can experience traumas, very much like a human? Read More
There is an incredible effort to not only give rights to animals, but to also convince people that animals have the same intellectual and emotional depth as humans. These people are quite scary because with this mindset, you are just as likely to sacrifice a human as an animal if a decision has to be made. Imagine one of these people seeing a dog biting a child, would they do anything? It’s hard to say since they are granting each species equal consideration.
Famous animal lover Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, the author of "The Face on Your Plate," talks about why you should consider giving up the burgers -- and the fromage.
By Katharine Mieszkowski
Apr. 18, 2009
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, 68, is a former psychoanalyst, known for his popular books about the emotional lives not of humans, but of animals. As scientists continue to debate which species have feelings, Masson has written bestsellers celebrating their emotions, such as "Dogs Never Lie About Love" and "When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals," which he co-authored with frequent Salon contributor Susan McCarthy.
In his new book (which is his 24th), "The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food," Masson brings his heartfelt take on the feathered and four-legged to the dinner table. Five years ago, the prolific author, who was already a vegetarian, went vegan, giving up not just animal meat but also animal products, such as dairy, eggs and even honey. To be precise, Masson describes himself as "veganish," since he occasionally slips up when he's not at home and accidentally eats, say, a cookie prepared with milk; this vegan's not the sort of purist who would make a scene in public by spitting out an offending morsel.
Masson changed his diet because he's an animal lover, and he wants to tempt readers to do the same, whether we're motivated by environmental, health or animal-welfare rationales. As a polemicist, he marshals an impressive litany of mainstream sources to make his case that eating less flesh is a worthy goal, from the Meatless Mondays campaign, advocated by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, to the 2006 United Nations report on the environmental impacts of raising meat called "Livestock's Long Shadow."
I spoke with Masson at Salon's offices in San Francisco, where he enthused about the new White House vegetable garden, and challenged Michael Pollan, the author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," to a friendly public debate.
How did you become vegan?
I was raised, actually, vegetarian, but when I went off to college, I just didn't know how to eat as a vegetarian, and pretty soon I was eating meat.
I didn't give it all that much thought, to be honest, until I started doing the research for "When Elephants Weep," and I realized that animals felt things as deeply as did humans. It occurred to me: How can I go on eating animals, when I feel that they're capable of love and gratitude and boredom and loneliness, and can experience traumas, very much like a human? Read More
There is an incredible effort to not only give rights to animals, but to also convince people that animals have the same intellectual and emotional depth as humans. These people are quite scary because with this mindset, you are just as likely to sacrifice a human as an animal if a decision has to be made. Imagine one of these people seeing a dog biting a child, would they do anything? It’s hard to say since they are granting each species equal consideration.
Friday, April 17, 2009
AFA on Cattle Network
We were fortunate to have Advocates for Agriculture featured by Cattle Network. Click here to read Chuck Jolley's Five Minutes with Advocates for Agriculture. Have a great weekend.
Ellen Donates to HSUS
Celebrities auctioning off their clothes for charity
Thu, 16 Apr 2009 3:33p.m.
Ellen DeGeneres is planning to auction off her own clothes for charity.
The 51-year-old star announced the plan on her talk show yesterday explaining the proceeds of sales would be donated to The Humane Society, which looks after needy animals.
Ellen said: "Today, we're starting something brand new. It's called, 'Whatcha Sellin' Ellen?' I'll be auctioning off my clothes and some of my guests' clothes on eBay to raise money for The
Humane Society of the United States. Every week there will be 25 items up for auction. Some things I only wore once. Some twice. And some I slept in. But they're clean… ish!" Read More
So Ellen is going to auction off her clothes for HSUS because they look after needy animals. Even Ellen isn’t aware of what the HSUS does. I hope someday she finds out that only 4% of what she donates to them will actually go to those animals in need.
Thu, 16 Apr 2009 3:33p.m.
Ellen DeGeneres is planning to auction off her own clothes for charity.
The 51-year-old star announced the plan on her talk show yesterday explaining the proceeds of sales would be donated to The Humane Society, which looks after needy animals.
Ellen said: "Today, we're starting something brand new. It's called, 'Whatcha Sellin' Ellen?' I'll be auctioning off my clothes and some of my guests' clothes on eBay to raise money for The
Humane Society of the United States. Every week there will be 25 items up for auction. Some things I only wore once. Some twice. And some I slept in. But they're clean… ish!" Read More
So Ellen is going to auction off her clothes for HSUS because they look after needy animals. Even Ellen isn’t aware of what the HSUS does. I hope someday she finds out that only 4% of what she donates to them will actually go to those animals in need.
MD & MT Move Closer to Building Horse Facilities
Schweitzer's horse slaughter changes rejected by MT Senate
Posted: April 16, 2009 05:17 PM MDT
The bill to authorize investor owned livestock slaughter and processing plants in the state made its way back to the Montana Legislature on Thursday.
Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer sent the bill back to lawmakers earlier this month after striking the legal protections it would have offered to slaughterhouses.
The House has already rejected the changes the Governor made to House Bill 418, and today the Senate did the same by a vote of 44 to 5.
The bill will now go back to Governor Schweitzer in its original form. Read More
Study of ND horse slaughterhouse approved
Apr 16 2009 10:02AM
Associated PressEds
Bismarck, N.D. (AP) North Dakota lawmakers have agreed to spend $50,000 on a study of whether a horse slaughterhouse can be built in the state.
The bill says North Dakota's Commerce Department should study whether legal and regulatory barriers now prevent construction of a horse slaughter plant.
If the project can be done, the study would look into how much a plant would cost and potential markets for its meat.North Dakota's House voted 86-5 on Thursday to approve the study. The bill now goes to Gov. John Hoeven. Link
Both Montana and North Dakota keep moving closer to the possibility of having a horse processing facility in their state. Many states have been trying to deal with this issue since the beginning of the year. Unwanted horses continue to be a problem for communities and states that don’t have the resources to handle them. Hopefully, instead of wasting this natural resource we can once again begin to use it.
Posted: April 16, 2009 05:17 PM MDT
The bill to authorize investor owned livestock slaughter and processing plants in the state made its way back to the Montana Legislature on Thursday.
Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer sent the bill back to lawmakers earlier this month after striking the legal protections it would have offered to slaughterhouses.
The House has already rejected the changes the Governor made to House Bill 418, and today the Senate did the same by a vote of 44 to 5.
The bill will now go back to Governor Schweitzer in its original form. Read More
Study of ND horse slaughterhouse approved
Apr 16 2009 10:02AM
Associated PressEds
Bismarck, N.D. (AP) North Dakota lawmakers have agreed to spend $50,000 on a study of whether a horse slaughterhouse can be built in the state.
The bill says North Dakota's Commerce Department should study whether legal and regulatory barriers now prevent construction of a horse slaughter plant.
If the project can be done, the study would look into how much a plant would cost and potential markets for its meat.North Dakota's House voted 86-5 on Thursday to approve the study. The bill now goes to Gov. John Hoeven. Link
Both Montana and North Dakota keep moving closer to the possibility of having a horse processing facility in their state. Many states have been trying to deal with this issue since the beginning of the year. Unwanted horses continue to be a problem for communities and states that don’t have the resources to handle them. Hopefully, instead of wasting this natural resource we can once again begin to use it.
Pam's Steakhouse
People: PETA pal Pam Anderson booked at strip/steak club
Compiled by Lori Spencer Smith
Posted: 04/17/2009 12:30:00 AM MDT
Sounds like the hard times may have changed the tune of one die-hard PETA campaigner.
Actress-model Pam Anderson has posed naked for PETA's "I'd rather go naked " anti-fur campaign, and has been one of the animal rights group's biggest celebrity spokespeople. She's even spoken out on behalf of chickens.
Now Anderson has been booked to open a gentlemen's strip club/steakhouse in NYC, the L.A. Times reports.
She and another apparently hard-up actress, "The Hills' " Audrina Patridge, will show up for the April 27 opening of a new gentlemen's club named Sapphire New York, which Fox News says is part of Prime 333 Steakhouse on the Upper East Side. Link
Pamela Anderson continues her tradition of being a hypocrite when it comes to animal rights. She has been one of PETA’s biggest supporters but apparently she doesn’t believe in them enough to stop her from going into business with a steakhouse. I can’t wait to hear PETA’s spin on this one.
Compiled by Lori Spencer Smith
Posted: 04/17/2009 12:30:00 AM MDT
Sounds like the hard times may have changed the tune of one die-hard PETA campaigner.
Actress-model Pam Anderson has posed naked for PETA's "I'd rather go naked " anti-fur campaign, and has been one of the animal rights group's biggest celebrity spokespeople. She's even spoken out on behalf of chickens.
Now Anderson has been booked to open a gentlemen's strip club/steakhouse in NYC, the L.A. Times reports.
She and another apparently hard-up actress, "The Hills' " Audrina Patridge, will show up for the April 27 opening of a new gentlemen's club named Sapphire New York, which Fox News says is part of Prime 333 Steakhouse on the Upper East Side. Link
Pamela Anderson continues her tradition of being a hypocrite when it comes to animal rights. She has been one of PETA’s biggest supporters but apparently she doesn’t believe in them enough to stop her from going into business with a steakhouse. I can’t wait to hear PETA’s spin on this one.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Rush Supports HSUS
Rush Limbaugh Deceived by Humane Society in New Ad
By Wesley J. Smith , Senior Fellow in Bioethics - 16 Hours Ago
HSUS is masterful in masking its true animal rights ideological agenda. Now, it has scored a real coup: Rush Limbaugh has tooted his considerable horn in praise of HSUS.
Rush is right that dog fighting is wrong and shelter dogs need to be adopted. But HSUS runs no shelters. It pushes the animal rights agenda by bringing lawsuits against animal industries and seeks to bring an end to activities such as hunting, meat, and research via the death of a thousand cuts.
Limbaugh makes a point of stating that "on this issue" he is with HSUS. But he also says he is "impressed" with HSUS. He has fallen for the deception and has boosed this group in a way that is unprecedented.
Decrying abuse is right and proper. Doing a PSA against dog fighting is spot on. But Limbaugh shouldn't have boosted the group. It is really against everything for which he stands.
Postscript: Limbaugh lauds HSUS for paying $5000 for information used to stop dog fighting . That's fine. But it only offered $2500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Santa Cruz anti animal researcher bombers. To me, that is telling. Link
Yesterday we learned that Rush Limbaugh has recorded some public service announcements for the Humane Society of the United States. Considering where he normally stands on political issues, this has been quite a shock for people. With his considerable influence in mind, an effort has been made by many people in agriculture to let Rush know what the true goals of HSUS really are. You can contact Rush at ElRushbo@eibnet.com.
By Wesley J. Smith , Senior Fellow in Bioethics - 16 Hours Ago
HSUS is masterful in masking its true animal rights ideological agenda. Now, it has scored a real coup: Rush Limbaugh has tooted his considerable horn in praise of HSUS.
Rush is right that dog fighting is wrong and shelter dogs need to be adopted. But HSUS runs no shelters. It pushes the animal rights agenda by bringing lawsuits against animal industries and seeks to bring an end to activities such as hunting, meat, and research via the death of a thousand cuts.
Limbaugh makes a point of stating that "on this issue" he is with HSUS. But he also says he is "impressed" with HSUS. He has fallen for the deception and has boosed this group in a way that is unprecedented.
Decrying abuse is right and proper. Doing a PSA against dog fighting is spot on. But Limbaugh shouldn't have boosted the group. It is really against everything for which he stands.
Postscript: Limbaugh lauds HSUS for paying $5000 for information used to stop dog fighting . That's fine. But it only offered $2500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Santa Cruz anti animal researcher bombers. To me, that is telling. Link
Yesterday we learned that Rush Limbaugh has recorded some public service announcements for the Humane Society of the United States. Considering where he normally stands on political issues, this has been quite a shock for people. With his considerable influence in mind, an effort has been made by many people in agriculture to let Rush know what the true goals of HSUS really are. You can contact Rush at ElRushbo@eibnet.com.
Kids Used PETA as Resource
Animal-rights protest targets McDonald's
By Noelle Frampton STAFF WRITER
Updated: 04/15/2009 11:12:43 PM EDT
MILFORD -- Kristyn Bacon admits her last name is somewhat ironic. After all, she's been a vegetarian for nearly two years and now, at 17, she's become an animal-rights activist.
Bacon, a junior at Bunnell High School, in Stratford, wore a chicken-head cap and smeared herself with blotches of red paint Wednesday afternoon to signify a bloodied bird. But Bacon is no chicken: She marched barefoot in front of the McDonald's on Bridgeport Avenue, in the Devon section, with two friends, in hopes of raising awareness about the way the mega fast-food chain slaughters fowl.
About a week ago, Bacon discovered on the Internet claims by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, that McDonald's Corp. kills chickens by hanging them upside-down in metal shackles, slitting their throats and then dumping them into "scalding-hot" water to de-feather them when some are still alive.
She and her friends, Sabrina Jean-Baptiste, 17, a senior at Kolbe Cathedral High School, in Bridgeport, and Bunnell junior Elise Olsen, 16, decided to spend their sunny spring break afternoon protesting with posters and informational note cards -- on the day McDonald's turned 54. Read More
This is a classic example of the why the ag community needs to be working hard to educate kids in school about food production. These high school girls watched a video on PETA’s website about the process of harvesting chickens. After hearing PETA’s spin put on it, they decide to go out and protest at McDonalds. Agriculture needs to be the source on matters related to our business. We also need to teach our youth enough about food production that they don’t go looking to PETA for information. Remember, the ironic part about this is that many animal rights groups are trying to stop the harvesting method that PETA is encouraging, claiming it is cruel as well.
By Noelle Frampton STAFF WRITER
Updated: 04/15/2009 11:12:43 PM EDT
MILFORD -- Kristyn Bacon admits her last name is somewhat ironic. After all, she's been a vegetarian for nearly two years and now, at 17, she's become an animal-rights activist.
Bacon, a junior at Bunnell High School, in Stratford, wore a chicken-head cap and smeared herself with blotches of red paint Wednesday afternoon to signify a bloodied bird. But Bacon is no chicken: She marched barefoot in front of the McDonald's on Bridgeport Avenue, in the Devon section, with two friends, in hopes of raising awareness about the way the mega fast-food chain slaughters fowl.
About a week ago, Bacon discovered on the Internet claims by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, that McDonald's Corp. kills chickens by hanging them upside-down in metal shackles, slitting their throats and then dumping them into "scalding-hot" water to de-feather them when some are still alive.
She and her friends, Sabrina Jean-Baptiste, 17, a senior at Kolbe Cathedral High School, in Bridgeport, and Bunnell junior Elise Olsen, 16, decided to spend their sunny spring break afternoon protesting with posters and informational note cards -- on the day McDonald's turned 54. Read More
This is a classic example of the why the ag community needs to be working hard to educate kids in school about food production. These high school girls watched a video on PETA’s website about the process of harvesting chickens. After hearing PETA’s spin put on it, they decide to go out and protest at McDonalds. Agriculture needs to be the source on matters related to our business. We also need to teach our youth enough about food production that they don’t go looking to PETA for information. Remember, the ironic part about this is that many animal rights groups are trying to stop the harvesting method that PETA is encouraging, claiming it is cruel as well.
Using Manure to Clean Spills
Chicken Manure Biodegrades Crude Oil In Contaminated Soil
ScienceDaily — It is an unlikely application, but researchers in China have discovered that chicken manure can be used to biodegrade crude oil in contaminated soil. Writing in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution the team explains how bacteria in chicken manure break down 50% more crude oil than soil lacking the guano.
The team carried out a microbial analysis of their samples and identified 21 different microbial species known as aerobic heterotrophs. The team explains that Bacillus species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the best oil-munching microbes but of the 21 isolates 12 were capable of metabolizing components of crude oil. Other microbes included Proteus, Enterobacter, and Micrococcus species. Bacillus represented the most prevalent species.
"The use of chicken manure to stimulate crude oil biodegradation in the soil could be one of the several sought-after environmentally friendly ways of abating petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in the natural ecosystem," the team concludes. Read More
It’s amazing that many people are trying to categorize manure as a toxic waste, and at the same time, we find out that it works great to clean up oil spills. Most people don’t understand that manure should be treated as a resource not a waste product.
ScienceDaily — It is an unlikely application, but researchers in China have discovered that chicken manure can be used to biodegrade crude oil in contaminated soil. Writing in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution the team explains how bacteria in chicken manure break down 50% more crude oil than soil lacking the guano.
The team carried out a microbial analysis of their samples and identified 21 different microbial species known as aerobic heterotrophs. The team explains that Bacillus species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the best oil-munching microbes but of the 21 isolates 12 were capable of metabolizing components of crude oil. Other microbes included Proteus, Enterobacter, and Micrococcus species. Bacillus represented the most prevalent species.
"The use of chicken manure to stimulate crude oil biodegradation in the soil could be one of the several sought-after environmentally friendly ways of abating petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in the natural ecosystem," the team concludes. Read More
It’s amazing that many people are trying to categorize manure as a toxic waste, and at the same time, we find out that it works great to clean up oil spills. Most people don’t understand that manure should be treated as a resource not a waste product.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
AR Attack on Restaurant
Animal rights nutjobs vandalize restaurant again
Posted by Stan Moore on April 14, 2009
WBAL TV
A Howard County restaurant vandalized three weeks ago because of an item on the menu was hit again.
However, this time the owners of the Iron Bridge Wine Company on Route 108 in Columbia, said the people responsible were caught on camera.
The owners said their restaurant was vandalized last time due to the controversial delicacy foie gras, or duck liver. They said they’re fairly certain the people responsible for the first attack perpetrated the second.
“If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s a duck,” owner Steve Wecker said.
Two weeks ago the vandals broke windows, put glue into the locks and painted “get rid of foie gras” on walls. Read More
Animal rights extremists continue to feel the need to use intimidation against agricultural producers, small business owners and consumers. They don’t believe in allowing consumers to vote with their dollars for what products they like. It’s unfortunate that these criminals think they are helping animals when in reality they only hurt the cause they claim to represent.
Posted by Stan Moore on April 14, 2009
WBAL TV
A Howard County restaurant vandalized three weeks ago because of an item on the menu was hit again.
However, this time the owners of the Iron Bridge Wine Company on Route 108 in Columbia, said the people responsible were caught on camera.
The owners said their restaurant was vandalized last time due to the controversial delicacy foie gras, or duck liver. They said they’re fairly certain the people responsible for the first attack perpetrated the second.
“If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s a duck,” owner Steve Wecker said.
Two weeks ago the vandals broke windows, put glue into the locks and painted “get rid of foie gras” on walls. Read More
Animal rights extremists continue to feel the need to use intimidation against agricultural producers, small business owners and consumers. They don’t believe in allowing consumers to vote with their dollars for what products they like. It’s unfortunate that these criminals think they are helping animals when in reality they only hurt the cause they claim to represent.
Germany Bans GMO
Germany bans farming of genetically modified corn
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 1:29 PM ET
Genetically modified corn can no longer be grown commercially in Germany.
German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner announced Tuesday that the government is banning the cultivation of MON 810 maize. That strain of corn is the only genetically modified crop that Germany had allowed to be cultivated in the country.
Aigner said she has concluded the crop poses a danger to the environment.
The change in rules means that MON 810 may not be sown in Germany this upcoming growing season.
Germany had allowed the strain's cultivation since 2005.
MON 810, also known as YieldGuard Corn Borer, is a strain of corn extremely resistant to European and southwestern corn borers, caterpillars that eat and damage corn plants before becoming adult moths. Read More
I have mentioned several times on my blog how the European Union’s policies have negatively affected their ability to feed their citizens. In the 1970’s the countries in what is now the EU could feed their population. Now they are only able to produce about 60% of the food needed. Mostly it is due to the extreme regulations that have been enacted, which consider the need to grow food behind a laundry list of other things. Genetically modified plants are the result of a sped-up process of plant breeding which humans have been doing for thousands of years. They claim to be worried about the long term impact on human health. What is the impact on human health if there isn’t enough to eat?
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 1:29 PM ET
Genetically modified corn can no longer be grown commercially in Germany.
German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner announced Tuesday that the government is banning the cultivation of MON 810 maize. That strain of corn is the only genetically modified crop that Germany had allowed to be cultivated in the country.
Aigner said she has concluded the crop poses a danger to the environment.
The change in rules means that MON 810 may not be sown in Germany this upcoming growing season.
Germany had allowed the strain's cultivation since 2005.
MON 810, also known as YieldGuard Corn Borer, is a strain of corn extremely resistant to European and southwestern corn borers, caterpillars that eat and damage corn plants before becoming adult moths. Read More
I have mentioned several times on my blog how the European Union’s policies have negatively affected their ability to feed their citizens. In the 1970’s the countries in what is now the EU could feed their population. Now they are only able to produce about 60% of the food needed. Mostly it is due to the extreme regulations that have been enacted, which consider the need to grow food behind a laundry list of other things. Genetically modified plants are the result of a sped-up process of plant breeding which humans have been doing for thousands of years. They claim to be worried about the long term impact on human health. What is the impact on human health if there isn’t enough to eat?
Blaming CAFO's
CAFO subsidies no help for rural economies
By Ken Midkiff
Friday, April 3, 2009
As reported by the Associated Press, U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., has earmarked a bundle of money — about $250,000 — to Premium Standard Farms on the dubious premise that concentrated animal feeding operations are a boost to the rural economy. PSF plans to use the money to find ways to reduce the amount of hog poop it produces via a dewatering procedure.
I examined the economic benefits issue and quickly learned that CAFOs harm the local economy rather than help it. What Kit “Earmarks” Bond has done is the reverse of what President Barack Obama’s stimulus package is supposed to accomplish.
Retired rural economists Bill Weida and John Ikerd have separately studied rural development, and both have concluded that CAFOs do more harm than good to the rural economy.
For indicators, they cite:
● The increase in child abuse, as documented by states’ social service agencies, and in particular the “Kids Count” data.
● The increase in spousal abuse from crime statistics. Read More
The author of this article is actually suggesting that CAFO’s, most of which are owned and operated by hard working families, are responsible for child and spouse abuse. This laundry list is laughable at best, but it’s scary that many consumers could read this and believe it might be true. It just goes to show you that these anti-animal agricultural people will stop at nothing to put hard working families out of business by suggesting that they abuse their children.
By Ken Midkiff
Friday, April 3, 2009
As reported by the Associated Press, U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., has earmarked a bundle of money — about $250,000 — to Premium Standard Farms on the dubious premise that concentrated animal feeding operations are a boost to the rural economy. PSF plans to use the money to find ways to reduce the amount of hog poop it produces via a dewatering procedure.
I examined the economic benefits issue and quickly learned that CAFOs harm the local economy rather than help it. What Kit “Earmarks” Bond has done is the reverse of what President Barack Obama’s stimulus package is supposed to accomplish.
Retired rural economists Bill Weida and John Ikerd have separately studied rural development, and both have concluded that CAFOs do more harm than good to the rural economy.
For indicators, they cite:
● The increase in child abuse, as documented by states’ social service agencies, and in particular the “Kids Count” data.
● The increase in spousal abuse from crime statistics. Read More
The author of this article is actually suggesting that CAFO’s, most of which are owned and operated by hard working families, are responsible for child and spouse abuse. This laundry list is laughable at best, but it’s scary that many consumers could read this and believe it might be true. It just goes to show you that these anti-animal agricultural people will stop at nothing to put hard working families out of business by suggesting that they abuse their children.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Bacon's New Found Use
One too many? Try this hangover remedy...
April 08 2009 at 07:19AM
London - Scientists say they have proof that the best cure for a hangover really is a bacon sandwich.
Elin Roberts, the science development manager at the Centre for Life in Newcastle, says: "Food doesn't soak up the alcohol, but it does increase your metabolism - helping you to deal with the after-effects of over-indulgence."
So food will often help you feel better. Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids.
"Your body needs these amino acids, so eating them will make you feel good. Bingeing on alcohol depletes neurotransmitters too, but bacon contains a high level of amines which tops these up, giving you a clearer head."
There's even a scientific formula behind that tantalising aroma of a bacon sandwich, reports the Daily Mirror.
Elin adds: "If you've got amino acids and reducing sugars at a heat above 150 degrees centigrade, it kickstarts the Maillard Reaction in the pan."That means lots of lovely smells are released and it's this which draws us in. I know of three vegetarians who have been broken by the smell of bacon." Link
Not only does bacon taste great, but now we find out that it has this added bonus feature!
April 08 2009 at 07:19AM
London - Scientists say they have proof that the best cure for a hangover really is a bacon sandwich.
Elin Roberts, the science development manager at the Centre for Life in Newcastle, says: "Food doesn't soak up the alcohol, but it does increase your metabolism - helping you to deal with the after-effects of over-indulgence."
So food will often help you feel better. Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids.
"Your body needs these amino acids, so eating them will make you feel good. Bingeing on alcohol depletes neurotransmitters too, but bacon contains a high level of amines which tops these up, giving you a clearer head."
There's even a scientific formula behind that tantalising aroma of a bacon sandwich, reports the Daily Mirror.
Elin adds: "If you've got amino acids and reducing sugars at a heat above 150 degrees centigrade, it kickstarts the Maillard Reaction in the pan."That means lots of lovely smells are released and it's this which draws us in. I know of three vegetarians who have been broken by the smell of bacon." Link
Not only does bacon taste great, but now we find out that it has this added bonus feature!
Dairy Industry Looks at Reducing Methane
Dairy industry sees less-gassy future for cows
By ROBERT IMRIE – 6 hours ago
WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — The U.S. dairy industry wants to engineer the "cow of the future" to pass less gas, a project aimed at cutting the industry's greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.
The cow project aims to reduce intestinal methane, the single largest component of the dairy industry's carbon footprint, said Thomas P. Gallagher, chief executive officer of the U.S. Dairy and Dairy Management Inc.'s Innovation Center in Rosemont, Ill.
One area to be explored is modifying the dairy cows' feed so they produce less methane, said Rick Naczi, the leader of the initiative.
"Right now there is some work being done on fish-oil additives and some other things," he said. "The cow is responsible for the majority of the greenhouse gas on the farm itself. We know there are ways that we can find to cut or reduce that production."
The University of Arkansas' Applied Sustainability Center estimates the dairy industry contributes less than 2 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Read More
The greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture have been dropping for decades and that trend will continue into the future with research like this. However, as new technology becomes available, agriculture will need license from the public to use it. Things like BST reduced emissions, but public pressure caused this safe product to be shunned.
By ROBERT IMRIE – 6 hours ago
WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — The U.S. dairy industry wants to engineer the "cow of the future" to pass less gas, a project aimed at cutting the industry's greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.
The cow project aims to reduce intestinal methane, the single largest component of the dairy industry's carbon footprint, said Thomas P. Gallagher, chief executive officer of the U.S. Dairy and Dairy Management Inc.'s Innovation Center in Rosemont, Ill.
One area to be explored is modifying the dairy cows' feed so they produce less methane, said Rick Naczi, the leader of the initiative.
"Right now there is some work being done on fish-oil additives and some other things," he said. "The cow is responsible for the majority of the greenhouse gas on the farm itself. We know there are ways that we can find to cut or reduce that production."
The University of Arkansas' Applied Sustainability Center estimates the dairy industry contributes less than 2 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Read More
The greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture have been dropping for decades and that trend will continue into the future with research like this. However, as new technology becomes available, agriculture will need license from the public to use it. Things like BST reduced emissions, but public pressure caused this safe product to be shunned.
Seed Technology Improving Food
New oil with zero trans fat could revolutionize frying
By Dan Piller, The Des Moines Register
What may be the next big thing in the quest for the perfect low-fat french fry will sprout from Iowa ground this summer.
Pioneer Hi-Bred says its genetically engineered soybean will make an oil that has no artery-clogging trans fats. The high-oleic oil is supposed to last three to five times longer in commercial fryers than most zero-trans-fat oils.
The Johnson, Iowa-based company, the second-largest producer of hybrid seeds for agriculture, will put the soybean through tests to determine whether those claims are true. If so, then McDonald's, Frito-Lay and other companies may snap up the oil and promote heart-healthy fried foods and chips.
The consequences for Americans' health could be significant. Read More
The seed technology that continues to improve our food supply is nothing short of amazing. Humans have been altering plants to benefit them for thousands of years. Today, because of the tools at our disposal, we can drastically speed up the process. Having this ability will dramatically aid us in our challenge to increase food production.
By Dan Piller, The Des Moines Register
What may be the next big thing in the quest for the perfect low-fat french fry will sprout from Iowa ground this summer.
Pioneer Hi-Bred says its genetically engineered soybean will make an oil that has no artery-clogging trans fats. The high-oleic oil is supposed to last three to five times longer in commercial fryers than most zero-trans-fat oils.
The Johnson, Iowa-based company, the second-largest producer of hybrid seeds for agriculture, will put the soybean through tests to determine whether those claims are true. If so, then McDonald's, Frito-Lay and other companies may snap up the oil and promote heart-healthy fried foods and chips.
The consequences for Americans' health could be significant. Read More
The seed technology that continues to improve our food supply is nothing short of amazing. Humans have been altering plants to benefit them for thousands of years. Today, because of the tools at our disposal, we can drastically speed up the process. Having this ability will dramatically aid us in our challenge to increase food production.
Farming or Gardening?
Students Learn About Sustainable Agriculture
A few colleges in the United States provide hands-on experience in traditional farming.
13 April 2009
Many colleges and universities in the United States provide education in agriculture. But only a few schools offer experience in traditional hands-on field work in addition to classes.
Sustainable agriculture is a major goal at these colleges. They teach the need for farming to improve the environment and make good use of natural resources. Students grow organic food and use as little fossil fuels and chemicals as possible.
Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, is one of the colleges that supports sustainable agriculture. Students produce some of their own food. They prepare the soil for planting with their hands or simple tools. They do not use much big machinery that uses gasoline. Read More
I hate to sound so condescending here, but this program sounds mostly like a gardening class. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it shouldn’t be confused with the segment of agriculture where each producer has the responsibility of feeding nearly 150 people every year. That requires more than simple hand tools to accomplish, it takes a modern agricultural system.
A few colleges in the United States provide hands-on experience in traditional farming.
13 April 2009
Many colleges and universities in the United States provide education in agriculture. But only a few schools offer experience in traditional hands-on field work in addition to classes.
Sustainable agriculture is a major goal at these colleges. They teach the need for farming to improve the environment and make good use of natural resources. Students grow organic food and use as little fossil fuels and chemicals as possible.
Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, is one of the colleges that supports sustainable agriculture. Students produce some of their own food. They prepare the soil for planting with their hands or simple tools. They do not use much big machinery that uses gasoline. Read More
I hate to sound so condescending here, but this program sounds mostly like a gardening class. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it shouldn’t be confused with the segment of agriculture where each producer has the responsibility of feeding nearly 150 people every year. That requires more than simple hand tools to accomplish, it takes a modern agricultural system.
Criminal Activist Speaks at UC Berkeley
Animal Rights Activist Speaks To UC Berkeley Advocacy Group
By Mihir Zeveri Contributing Writer
Monday, April 13, 2009
In a visit to UC Berkeley Wednesday, an animal rights activist spoke to a student organization about continuing to protest inhumane animal treatment at the campus, which regularly performs research on animals.
Peter Young, who set at least eight thousand minks free from fur farms in October 1997, talked about his past experiences and encouraged members of the Berkeley Organization for Animal Advocacy to reevaluate their activist strategies, said Katie Cantrell, the organization's president.
"He was a fantastic speaker, a lot of people there talked about how they were moved by him," Cantrell said. "He talked about how important it is to assess how effective your methods are. A lot of people wave a sign around and think that they do something, but it's not effective."
Although most animal rights supporters have employed peaceful methods of protest, Cantrell said a small minority of activists still resort to illegal and violent methods. Read More
When I read this article, the message I got was if your legal protests aren’t working then you will need to resort to illegal activities in order to get what you want. For these radical animal rights activists, the end justifies the means; human life lost will be worth it if you free some lab rats. If this wasn’t the message being sent, then I would have thought the speaker would have denounced the recent attacks on researchers.
By Mihir Zeveri Contributing Writer
Monday, April 13, 2009
In a visit to UC Berkeley Wednesday, an animal rights activist spoke to a student organization about continuing to protest inhumane animal treatment at the campus, which regularly performs research on animals.
Peter Young, who set at least eight thousand minks free from fur farms in October 1997, talked about his past experiences and encouraged members of the Berkeley Organization for Animal Advocacy to reevaluate their activist strategies, said Katie Cantrell, the organization's president.
"He was a fantastic speaker, a lot of people there talked about how they were moved by him," Cantrell said. "He talked about how important it is to assess how effective your methods are. A lot of people wave a sign around and think that they do something, but it's not effective."
Although most animal rights supporters have employed peaceful methods of protest, Cantrell said a small minority of activists still resort to illegal and violent methods. Read More
When I read this article, the message I got was if your legal protests aren’t working then you will need to resort to illegal activities in order to get what you want. For these radical animal rights activists, the end justifies the means; human life lost will be worth it if you free some lab rats. If this wasn’t the message being sent, then I would have thought the speaker would have denounced the recent attacks on researchers.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sage Grouse Debate
Suit says grazing, drilling rules threaten bird
Scott Sonner, Associated Press
Sunday, April 12, 2009
(04-12) 04:00 PDT Reno -- Conservationists say federal rules that allow livestock grazing and oil and gas development across 25 million acres of public land in the West are illegal because they fail to acknowledge the harm being done to sage grouse.
A lawsuit recently filed in federal court accuses the Bureau of Land Management of violating two major environmental laws and its own regulations by allowing commercial activities to continue on those lands in California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah.
But in a switch in strategy, the environmentalists aren't asking a judge to immediately halt those operations. They want to talk, and they think they may have a willing listener in the new Obama administration.
Ranchers and drillers said the suit is part of an effort to keep livestock, energy development and other commercial activities off an area of the West bigger than the state of Indiana.
"They are trying to tie up 25 million acres and close it down to livestock operators altogether," said Ronald Opsahl, a lawyer for the Mountain States Legal Foundation, which represents the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the Petroleum Association of Wyoming. "As far as the scope of this case, it has to be unprecedented." Read More
This situation falls in line with an article I wrote last fall about the concept of “peak agriculture”. The concept is that there is a push to ban agriculture from certain areas in order to allegedly protect something else. In this case, there is an effort to eliminate 25 million acres of land from our available food and energy producing area. If things like this happen, people need to realize that this impacts our ability to produce food. We can’t replace these acres somewhere else. There is only so much land on this planet, and even less that can be used to grow food.
Scott Sonner, Associated Press
Sunday, April 12, 2009
(04-12) 04:00 PDT Reno -- Conservationists say federal rules that allow livestock grazing and oil and gas development across 25 million acres of public land in the West are illegal because they fail to acknowledge the harm being done to sage grouse.
A lawsuit recently filed in federal court accuses the Bureau of Land Management of violating two major environmental laws and its own regulations by allowing commercial activities to continue on those lands in California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah.
But in a switch in strategy, the environmentalists aren't asking a judge to immediately halt those operations. They want to talk, and they think they may have a willing listener in the new Obama administration.
Ranchers and drillers said the suit is part of an effort to keep livestock, energy development and other commercial activities off an area of the West bigger than the state of Indiana.
"They are trying to tie up 25 million acres and close it down to livestock operators altogether," said Ronald Opsahl, a lawyer for the Mountain States Legal Foundation, which represents the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the Petroleum Association of Wyoming. "As far as the scope of this case, it has to be unprecedented." Read More
This situation falls in line with an article I wrote last fall about the concept of “peak agriculture”. The concept is that there is a push to ban agriculture from certain areas in order to allegedly protect something else. In this case, there is an effort to eliminate 25 million acres of land from our available food and energy producing area. If things like this happen, people need to realize that this impacts our ability to produce food. We can’t replace these acres somewhere else. There is only so much land on this planet, and even less that can be used to grow food.
NJ's Seven Head Rule
Farmers face new animal waste laws
Sunday, April 12, 2009
By Randall Clark
rclark@sjnewsco.com
A new set of state rules have been enacted to guide how farmers dispose of their manure and manage their pastures, attempting to minimize the impact of agricultural pollution.
The process of getting Salem County livestock and equine owners on board is under way, though several have relayed a sense of foreboding on what it will mean for their operations.
"It's a little scary. I don't really know what it means for me yet," said one county horse owner, who wished not to be named because of the mounting piles of manure on their 14-horse operation.
Developed under the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, any farm with more than seven animals (of 1,000 pounds or more) must devise a comprehensive waste management plan.
Read More
Seven head. That’s all the livestock you need to own in New Jersey to require that you have a nutrient management plan. How many producers can afford to hire an engineer to make their management plans for them if they only own seven head? Livestock producers strive to be good stewards of the land, but this is nothing but a blatant attempt to eliminate livestock in New Jersey. There is one other thing to learn from this. Many times in agriculture, we see people in our own industry working hard for the “big producers” to be more heavily regulated. It’s important to remember that anytime regulations like that are put in place, they will always end up trickling down and affecting everyone involved, regardless of how “big” you are.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
By Randall Clark
rclark@sjnewsco.com
A new set of state rules have been enacted to guide how farmers dispose of their manure and manage their pastures, attempting to minimize the impact of agricultural pollution.
The process of getting Salem County livestock and equine owners on board is under way, though several have relayed a sense of foreboding on what it will mean for their operations.
"It's a little scary. I don't really know what it means for me yet," said one county horse owner, who wished not to be named because of the mounting piles of manure on their 14-horse operation.
Developed under the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, any farm with more than seven animals (of 1,000 pounds or more) must devise a comprehensive waste management plan.
Read More
Seven head. That’s all the livestock you need to own in New Jersey to require that you have a nutrient management plan. How many producers can afford to hire an engineer to make their management plans for them if they only own seven head? Livestock producers strive to be good stewards of the land, but this is nothing but a blatant attempt to eliminate livestock in New Jersey. There is one other thing to learn from this. Many times in agriculture, we see people in our own industry working hard for the “big producers” to be more heavily regulated. It’s important to remember that anytime regulations like that are put in place, they will always end up trickling down and affecting everyone involved, regardless of how “big” you are.
Animal Welfare & WTO
Europe for inclusion of animal welfare in WTO agenda
April 9th, 2009 - 5:05 pm ICT by IANS -
New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) Animal rights activists across the world have a reason to smile as the European Union (EU) is pushing for the inclusion of animal welfare standards in the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) multilateral trade negotiations.
“Inclusion of animal welfare standards in the WTO agenda is urgently needed to effectively enforce animal standards worldwide, and to improve the appalling condition of slaughter houses in many countries including India,” Citizens for Animal Rights (CAR), a city-based organisation, said in a release here.
Quoting European representatives, the CAR added: “Animal welfare concerns are being increasingly recognised in food production around the world, but they must be formalised within the WTO trade agreements.” Read More
The European Union has regulated themselves into a position where they can no longer feed their citizens, and now they want to force that on this country. Being able to feed your own country is a matter of national security. We have seen how relying on others for our energy works, now imagine doing that with food.
April 9th, 2009 - 5:05 pm ICT by IANS -
New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) Animal rights activists across the world have a reason to smile as the European Union (EU) is pushing for the inclusion of animal welfare standards in the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) multilateral trade negotiations.
“Inclusion of animal welfare standards in the WTO agenda is urgently needed to effectively enforce animal standards worldwide, and to improve the appalling condition of slaughter houses in many countries including India,” Citizens for Animal Rights (CAR), a city-based organisation, said in a release here.
Quoting European representatives, the CAR added: “Animal welfare concerns are being increasingly recognised in food production around the world, but they must be formalised within the WTO trade agreements.” Read More
The European Union has regulated themselves into a position where they can no longer feed their citizens, and now they want to force that on this country. Being able to feed your own country is a matter of national security. We have seen how relying on others for our energy works, now imagine doing that with food.
Educating Kids About Ag
In the moo-ed: Hillcrest students improve their agriculture literacy
Published: Monday, April 13, 2009
LAKE WALES - If you want 5- and 6-year-olds to listen to your Ag Day message, send someone in a cow costume.
About 225 Hillcrest Elementary students in Pre-K, kindergarten and first grade participated in the Florida Agriculture Literacy Day program recently. All eyes - and ears - were on the messenger Merry Moo, a costumed cow, who showed off Florida-fresh produce and helped students learn about the importance of their state's agriculture industry.
Representatives from Polk County Farm Bureau read the book "These Florida Farms!" and shared goodies with students, including juice from Florida's Natural, "Got Milk?" pencils and "Drink OJ" blinking buttons. Read More
I really enjoy highlighting some of the good things going on in agriculture. And probably one of the best things our industry can do is to work with our youth and teach them about food production and the people that do it. Many of these kids, like their parents, are growing up thinking that the grocery store shelves will always be full. Helping them realize that farmers and ranchers have this incredible responsibility to grow our food is important for them to learn. Congratulations to the Polk County Farm Bureau and everyone else who was involved for taking the time and making the effort to promote agriculture.
Published: Monday, April 13, 2009
LAKE WALES - If you want 5- and 6-year-olds to listen to your Ag Day message, send someone in a cow costume.
About 225 Hillcrest Elementary students in Pre-K, kindergarten and first grade participated in the Florida Agriculture Literacy Day program recently. All eyes - and ears - were on the messenger Merry Moo, a costumed cow, who showed off Florida-fresh produce and helped students learn about the importance of their state's agriculture industry.
Representatives from Polk County Farm Bureau read the book "These Florida Farms!" and shared goodies with students, including juice from Florida's Natural, "Got Milk?" pencils and "Drink OJ" blinking buttons. Read More
I really enjoy highlighting some of the good things going on in agriculture. And probably one of the best things our industry can do is to work with our youth and teach them about food production and the people that do it. Many of these kids, like their parents, are growing up thinking that the grocery store shelves will always be full. Helping them realize that farmers and ranchers have this incredible responsibility to grow our food is important for them to learn. Congratulations to the Polk County Farm Bureau and everyone else who was involved for taking the time and making the effort to promote agriculture.
Friday, April 10, 2009
My Point of View
Farmers and Ranchers Should Help Define ‘Sustainable’
By Troy Hadrick
It’s hard to get through the day anymore without hearing the word “sustainable.” In fact, I was recently asked if I was a factory farmer or if I raised cattle sustainably. Who judges what’s sustainable and what isn’t? It seems that the word has been hijacked and is being used by people who are opposed to modern agriculture.
Sometimes you just have to shake your head when you hear the term. When I hear about sustainable wood, it always puzzles me. Are there some trees that don't grow back?
But in food production, we hear more and more that modern agriculture can’t continue down the same path it’s currently on. What exactly led to that false notion, and how would anyone possess the kind of knowledge needed to back up that sweeping statement?
Skeptics say we should go back to how we used to raise crops and livestock. But how far back should we go? To the 1950s? Or how about the 1870s? Maybe we could go back to when everyone raised just their own food?
Broadly, it is frequently true that so-called sustainable practices are those techniques used before the combustion engine was invented. Every industry has adapted and used technology to improve production methods and output. That includes agriculture.
From a farmer’s perspective, there are two questions that should have to be answered before any agricultural practice can truly be considered sustainable. First, will the farm and ranch families implementing the practice be able to generate enough income to continue farming or ranching? Will those families be sustainable? And second, will the practice help producers increase food production to keep up with a growing population? If the answer to either of these questions is no, then, from my perspective, it should not be considered sustainable.
If farmers and ranchers can't make a living, they obviously won't be around very long. That’s not what I would call a sustainable practice. Or if America’s farmers and ranchers are forced to use production methods that do not yield enough food for everyone would you consider that sustainable? I wouldn’t.
At the end of the day, agriculture has a single, yet vital, responsibility -- to provide food, fiber, fuel and other basics of life for an ever-growing world. The agriculture industry that some folks like to envision is better described as nostalgic rather than sustainable or even realistic. Our society wouldn’t have developed into what it is today if 25 percent or more of our workforce was still required to grow food. For the past century, we have continually produced more food with less farm inputs. With the technologies available today, that trend will continue.
American agriculture has a longer track record than any other industry in this country. Many families are producing food on the same land their ancestors did. That is proof of sustainability. Farmers and ranchers know a thing or two about being sustainable since our livelihood depends on it. It’s time we take our word “sustainable” back and encourage everyone to think about and use its real definition.
By Troy Hadrick
It’s hard to get through the day anymore without hearing the word “sustainable.” In fact, I was recently asked if I was a factory farmer or if I raised cattle sustainably. Who judges what’s sustainable and what isn’t? It seems that the word has been hijacked and is being used by people who are opposed to modern agriculture.
Sometimes you just have to shake your head when you hear the term. When I hear about sustainable wood, it always puzzles me. Are there some trees that don't grow back?
But in food production, we hear more and more that modern agriculture can’t continue down the same path it’s currently on. What exactly led to that false notion, and how would anyone possess the kind of knowledge needed to back up that sweeping statement?
Skeptics say we should go back to how we used to raise crops and livestock. But how far back should we go? To the 1950s? Or how about the 1870s? Maybe we could go back to when everyone raised just their own food?
Broadly, it is frequently true that so-called sustainable practices are those techniques used before the combustion engine was invented. Every industry has adapted and used technology to improve production methods and output. That includes agriculture.
From a farmer’s perspective, there are two questions that should have to be answered before any agricultural practice can truly be considered sustainable. First, will the farm and ranch families implementing the practice be able to generate enough income to continue farming or ranching? Will those families be sustainable? And second, will the practice help producers increase food production to keep up with a growing population? If the answer to either of these questions is no, then, from my perspective, it should not be considered sustainable.
If farmers and ranchers can't make a living, they obviously won't be around very long. That’s not what I would call a sustainable practice. Or if America’s farmers and ranchers are forced to use production methods that do not yield enough food for everyone would you consider that sustainable? I wouldn’t.
At the end of the day, agriculture has a single, yet vital, responsibility -- to provide food, fiber, fuel and other basics of life for an ever-growing world. The agriculture industry that some folks like to envision is better described as nostalgic rather than sustainable or even realistic. Our society wouldn’t have developed into what it is today if 25 percent or more of our workforce was still required to grow food. For the past century, we have continually produced more food with less farm inputs. With the technologies available today, that trend will continue.
American agriculture has a longer track record than any other industry in this country. Many families are producing food on the same land their ancestors did. That is proof of sustainability. Farmers and ranchers know a thing or two about being sustainable since our livelihood depends on it. It’s time we take our word “sustainable” back and encourage everyone to think about and use its real definition.
Blame the Bacon When She Dies
World's Oldest Woman Turns 115: Never Drank, Never Smoked, Loves Crispy Bacon
LOS ANGELES — The world's oldest known living person celebrated her 115th birthday Monday.
Gertrude Baines was honored at Western Convalescent Hospital with music, a letter from the president, and two cakes.
Baines said little during the celebration as friends sang to her and she received a proclamation from Guinness World Records acknowledging her as the world's oldest person.
Baines' physician said she only has two complaints.
"Number one, she doesn't like the bacon. It's not crisp enough," the doctor, Charles Witt Jr., told KCAL-TV. "And the other thing is she fusses about her ... arthritis of her knees. She told me that she owes her longevity to the Lord, that she never did drink, she never did smoke and she never did fool around." Read More
After being told this past week that eating meat will kill you, isn’t it ironic that the oldest person on the planet enjoys crispy bacon?
LOS ANGELES — The world's oldest known living person celebrated her 115th birthday Monday.
Gertrude Baines was honored at Western Convalescent Hospital with music, a letter from the president, and two cakes.
Baines said little during the celebration as friends sang to her and she received a proclamation from Guinness World Records acknowledging her as the world's oldest person.
Baines' physician said she only has two complaints.
"Number one, she doesn't like the bacon. It's not crisp enough," the doctor, Charles Witt Jr., told KCAL-TV. "And the other thing is she fusses about her ... arthritis of her knees. She told me that she owes her longevity to the Lord, that she never did drink, she never did smoke and she never did fool around." Read More
After being told this past week that eating meat will kill you, isn’t it ironic that the oldest person on the planet enjoys crispy bacon?
Free-Range Debate
April 10, 2009
Op-Ed Contributor
Free-Range Trichinosis
By JAMES E. McWILLIAMS
Austin, Tex.
IS free-range pork better and safer to eat than conventional pork? Many consumers think so. The well-publicized horrors of intensive pig farming have fostered the widespread assumption that, as one purveyor of free-range meats put it, “the health benefits are indisputable.” However, as yet another reminder that culinary wisdom is never conventional, scientists have found that free-range pork can be more likely than caged pork to carry dangerous bacteria and parasites. It’s not only pistachios and 50-pound tubs of peanut paste that have been infected with salmonella but also 500-pound pigs allowed to root and to roam pastures happily before butting heads with a bolt gun.
The study published in the journal Foodborne Pathogens and Disease that brought these findings to light last year sampled more than 600 pigs in North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin. It discovered not only higher rates of salmonella in free-range pigs (54 percent versus 39 percent) but also greater levels of the pathogen toxoplasma (6.8 percent versus 1.1 percent) and, most alarming, two free-range pigs that carried the parasite trichina (as opposed to zero for confined pigs). For many years, the pork industry has been assuring cooks that a little pink in the pork is fine. Trichinosis, which can be deadly, was assumed to be history. Read More
This is an interesting article, especially when he contradicts his entire argument in the last paragraph. Aside from that, his points are quite valid. There are some very good reasons that our methods of livestock production have come to be. The safety of the animal and the safety of the food supply being the top two reasons. Some, I suppose really believe that free-range meat tastes better, but when groups like HSUS try force production outside, it is because they are well aware of the food safety issues and their hope is that people will quit eating it altogether.
Op-Ed Contributor
Free-Range Trichinosis
By JAMES E. McWILLIAMS
Austin, Tex.
IS free-range pork better and safer to eat than conventional pork? Many consumers think so. The well-publicized horrors of intensive pig farming have fostered the widespread assumption that, as one purveyor of free-range meats put it, “the health benefits are indisputable.” However, as yet another reminder that culinary wisdom is never conventional, scientists have found that free-range pork can be more likely than caged pork to carry dangerous bacteria and parasites. It’s not only pistachios and 50-pound tubs of peanut paste that have been infected with salmonella but also 500-pound pigs allowed to root and to roam pastures happily before butting heads with a bolt gun.
The study published in the journal Foodborne Pathogens and Disease that brought these findings to light last year sampled more than 600 pigs in North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin. It discovered not only higher rates of salmonella in free-range pigs (54 percent versus 39 percent) but also greater levels of the pathogen toxoplasma (6.8 percent versus 1.1 percent) and, most alarming, two free-range pigs that carried the parasite trichina (as opposed to zero for confined pigs). For many years, the pork industry has been assuring cooks that a little pink in the pork is fine. Trichinosis, which can be deadly, was assumed to be history. Read More
This is an interesting article, especially when he contradicts his entire argument in the last paragraph. Aside from that, his points are quite valid. There are some very good reasons that our methods of livestock production have come to be. The safety of the animal and the safety of the food supply being the top two reasons. Some, I suppose really believe that free-range meat tastes better, but when groups like HSUS try force production outside, it is because they are well aware of the food safety issues and their hope is that people will quit eating it altogether.
Poor Reasoning
COLUMNIST: Slow transition from 'Megaglow Mart' to Local Food Zealot
New York Mills HeraldPublished Wednesday, April 08, 2009
By Heather Cassidy
NY Mills
When I first moved here with my husband and two kids three years ago, I drove every week to a gloriously big grocery store 30 minutes away to buy my groceries. It was the type of store I was accustomed to - huge, with an entire aisle of organic foods, and at least 18 different varieties of pasta. It was so well lit that my spirits lifted out of the winter doldrums while I strode through the aisles filling my cart. They always had avocados that would be perfect for guacamole tomorrow. I could always find a bottle of tahini for my homemade humus, cold leafy lettuce with fine droplets of water, and fresh slabs of Atlantic Salmon any time I wanted it. But the nagging guilt of wasting all of that gas to get to this oasis of food wouldn't go away.
Soon, a Wal-Mart popped up only 15 minutes away, and I took my grocery dollars to the “Evil Empire” as some would call it. For 120 bucks I left that store with a cart overflowing with everything I could possibly need to feed my family for the next week. Feeling like a hypocrite, I would pull into the local organic food store across from Wal-Mart to buy all of the stuff that nobody else sells, like Kava tea and fresh local eggs with firm orange yolks. This went on for several months, but the high gas prices and constant din of “support our local economy” wouldn't quit buzzing in my ear.
I started thinking about why our meat didn’t taste very good, and learned about Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Knowing how venison tastes after a deer has had a stressful and agonizing last few minutes of life, I drew unscientific conclusions that I was eating miserable animals. Flashbacks of chicken scalding and plucking from my childhood (spent at grandma and grandpas farm) no longer were a deterrent to raising my own meat after learning about the stacks of confined chickens that become Chicken Dinosaur Shapes in the grocery store freezer. I started buying my meat from local pork and beef farmers, filling my freezer with meat raised less than 30 miles away and processed locally. Read More
It’s funny how people talk themselves into things. The author believed that the locally grown meat tasted better than what she bought at the grocery store because of how they were less stressed and scared before they were harvested. Whether or not the taste was different is beside the point. The point is her reasoning for why is what is off base. There are many things that can impact the taste of the meat, but how the animal is harvested is a pretty uniform procedure. The stress level at the end would most likely be tied to how well the facility is designed, not the size of the plant.
New York Mills HeraldPublished Wednesday, April 08, 2009
By Heather Cassidy
NY Mills
When I first moved here with my husband and two kids three years ago, I drove every week to a gloriously big grocery store 30 minutes away to buy my groceries. It was the type of store I was accustomed to - huge, with an entire aisle of organic foods, and at least 18 different varieties of pasta. It was so well lit that my spirits lifted out of the winter doldrums while I strode through the aisles filling my cart. They always had avocados that would be perfect for guacamole tomorrow. I could always find a bottle of tahini for my homemade humus, cold leafy lettuce with fine droplets of water, and fresh slabs of Atlantic Salmon any time I wanted it. But the nagging guilt of wasting all of that gas to get to this oasis of food wouldn't go away.
Soon, a Wal-Mart popped up only 15 minutes away, and I took my grocery dollars to the “Evil Empire” as some would call it. For 120 bucks I left that store with a cart overflowing with everything I could possibly need to feed my family for the next week. Feeling like a hypocrite, I would pull into the local organic food store across from Wal-Mart to buy all of the stuff that nobody else sells, like Kava tea and fresh local eggs with firm orange yolks. This went on for several months, but the high gas prices and constant din of “support our local economy” wouldn't quit buzzing in my ear.
I started thinking about why our meat didn’t taste very good, and learned about Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Knowing how venison tastes after a deer has had a stressful and agonizing last few minutes of life, I drew unscientific conclusions that I was eating miserable animals. Flashbacks of chicken scalding and plucking from my childhood (spent at grandma and grandpas farm) no longer were a deterrent to raising my own meat after learning about the stacks of confined chickens that become Chicken Dinosaur Shapes in the grocery store freezer. I started buying my meat from local pork and beef farmers, filling my freezer with meat raised less than 30 miles away and processed locally. Read More
It’s funny how people talk themselves into things. The author believed that the locally grown meat tasted better than what she bought at the grocery store because of how they were less stressed and scared before they were harvested. Whether or not the taste was different is beside the point. The point is her reasoning for why is what is off base. There are many things that can impact the taste of the meat, but how the animal is harvested is a pretty uniform procedure. The stress level at the end would most likely be tied to how well the facility is designed, not the size of the plant.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Vegan Pets
Have you heard about these vegans that are forcing their pets to conform to their diet as well? Check out this video. I especially like the veterinarians comments.
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7287243
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7287243
Nat'l Animal Interest Alliance
Leader-author calls for 'major' animal rights counter-movement
Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 8:40 AM
by Ken Anderson
You could say Patti Strand of Portland, Oregon wrote the book on the animal rights movement.
Strand, who is the founder and chairperson of the National Animal Interest Alliance, authored a book 17 years ago entitled “The Hijacking of the Humane Movement: Animal Extremism”. Strand has been battling the animal rights movement ever since and she says it’s not going away.
“So I would say that the people who imagine that they can just keep doing their own thing and the bad guys will disappear are living in a bit of a fantasy land at this point,” says Strand. “They’re not going to go away. This is how these groups earn their living. They’re conflict fund-raising groups. They need conflict in order to make money.” Read More
We had the privilege of serving on a panel with Patti Strand this winter. Her organization has done a fantastic job of tracking the animal rights movement and working to get livestock producers, dog owners, hunters and many other groups of people to work together against the likes of HSUS and PETA. There are many groups of people besides agriculture that are being affected by the animal rights movement. A coordinated effort by all of them will be the key to getting out our message.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 8:40 AM
by Ken Anderson
You could say Patti Strand of Portland, Oregon wrote the book on the animal rights movement.
Strand, who is the founder and chairperson of the National Animal Interest Alliance, authored a book 17 years ago entitled “The Hijacking of the Humane Movement: Animal Extremism”. Strand has been battling the animal rights movement ever since and she says it’s not going away.
“So I would say that the people who imagine that they can just keep doing their own thing and the bad guys will disappear are living in a bit of a fantasy land at this point,” says Strand. “They’re not going to go away. This is how these groups earn their living. They’re conflict fund-raising groups. They need conflict in order to make money.” Read More
We had the privilege of serving on a panel with Patti Strand this winter. Her organization has done a fantastic job of tracking the animal rights movement and working to get livestock producers, dog owners, hunters and many other groups of people to work together against the likes of HSUS and PETA. There are many groups of people besides agriculture that are being affected by the animal rights movement. A coordinated effort by all of them will be the key to getting out our message.
Producers on the Web
Web Site Profiles Indiana Livestock Producers
04/06/2009 by Gary Truitt
Consumers today are interested in knowing more about how their food is produced. Environmental, safety, and welfare issues are figuring more and more in consumer buying decisions. Yet, most Americans know very little about how their food is produced or the men and women who produce it.
A newly-launched web site is designed to give people a firsthand look at livestock production in Indiana and the people behind it. Indiana Family Farms (www.indianafamilyfarms.org}profiles Indiana beef, pork, and dairy farmers and lets them, in their own words, tell their stories. With photos, text, and audio, these producers tell the history of their farms, share their approach to meat production, and express their values. Visitors to the site will get a sense of what life is like on a livestock farm as well get an idea of the kind of people that make up the Indiana livestock industry. Visitors can also e-mail any questions to the farm families as well as click on a variety of educational resources on this site to learn more.
Currently there are 6 farms featured on the site, but this will grow as more producers are added. The site was developed and is administered by The Hoosier Ag Today Foundation with funding from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Link
Anytime and anywhere is how the story of agriculture should be told. Most of our consumers are looking to the internet for most of their information. Agriculture presence is growing on the web but we can’t stop now. Anywhere the animal rights crowd is, we need to be there too. In fact, we really need to get there first. Even though many producers might cringe at the idea of having an active presence on the web, it really is becoming quite necessary.
04/06/2009 by Gary Truitt
Consumers today are interested in knowing more about how their food is produced. Environmental, safety, and welfare issues are figuring more and more in consumer buying decisions. Yet, most Americans know very little about how their food is produced or the men and women who produce it.
A newly-launched web site is designed to give people a firsthand look at livestock production in Indiana and the people behind it. Indiana Family Farms (www.indianafamilyfarms.org}profiles Indiana beef, pork, and dairy farmers and lets them, in their own words, tell their stories. With photos, text, and audio, these producers tell the history of their farms, share their approach to meat production, and express their values. Visitors to the site will get a sense of what life is like on a livestock farm as well get an idea of the kind of people that make up the Indiana livestock industry. Visitors can also e-mail any questions to the farm families as well as click on a variety of educational resources on this site to learn more.
Currently there are 6 farms featured on the site, but this will grow as more producers are added. The site was developed and is administered by The Hoosier Ag Today Foundation with funding from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Link
Anytime and anywhere is how the story of agriculture should be told. Most of our consumers are looking to the internet for most of their information. Agriculture presence is growing on the web but we can’t stop now. Anywhere the animal rights crowd is, we need to be there too. In fact, we really need to get there first. Even though many producers might cringe at the idea of having an active presence on the web, it really is becoming quite necessary.
Egg Farm Response
Egg Farm Managers Fire Back At Animal Rights Organization
April 7, 2009 Reported By: Susan Sharon
Managers of a commercial egg farm in Turner are firing back against the animal rights organization that secretly planted an investigator at their operation. They're accusing the man, who was hired in December, of breaking a state law that prohibits acting as a paid investigator without a license. The farm is also hoping to move beyond the allegations of animal cruelty made by the undercover worker.
For nearly a week now, Bob LeClerc's telephone has been ringing off the hook. LeClerc is the compliance manager for the former DeCoster Egg Farm now collectively known as Maine Contract Farming and Quality Egg of New England. Ever since the vegan animal rights group Mercy For Animals released undercover video allegedly showing hens being spun by the neck, kicked into manure pits and left to die in the trash, LeClerc and his bosses have been under pressure to defend their practices and their livelihoods. They're also going on the offensive.
"An old Maine term is bamboozled," LeClerc says. "We were indeed bamboozled by this particular individual."
The Mercy for Animals investigator was hired by Maine Contract Farming in December. But LeClerc says at the time he never presented any credentials as such. Maine law says it is a crime to act as a paid investigator without a license. And the farm is hoping state officials will hold Mercy for Animals accountable for this lapse. Read More
Regardless of what really happened at this farm, the damage is already done. However, the interesting part of this article is that even though Mercy for Animals is claiming that this egg farm is guilty of breaking animal cruelty laws, apparently they may have broken the law as well. It falls in line with ideology of these groups that they are above the law and will do anything necessary to end animal agriculture.
April 7, 2009 Reported By: Susan Sharon
Managers of a commercial egg farm in Turner are firing back against the animal rights organization that secretly planted an investigator at their operation. They're accusing the man, who was hired in December, of breaking a state law that prohibits acting as a paid investigator without a license. The farm is also hoping to move beyond the allegations of animal cruelty made by the undercover worker.
For nearly a week now, Bob LeClerc's telephone has been ringing off the hook. LeClerc is the compliance manager for the former DeCoster Egg Farm now collectively known as Maine Contract Farming and Quality Egg of New England. Ever since the vegan animal rights group Mercy For Animals released undercover video allegedly showing hens being spun by the neck, kicked into manure pits and left to die in the trash, LeClerc and his bosses have been under pressure to defend their practices and their livelihoods. They're also going on the offensive.
"An old Maine term is bamboozled," LeClerc says. "We were indeed bamboozled by this particular individual."
The Mercy for Animals investigator was hired by Maine Contract Farming in December. But LeClerc says at the time he never presented any credentials as such. Maine law says it is a crime to act as a paid investigator without a license. And the farm is hoping state officials will hold Mercy for Animals accountable for this lapse. Read More
Regardless of what really happened at this farm, the damage is already done. However, the interesting part of this article is that even though Mercy for Animals is claiming that this egg farm is guilty of breaking animal cruelty laws, apparently they may have broken the law as well. It falls in line with ideology of these groups that they are above the law and will do anything necessary to end animal agriculture.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Vegetarians & Eating Disorders
Tuesday, Apr. 07, 2009
Study: Is Vegetarianism a Teen Eating Disorder?
By John Cloud Time Magazine
Being a teenager means experimenting with foolish things like dyeing your hair purple or candy flipping or going door-to-door for a political party. Parents tend to overlook seemingly mild, earnest teen pursuits like joining the Sierra Club, but a new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that another common teen fad, vegetarianism, isn't always healthy. Instead, it seems that a significant number of kids experiment with a vegetarian diet as a way to mask an eating disorder, since it's a socially acceptable way to avoid eating many foods and one that parents tend not to oppose.
The study, led by nutritionist Ramona Robinson-O'Brien, an assistant professor at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Minnesota, found that while adolescent and young adult vegetarians were less likely than meat eaters to be overweight and more likely to eat a relatively healthful diet, they were also more likely to binge eat. Although most teens in Robinson-O'Brien's study claimed to embark on vegetarianism to be healthier or to save the environment and the world's animals, the research suggests they may be more interested in losing weight than protecting cattle or swine.
For one thing, many young "vegetarians" continue to eat the white meat of defenseless chickens (25% in the current study) as well as the flesh of those adorable animals known as fish (46%), even when they are butchered and served up raw as sushi. And in a 2001 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, researchers found that the most common reason teens gave for vegetarianism was to lose weight or keep from gaining it. Adolescent vegetarians are far more likely than other teens to diet or to use extreme and unhealthy measures to control their weight, studies suggest. The reverse is also true: teens with eating disorders are more likely to practice vegetarianism than any other age group. Read More
There are a couple of things to take from this article. First is that there are less teenage vegetarians that many of the vegetarian/vegan activist groups claim. According to this study, only 4% of the teenagers didn’t eat meat. And the other thing to take home from this is that parents should be concerned about their child if they start a vegetarian diet. Even if there aren’t any other eating problems, just being vegetarian led to more binge eating. Eating a good diet isn’t hard, just eat everything in moderation.
Study: Is Vegetarianism a Teen Eating Disorder?
By John Cloud Time Magazine
Being a teenager means experimenting with foolish things like dyeing your hair purple or candy flipping or going door-to-door for a political party. Parents tend to overlook seemingly mild, earnest teen pursuits like joining the Sierra Club, but a new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that another common teen fad, vegetarianism, isn't always healthy. Instead, it seems that a significant number of kids experiment with a vegetarian diet as a way to mask an eating disorder, since it's a socially acceptable way to avoid eating many foods and one that parents tend not to oppose.
The study, led by nutritionist Ramona Robinson-O'Brien, an assistant professor at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Minnesota, found that while adolescent and young adult vegetarians were less likely than meat eaters to be overweight and more likely to eat a relatively healthful diet, they were also more likely to binge eat. Although most teens in Robinson-O'Brien's study claimed to embark on vegetarianism to be healthier or to save the environment and the world's animals, the research suggests they may be more interested in losing weight than protecting cattle or swine.
For one thing, many young "vegetarians" continue to eat the white meat of defenseless chickens (25% in the current study) as well as the flesh of those adorable animals known as fish (46%), even when they are butchered and served up raw as sushi. And in a 2001 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, researchers found that the most common reason teens gave for vegetarianism was to lose weight or keep from gaining it. Adolescent vegetarians are far more likely than other teens to diet or to use extreme and unhealthy measures to control their weight, studies suggest. The reverse is also true: teens with eating disorders are more likely to practice vegetarianism than any other age group. Read More
There are a couple of things to take from this article. First is that there are less teenage vegetarians that many of the vegetarian/vegan activist groups claim. According to this study, only 4% of the teenagers didn’t eat meat. And the other thing to take home from this is that parents should be concerned about their child if they start a vegetarian diet. Even if there aren’t any other eating problems, just being vegetarian led to more binge eating. Eating a good diet isn’t hard, just eat everything in moderation.
Animal Testing Defended
Scientists defend medical benefits of animal testing
Viviana Aldous
Daily Texan Staff
Published: Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Every day, hundreds of students pass a nondescript, brown building on Speedway without realizing that inside scientists are running tests on monkeys, rabbits and pigs.
The Animal Resources Center, built in 1977, houses more than 100 animals used in University research. The center is a service facility that provides animal care and housing space, said Glen Otto, the center’s director.
“There are two major misconceptions about animal research,” Otto said. “One is that research in an institution like this is done without significant oversight. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The other is that all animal research is inherently flawed because animals are so different from humans. But that’s not the case, either.”
But groups like Students Against Cruelty to animals still protest the use of animals in research.
“There are a lot of alternatives, like in vitro testing with human tissue or skin cells,” said Kelly Sloan, a history and radio-television-film senior and director of the organization. “It’s just not necessary anymore.”
Before acquiring animals for research, scientists must submit an application to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which aims to ensure that animal testing is conducted lawfully and carefully.
“IACUC asks researchers why they need animals in their research,” Otto said. “It inspects facilities to see that we are meeting federal level requirements.”
“We ensure people are aware of the right way to do things,” Otto said. Read More
Scientists who use animals in their experiments behaved a lot like agriculture has for the past 20 years. When confronted with animal rights issues we all tended to ignore them. And now we are all learning together that this strategy doesn’t work. Research scientists in particular have been under some extreme types of attack that include firebombing. As a group, they are now standing up to tell the public the importance of their research and how we all benefit from it.
Viviana Aldous
Daily Texan Staff
Published: Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Every day, hundreds of students pass a nondescript, brown building on Speedway without realizing that inside scientists are running tests on monkeys, rabbits and pigs.
The Animal Resources Center, built in 1977, houses more than 100 animals used in University research. The center is a service facility that provides animal care and housing space, said Glen Otto, the center’s director.
“There are two major misconceptions about animal research,” Otto said. “One is that research in an institution like this is done without significant oversight. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The other is that all animal research is inherently flawed because animals are so different from humans. But that’s not the case, either.”
But groups like Students Against Cruelty to animals still protest the use of animals in research.
“There are a lot of alternatives, like in vitro testing with human tissue or skin cells,” said Kelly Sloan, a history and radio-television-film senior and director of the organization. “It’s just not necessary anymore.”
Before acquiring animals for research, scientists must submit an application to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which aims to ensure that animal testing is conducted lawfully and carefully.
“IACUC asks researchers why they need animals in their research,” Otto said. “It inspects facilities to see that we are meeting federal level requirements.”
“We ensure people are aware of the right way to do things,” Otto said. Read More
Scientists who use animals in their experiments behaved a lot like agriculture has for the past 20 years. When confronted with animal rights issues we all tended to ignore them. And now we are all learning together that this strategy doesn’t work. Research scientists in particular have been under some extreme types of attack that include firebombing. As a group, they are now standing up to tell the public the importance of their research and how we all benefit from it.
Taking Farms to School
Students Welcome Farm Animals To The Classroom
April 7, 2009 at 6:59pm Waseca County, MN
Elementary school students in Waseca had a change in curriculum today, as local farmers became teachers. The Waseca County Pork Producers Association, along with other Waseca County commodity groups, presented Ag in the Classroom at Hartley Elementary School. Livestock and crop producers educated third grade students about their farms and how they contribute to food production. Vicki Singlestad says, "There are fewer and fewer children that grow up on farms these days and don't really know about agriculture. So we like to teach them about agriculture where their food comes from, how it is produced.” The third graders even got to hold baby pigs and sheep as part of the program. Link
The youth of this nation have been a prime target for animal rights groups for quite some time. Their efforts to indoctrinate these kids have included almost anything you can think of, including making trading cards featuring diseases caused from drinking milk, to awarding prizes for refusing to dissect animals in school. It’s very important that ag producers take the opportunities to have school kids come out to their farms, or if the schools don’t allow that, take your farm to them. It’s all about making a connection with these kids. Sadly, this may be their only exposure to agriculture. Congratulations to the Waseca Country Pork Producers and the rest of their local ag groups for their efforts.
April 7, 2009 at 6:59pm Waseca County, MN
Elementary school students in Waseca had a change in curriculum today, as local farmers became teachers. The Waseca County Pork Producers Association, along with other Waseca County commodity groups, presented Ag in the Classroom at Hartley Elementary School. Livestock and crop producers educated third grade students about their farms and how they contribute to food production. Vicki Singlestad says, "There are fewer and fewer children that grow up on farms these days and don't really know about agriculture. So we like to teach them about agriculture where their food comes from, how it is produced.” The third graders even got to hold baby pigs and sheep as part of the program. Link
The youth of this nation have been a prime target for animal rights groups for quite some time. Their efforts to indoctrinate these kids have included almost anything you can think of, including making trading cards featuring diseases caused from drinking milk, to awarding prizes for refusing to dissect animals in school. It’s very important that ag producers take the opportunities to have school kids come out to their farms, or if the schools don’t allow that, take your farm to them. It’s all about making a connection with these kids. Sadly, this may be their only exposure to agriculture. Congratulations to the Waseca Country Pork Producers and the rest of their local ag groups for their efforts.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Ohio's Prop 2
HSUS to take Prop 2-like action to Ohio
April 6, 2009
By: Jennifer Fiala
For The VIN News Service
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is taking its campaign to eliminate tight housing quarters for farm animals on the road. Next stop: Ohio.
In February, HSUS leaders Wayne Pacelle and Paul Shapiro sat down with agriculture groups and the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) and announced plans to bring California’s costly and contentious Proposition 2 to the state that ranks second in egg production and ninth in swine, nationally. The group intends to put a citizen referendum to ban sow gestation stalls, veal crates and battery cages for layer hens on the November 2010 ballot.
But first, the activist group is reaching out in hopes that a deal can be negotiated, and it appears that veterinary medicine will play a major role in how that might take place.
For now, all sides say they’re willing to engage in a dialogue. Shapiro, senior director of HSUS’ Factory Farming Campaign, says that it’s in the agriculture industry’s best interest to compromise on imposing free-range housing requirements for livestock and hens. After all, when it comes to successfully taking its message to voters, HSUS is a financial and political powerhouse with an undefeated record. Since the group started its campaign to change agriculture’s controversial confinement standards, five states have imposed bans on housing systems deeply entrenched in U.S. agriculture. Read More
This situation isn’t unique to Ohio. HSUS is the bully on the block trying to force their ideas everywhere they go. It never has been about animal rights, it’s been about power and money. That is what they are most interested in. If they were really concerned about the livestock, they would recognize sound science and follow what the research says. So when HSUS shows up in your state, you basically have two choices. You can lay down or you can stand up. So far we haven’t been successful at the ballot box, but negotiating with them hasn’t gotten us anything either. So don’t give up, instead speak out and tell your story to anyone who will listen.
April 6, 2009
By: Jennifer Fiala
For The VIN News Service
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is taking its campaign to eliminate tight housing quarters for farm animals on the road. Next stop: Ohio.
In February, HSUS leaders Wayne Pacelle and Paul Shapiro sat down with agriculture groups and the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) and announced plans to bring California’s costly and contentious Proposition 2 to the state that ranks second in egg production and ninth in swine, nationally. The group intends to put a citizen referendum to ban sow gestation stalls, veal crates and battery cages for layer hens on the November 2010 ballot.
But first, the activist group is reaching out in hopes that a deal can be negotiated, and it appears that veterinary medicine will play a major role in how that might take place.
For now, all sides say they’re willing to engage in a dialogue. Shapiro, senior director of HSUS’ Factory Farming Campaign, says that it’s in the agriculture industry’s best interest to compromise on imposing free-range housing requirements for livestock and hens. After all, when it comes to successfully taking its message to voters, HSUS is a financial and political powerhouse with an undefeated record. Since the group started its campaign to change agriculture’s controversial confinement standards, five states have imposed bans on housing systems deeply entrenched in U.S. agriculture. Read More
This situation isn’t unique to Ohio. HSUS is the bully on the block trying to force their ideas everywhere they go. It never has been about animal rights, it’s been about power and money. That is what they are most interested in. If they were really concerned about the livestock, they would recognize sound science and follow what the research says. So when HSUS shows up in your state, you basically have two choices. You can lay down or you can stand up. So far we haven’t been successful at the ballot box, but negotiating with them hasn’t gotten us anything either. So don’t give up, instead speak out and tell your story to anyone who will listen.
Attacking Meat Eaters
College GOP only ones laughing
Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Ind.
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Opinion
This Wednesday, ISU's College Republicans are holding a cookout featuring hot dogs and hamburgers to increase awareness of their organization and generate interest.
However, the cookout is described as an animal rights event and is officially titled "Celebrating the Right to be Delicious," calling attention to the cookout's function and creating what is apparently supposed to be a humorous alternative to the typical animal rights event, which usually promotes humane treatment, not the post-slaugther product found in grocery stores.
Just like the rest of ISU's diverse student population (of which the university is proud to boast), animal rights' activists are real people as well, who make personal decisions to support the rights of animals; particularly the way in which they interact with the food industry. The animal rights movement is far from obscure or non-existent; animal rights proponents exist both far away and right here, on ISU's campus.
Moreover, the month of April is Animal Cruelty Prevention Month, as sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Animal cruelty, mistreatment and other related subjects are highlighted this month for study, education and prevention.
With this event, the College Republicans are effectively alienating not just Republicans who may be supporters of animal rights, but are also displaying an incendiary, confrontational attitude for the whole student body to see. As we move further and further from the discriminatory ways of the past and come towards a diverse, accepting future, actions like these paint their creators as insensitive, unprofessional and disreputable. Read More
Regardless of your politics, the point here is the lack of tolerance for students that would like to counter the animal rights believers on the Indiana State University campus. I highly doubt the college paper would write a scathing editorial about them handing out tofu. When the College Republicans tried to hand out hamburgers, it was being confrontational but vegetarians are just trying to educate. This double standard is unfortunate and it’s disappointing to know that this is the future of journalism in our country.
Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Ind.
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Opinion
This Wednesday, ISU's College Republicans are holding a cookout featuring hot dogs and hamburgers to increase awareness of their organization and generate interest.
However, the cookout is described as an animal rights event and is officially titled "Celebrating the Right to be Delicious," calling attention to the cookout's function and creating what is apparently supposed to be a humorous alternative to the typical animal rights event, which usually promotes humane treatment, not the post-slaugther product found in grocery stores.
Just like the rest of ISU's diverse student population (of which the university is proud to boast), animal rights' activists are real people as well, who make personal decisions to support the rights of animals; particularly the way in which they interact with the food industry. The animal rights movement is far from obscure or non-existent; animal rights proponents exist both far away and right here, on ISU's campus.
Moreover, the month of April is Animal Cruelty Prevention Month, as sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Animal cruelty, mistreatment and other related subjects are highlighted this month for study, education and prevention.
With this event, the College Republicans are effectively alienating not just Republicans who may be supporters of animal rights, but are also displaying an incendiary, confrontational attitude for the whole student body to see. As we move further and further from the discriminatory ways of the past and come towards a diverse, accepting future, actions like these paint their creators as insensitive, unprofessional and disreputable. Read More
Regardless of your politics, the point here is the lack of tolerance for students that would like to counter the animal rights believers on the Indiana State University campus. I highly doubt the college paper would write a scathing editorial about them handing out tofu. When the College Republicans tried to hand out hamburgers, it was being confrontational but vegetarians are just trying to educate. This double standard is unfortunate and it’s disappointing to know that this is the future of journalism in our country.
Is Organic Better for Environment?
Con: Conventional farming produces more with eco-friendly new methods
By Amy Kaleti
Monday, April 6, 2009
AMES, Iowa — EDITOR’S NOTE: The writer is addressing the question, Can eating organic help combat global warming?
The public is clearly becoming more interested in lifestyle choices that decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Whether the choice to buy organic food will help that worthy cause, however, is far from a simple question.
Nitrogen fertilizer is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Not only is nitrogen fertilizer produced from fossil fuel sources, but its production requires an energy intensive process.
Because of this, organic systems that instead rely on manure and cover crops for nitrogen input typically use less energy. On the other hand, when organic production is compared to low-input conventional farming, research has found similar energy efficiency ratios.
As energy costs rise, more and more conventional farmers are increasing their use of manure fertilizers. Without knowing the input practices of the specific farms that produced the food items, it would be difficult to compare the energy efficiency of organic versus conventional products. Read More
It’s important that consumers start hearing the truth about the benefits of certain methods of growing food. This article tries to do some of that. There are a lot of buzz words in the food business today, like “natural”, “cage-free”, and “free-range”, but “organic” seems to be the word of the day lately. Many consumers have wrongly been convinced that anything that is organic is good. Nothing could be further from the truth. Organic only refers to the production method used to raise the commodity in question. It doesn’t make it healthier, better for the planet, or taste better. If producers choose to use organic methods to raise their crops and livestock, I think that s absolutely fine, but shame on them if they are lying to their consumers about the benefits.
By Amy Kaleti
Monday, April 6, 2009
AMES, Iowa — EDITOR’S NOTE: The writer is addressing the question, Can eating organic help combat global warming?
The public is clearly becoming more interested in lifestyle choices that decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Whether the choice to buy organic food will help that worthy cause, however, is far from a simple question.
Nitrogen fertilizer is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Not only is nitrogen fertilizer produced from fossil fuel sources, but its production requires an energy intensive process.
Because of this, organic systems that instead rely on manure and cover crops for nitrogen input typically use less energy. On the other hand, when organic production is compared to low-input conventional farming, research has found similar energy efficiency ratios.
As energy costs rise, more and more conventional farmers are increasing their use of manure fertilizers. Without knowing the input practices of the specific farms that produced the food items, it would be difficult to compare the energy efficiency of organic versus conventional products. Read More
It’s important that consumers start hearing the truth about the benefits of certain methods of growing food. This article tries to do some of that. There are a lot of buzz words in the food business today, like “natural”, “cage-free”, and “free-range”, but “organic” seems to be the word of the day lately. Many consumers have wrongly been convinced that anything that is organic is good. Nothing could be further from the truth. Organic only refers to the production method used to raise the commodity in question. It doesn’t make it healthier, better for the planet, or taste better. If producers choose to use organic methods to raise their crops and livestock, I think that s absolutely fine, but shame on them if they are lying to their consumers about the benefits.
More Egg News From Maine
Radlo Foods Pledges To Phase Out Battery Cage Eggs
April 6, 2009 Reported By: Susan Sharon
Less than a week after an animal rights organization made public allegations of animal cruelty at the former DeCoster Egg Farm in Turner, a major egg producer has severed ties with the operation. In addition, David Radlo of Radlo Foods is making a pledge to phase out so-called battery cages and to go exclusively to "cage free" eggs in the next ten years.
Sometime soon, David Radlo of Radlo Foods says his sign in front of the former DeCoster Egg Farm will be coming down and all his business at the massive egg operation in Turner will come to an end. Radlo says he will no longer rely on hens or eggs that come from Maine Contract Farming, the company owned by egg farm magnate Jack DeCoster, one of the nation's biggest producers of brown eggs.
Says Radlo, "We've given up that facility and we're moving on down the road and we're sourcing from other states right now but there's an important thing that people need to know: we hear you loud and clear." Read More
With only the allegations of wrong-doing, these animal rights groups were able to get a and large company to switch their policies and start moving towards cage free production. It’s a great example of how perception IS reality. You are guilty until proven innocent. The problem is that fact that these groups aren’t going to quit once they get everyone to go cage free. Then they will go for their ultimate goal of eliminating the industry completely and take the choice away from consumers. They know consumers can’t be trusted to help with their goals, so the have to use force instead.
April 6, 2009 Reported By: Susan Sharon
Less than a week after an animal rights organization made public allegations of animal cruelty at the former DeCoster Egg Farm in Turner, a major egg producer has severed ties with the operation. In addition, David Radlo of Radlo Foods is making a pledge to phase out so-called battery cages and to go exclusively to "cage free" eggs in the next ten years.
Sometime soon, David Radlo of Radlo Foods says his sign in front of the former DeCoster Egg Farm will be coming down and all his business at the massive egg operation in Turner will come to an end. Radlo says he will no longer rely on hens or eggs that come from Maine Contract Farming, the company owned by egg farm magnate Jack DeCoster, one of the nation's biggest producers of brown eggs.
Says Radlo, "We've given up that facility and we're moving on down the road and we're sourcing from other states right now but there's an important thing that people need to know: we hear you loud and clear." Read More
With only the allegations of wrong-doing, these animal rights groups were able to get a and large company to switch their policies and start moving towards cage free production. It’s a great example of how perception IS reality. You are guilty until proven innocent. The problem is that fact that these groups aren’t going to quit once they get everyone to go cage free. Then they will go for their ultimate goal of eliminating the industry completely and take the choice away from consumers. They know consumers can’t be trusted to help with their goals, so the have to use force instead.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Explaining What We Do
Hog farm hopes bigger gets better
Jenni Glenn
The Journal Gazette
WABASH – The mother hardly grunted as she delivered 12 offspring in rapid succession.
Each newborn weighed between 3 and 4 pounds. The first-born siblings eagerly drank their mother’s milk as she delivered the rest.
The delivery volume represented the routine at Liberty Swine Farms. The Wabash County farm raises 22,000 hogs each year, including females other farms use for breeding stock.
It’s a job fewer hog farms are undertaking as farms specialize in certain life stages. Most farmers buy 3-week-old piglets and raise them until they reach market weight. Breeding and monitoring pregnant hogs requires additional time and labor, said Randy Curless, Liberty Swine Farms’ owner.
Newborn piglets, for instance, know how to eat but need a little help getting clean. Production manager Michelle Workman showed me one key job – drying the piglets’ slick skin. If the newborns aren’t dried properly, their belly buttons can become infected.
The piglets spend the first three weeks of their lives in a 5-foot-by-7-foot pen. Metal bars keep their mother confined to a 2-foot-by-5-foot space inside the pen.
Curless said the pen is designed for the hogs’ safety. The bars force the mother to wriggle between them before she lies down. That slight delay gives her piglets enough time to get out of her way. Otherwise, the sow could crush the piglets. Read More
Getting out and telling the story of your agriculture operation is very important. Because only 2% of us are involved in production agriculture, the other 98% are very interested in what we do. Taking the time to explain food production to the consumers is something that we all need to do. I know it wasn’t on grandpa’s chore list, but it has to be on yours.
Jenni Glenn
The Journal Gazette
WABASH – The mother hardly grunted as she delivered 12 offspring in rapid succession.
Each newborn weighed between 3 and 4 pounds. The first-born siblings eagerly drank their mother’s milk as she delivered the rest.
The delivery volume represented the routine at Liberty Swine Farms. The Wabash County farm raises 22,000 hogs each year, including females other farms use for breeding stock.
It’s a job fewer hog farms are undertaking as farms specialize in certain life stages. Most farmers buy 3-week-old piglets and raise them until they reach market weight. Breeding and monitoring pregnant hogs requires additional time and labor, said Randy Curless, Liberty Swine Farms’ owner.
Newborn piglets, for instance, know how to eat but need a little help getting clean. Production manager Michelle Workman showed me one key job – drying the piglets’ slick skin. If the newborns aren’t dried properly, their belly buttons can become infected.
The piglets spend the first three weeks of their lives in a 5-foot-by-7-foot pen. Metal bars keep their mother confined to a 2-foot-by-5-foot space inside the pen.
Curless said the pen is designed for the hogs’ safety. The bars force the mother to wriggle between them before she lies down. That slight delay gives her piglets enough time to get out of her way. Otherwise, the sow could crush the piglets. Read More
Getting out and telling the story of your agriculture operation is very important. Because only 2% of us are involved in production agriculture, the other 98% are very interested in what we do. Taking the time to explain food production to the consumers is something that we all need to do. I know it wasn’t on grandpa’s chore list, but it has to be on yours.
CA Drought
Drought threatens Calif. agriculture business
Thursday, April 02, 2009 6:48 PM
By Nannette Miranda
SACRAMENTO, CA (KGO) -- Three years of drought are also threatening to destroy California farmers, and the state's multi-billion dollar agriculture industry.
The news of the smaller snowpack doesn't improve the dry situation in the usually fertile Central Valley. That means farmers can't expect to see more water for their crops.
Making the problem worse is a still in-tact court order to reduce pumping in the delta to save endangered fish.
"On the high side, they're getting a 20 percent delivery. Only 20 percent of the water they would normally count on is going to be delivered. And they can't make a crop with that amount of water," said Timothy Quinn from the Association of California Water Agencies.
It's heartbreaking to see the area that supplies 40% of the nation's food supply vanishing, with farmers refusing to plant or just ripping up their crops. Read More
In visiting with several friends from CA over the last couple of months, they have all told me that California doesn’t have a water problem, they have a water storage problem. California is our biggest agricultural state. When food producing areas get hit with some sort of disaster I don’t think most people give it a second thought. Our food has to come from somewhere, it doesn’t just magically appear.
Thursday, April 02, 2009 6:48 PM
By Nannette Miranda
SACRAMENTO, CA (KGO) -- Three years of drought are also threatening to destroy California farmers, and the state's multi-billion dollar agriculture industry.
The news of the smaller snowpack doesn't improve the dry situation in the usually fertile Central Valley. That means farmers can't expect to see more water for their crops.
Making the problem worse is a still in-tact court order to reduce pumping in the delta to save endangered fish.
"On the high side, they're getting a 20 percent delivery. Only 20 percent of the water they would normally count on is going to be delivered. And they can't make a crop with that amount of water," said Timothy Quinn from the Association of California Water Agencies.
It's heartbreaking to see the area that supplies 40% of the nation's food supply vanishing, with farmers refusing to plant or just ripping up their crops. Read More
In visiting with several friends from CA over the last couple of months, they have all told me that California doesn’t have a water problem, they have a water storage problem. California is our biggest agricultural state. When food producing areas get hit with some sort of disaster I don’t think most people give it a second thought. Our food has to come from somewhere, it doesn’t just magically appear.
Bad Info for Diet Choices
A meat-free diet can help economy
Cutting back on animal products could save lives
Gillian Ekern Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion
I have been hearing a lot about how this environmental stuff just is not worth it anymore: recycling programs waste community money, alternative energy is a waste of time, campus' efforts are too expensive.
Most of the news I've heard has been pretty disheartening, so I've been trying something that I believe is pretty sound. It's been around for a very long time, and it doesn't involve doing much. In fact, it's about what you're not doing: eating meat.
Many different people have different reasons to take the semi-veg/vegetarian/vegan route. Issues of health, ecology, economy and animal-rights all have some role in my decision. My aim has never been to convert anyone, but I can erase a little of my own footprint on this world and educate a few people while I'm at it. Read More
It’s interesting to me that this reporter, who admittedly was raised on McDonalds and Mountain Dew, is now giving us diet advice. Citing her resources as Michael Pollan and Dr. Barnard from PCRM, it’s apparent that her research ability is directly tied to her politics. With no knowledge of livestock or apparently nutrition, it’s scary to think that some people could be influenced by her agenda.
Cutting back on animal products could save lives
Gillian Ekern Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion
I have been hearing a lot about how this environmental stuff just is not worth it anymore: recycling programs waste community money, alternative energy is a waste of time, campus' efforts are too expensive.
Most of the news I've heard has been pretty disheartening, so I've been trying something that I believe is pretty sound. It's been around for a very long time, and it doesn't involve doing much. In fact, it's about what you're not doing: eating meat.
Many different people have different reasons to take the semi-veg/vegetarian/vegan route. Issues of health, ecology, economy and animal-rights all have some role in my decision. My aim has never been to convert anyone, but I can erase a little of my own footprint on this world and educate a few people while I'm at it. Read More
It’s interesting to me that this reporter, who admittedly was raised on McDonalds and Mountain Dew, is now giving us diet advice. Citing her resources as Michael Pollan and Dr. Barnard from PCRM, it’s apparent that her research ability is directly tied to her politics. With no knowledge of livestock or apparently nutrition, it’s scary to think that some people could be influenced by her agenda.
Video From Egg Farm
Grocers urged to stop buying eggs from Maine farm
By CLARKE CANFIELD, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, April 2, 2009
(04-02) 14:11 PDT Portland, Maine (AP) --
An animal welfare organization is urging distributors and supermarket chains to stop selling eggs that come from a Maine farm that's under state investigation following allegations of animal cruelty.
Mercy For Animals sent an investigator to work undercover at the Quality Egg of New England farm in Turner, said Nathan Runkle, the group's executive director. The investigator, equipped with a video camera, captured footage of hens forced to live in cages so small they couldn't walk or spread their wings, Runkle said Thursday.
He called on supermarket chains and a national egg distributors to sever ties with Quality Egg and other farms that keep hens in tiny cages.
Bob Leclerc, Quality Egg's safety and compliance manager, said he found the Mercy For Animals' video "personally abhorrent." Some employees shown in the video could face disciplinary action, he said. Read More
Everything we do on our farms and ranches should be done as if we were being videotaped. When proper techniques are used when handling livestock, there is nothing to hide. When consumers think about farmers and ranchers, they should think of the the great job we do supplying protein to the world, not some images from an undercover video. Do the work necessary to provide that good image.
By CLARKE CANFIELD, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, April 2, 2009
(04-02) 14:11 PDT Portland, Maine (AP) --
An animal welfare organization is urging distributors and supermarket chains to stop selling eggs that come from a Maine farm that's under state investigation following allegations of animal cruelty.
Mercy For Animals sent an investigator to work undercover at the Quality Egg of New England farm in Turner, said Nathan Runkle, the group's executive director. The investigator, equipped with a video camera, captured footage of hens forced to live in cages so small they couldn't walk or spread their wings, Runkle said Thursday.
He called on supermarket chains and a national egg distributors to sever ties with Quality Egg and other farms that keep hens in tiny cages.
Bob Leclerc, Quality Egg's safety and compliance manager, said he found the Mercy For Animals' video "personally abhorrent." Some employees shown in the video could face disciplinary action, he said. Read More
Everything we do on our farms and ranches should be done as if we were being videotaped. When proper techniques are used when handling livestock, there is nothing to hide. When consumers think about farmers and ranchers, they should think of the the great job we do supplying protein to the world, not some images from an undercover video. Do the work necessary to provide that good image.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Mississippi Women In Agriculture
Stacy and i just finished up presenting to the Mississippi Women in Agriculture Conference. It's been a fantastic trip down here to Jackson and the people we have met have been incredible. They have a very dedicated and enthusiastic crowd of women here who are fired up to go out and tell the incredible story of food production in this country.
We will be headed for the airport soon to head back to South Dakota and winter weather. With the weather report at home, we will be happy just to get there. Round three in the Battle of the Blizzards will be hitting today at home. To say the least, calving season has been a struggle against Mother Nature.
Bad weather has been hitting all over the country. Hopefully you are getting the weather you need. Have a great weekend.
We will be headed for the airport soon to head back to South Dakota and winter weather. With the weather report at home, we will be happy just to get there. Round three in the Battle of the Blizzards will be hitting today at home. To say the least, calving season has been a struggle against Mother Nature.
Bad weather has been hitting all over the country. Hopefully you are getting the weather you need. Have a great weekend.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Merrigan's Hearing
Nominee for No. 2 USDA job defends organic past
Wed Apr 1, 2009 11:02pm BST
By Christopher Doering
WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) - The Obama administration's nominee for the U.S. Agriculture Department's No. 2 job on Wednesday defended her work on organic food from Senate critics who questioned whether she could work with other farmers.
"I see (deputy secretary) as a great opportunity to represent all kinds of agriculture. Organic is a small slice of the pie," said Kathleen Merrigan, tapped for deputy secretary of agriculture. "I've always been a provocateur. That's part of my personality," she added.
During a confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee, Merrigan defended her record and said she has done work on a wide-range of agricultural issues.
Republican lawmakers expressed concern that Merrigan, a Clinton administration official who helped develop USDA rules on what can be sold as organic food, has been too closely associated with organic farming.
"I do have some concerns that in promoting your passion for organic production and sustainable agriculture that you tear down other types of agricultural production for those with different points of view," said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the leading Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, who touted the benefits of production agriculture. Read More
Lawmakers are rightfully concerned about Merrigan. Up to this point, she has basically been of the opinion that organic is the only way to grow food, and if you aren’t an organic producer then you are doing it wrong. Hopefully she will start looking at the bigger picture now and realize that we have a lot of mouths to feed and that should be our first priority.
Wed Apr 1, 2009 11:02pm BST
By Christopher Doering
WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) - The Obama administration's nominee for the U.S. Agriculture Department's No. 2 job on Wednesday defended her work on organic food from Senate critics who questioned whether she could work with other farmers.
"I see (deputy secretary) as a great opportunity to represent all kinds of agriculture. Organic is a small slice of the pie," said Kathleen Merrigan, tapped for deputy secretary of agriculture. "I've always been a provocateur. That's part of my personality," she added.
During a confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee, Merrigan defended her record and said she has done work on a wide-range of agricultural issues.
Republican lawmakers expressed concern that Merrigan, a Clinton administration official who helped develop USDA rules on what can be sold as organic food, has been too closely associated with organic farming.
"I do have some concerns that in promoting your passion for organic production and sustainable agriculture that you tear down other types of agricultural production for those with different points of view," said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the leading Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, who touted the benefits of production agriculture. Read More
Lawmakers are rightfully concerned about Merrigan. Up to this point, she has basically been of the opinion that organic is the only way to grow food, and if you aren’t an organic producer then you are doing it wrong. Hopefully she will start looking at the bigger picture now and realize that we have a lot of mouths to feed and that should be our first priority.
More AR Hypocrisy
Six states seek ban on gas euthanasia of shelter animals
By Andrew Seaman Special to, USA TODAY
Six states are considering proposals to ban carbon monoxide gas chamber use in animal shelters as a means of euthanasia, in response to animal rights supporters who say the process is inhumane.
Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, New York, West Virginia and Pennsylvania have legislation pending, according to Kimberley Intino, director of the Shelter Services Program for the Humane Society of the United States. Twelve states already ban it, she says.
Death by CO poisoning can be slow and terrifying," says Daphna Nachminovitch, vice president of cruelty investigations for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "During the process, which can take 30 minutes, panicked animals may gasp for breath, try to claw out of the chamber, and even attack each other."
Intino says that in her six years at the Humane Society, this is the first time multiple states have introduced legislation banning euthanasia by carbon monoxide gas chambers. She says the Humane Society is "incredibly involved" in advocating legislation to protect animals. Read More
It’s always been apparent to me that groups like PETA and HSUS never follow their own suggestions. They have been trying to force the poultry industry to use controlled atmospheric killing (CAK) methods instead of their current methods of harvesting birds. But then when it comes to pets, this method is inhumane. Just go on their websites and search CAK and you will see a different tune being sung. The only reason they push for these changes is because of the expense involved and the hope that it will put the meat industry out of business.
By Andrew Seaman Special to, USA TODAY
Six states are considering proposals to ban carbon monoxide gas chamber use in animal shelters as a means of euthanasia, in response to animal rights supporters who say the process is inhumane.
Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, New York, West Virginia and Pennsylvania have legislation pending, according to Kimberley Intino, director of the Shelter Services Program for the Humane Society of the United States. Twelve states already ban it, she says.
Death by CO poisoning can be slow and terrifying," says Daphna Nachminovitch, vice president of cruelty investigations for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "During the process, which can take 30 minutes, panicked animals may gasp for breath, try to claw out of the chamber, and even attack each other."
Intino says that in her six years at the Humane Society, this is the first time multiple states have introduced legislation banning euthanasia by carbon monoxide gas chambers. She says the Humane Society is "incredibly involved" in advocating legislation to protect animals. Read More
It’s always been apparent to me that groups like PETA and HSUS never follow their own suggestions. They have been trying to force the poultry industry to use controlled atmospheric killing (CAK) methods instead of their current methods of harvesting birds. But then when it comes to pets, this method is inhumane. Just go on their websites and search CAK and you will see a different tune being sung. The only reason they push for these changes is because of the expense involved and the hope that it will put the meat industry out of business.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Farmland Preservation
Wis. governor proposes new program to save farms
By M.L. JOHNSON Associated Press Writer
9:50 AM CDT, March 31, 2009
MILWAUKEE - Gov. Jim Doyle has proposed the state buy development rights to some agricultural property as a way to stop developers from gobbling up Wisconsin farms.
The proposal also would give some farmers money to invest in their farms if Doyle's two-year budget plan is approved by the Legislature.
Wisconsin and the nation have lost farmland to suburban sprawl for decades. The state has less than 15.2 million acres of farmland, according to the 2007 Census of Agriculture.
That's 500,000 acres less than it had in 2002 and about 3.4 million less than in 1977, according to National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates.
The loss mirrors what is happening nationwide. The U.S. had 922 million acres of farmland in 2007, about 100 million less than existed three decades ago. Read More
The availability of farmland shouldn’t just be a concern for farmers, it should be a concern of everyone that eat on a regular basis. Many states already have programs in place for farmland preservation. Because of development pressures, farmland is disappearing quite rapidly. There are many options that need to be considered to accomplish this.
By M.L. JOHNSON Associated Press Writer
9:50 AM CDT, March 31, 2009
MILWAUKEE - Gov. Jim Doyle has proposed the state buy development rights to some agricultural property as a way to stop developers from gobbling up Wisconsin farms.
The proposal also would give some farmers money to invest in their farms if Doyle's two-year budget plan is approved by the Legislature.
Wisconsin and the nation have lost farmland to suburban sprawl for decades. The state has less than 15.2 million acres of farmland, according to the 2007 Census of Agriculture.
That's 500,000 acres less than it had in 2002 and about 3.4 million less than in 1977, according to National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates.
The loss mirrors what is happening nationwide. The U.S. had 922 million acres of farmland in 2007, about 100 million less than existed three decades ago. Read More
The availability of farmland shouldn’t just be a concern for farmers, it should be a concern of everyone that eat on a regular basis. Many states already have programs in place for farmland preservation. Because of development pressures, farmland is disappearing quite rapidly. There are many options that need to be considered to accomplish this.
Using Social Media
Planting cyber seeds
By Jeffrey Tomich
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/29/2009
Earlier this month, a blogger named Brad fired a virtual salvo at Jeffrey Smith, the author of "Seeds of Deception" and one of the most vocal crusaders against genetically modified foods.
In a 600-word post, Brad questioned the credibility of an online petition on Smith's website, urging the administration of President Barack Obama to require labeling of biotech foods. He called the petition "sheer political theater" and prodded the activist for purportedly being a yogic flying instructor.
More than 30 comments followed in the next few weeks. On one level, the exchange was just another online debate about GMOs. But this one was notable because of who initiated and hosted it: Monsanto Co.
For years, environmental and food activists have made good use of YouTube video and Facebook to skewer Monsanto in the blogosphere. Now, the biotech giant is turning the tables.
Read More
Social media is an enormous force that can’t be ignored. Our side of the debate has been, and probably always will be, slow to adopt things like this. However, we can’t ignore it. It’s things like blogging and twittering and just going online to comment on articles that are misleading about agriculture that have become things that are almost necessary. It will be hard to win this fight if we aren’t there where the battle’s are taking place. All of these little things add up and make a difference.
By Jeffrey Tomich
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/29/2009
Earlier this month, a blogger named Brad fired a virtual salvo at Jeffrey Smith, the author of "Seeds of Deception" and one of the most vocal crusaders against genetically modified foods.
In a 600-word post, Brad questioned the credibility of an online petition on Smith's website, urging the administration of President Barack Obama to require labeling of biotech foods. He called the petition "sheer political theater" and prodded the activist for purportedly being a yogic flying instructor.
More than 30 comments followed in the next few weeks. On one level, the exchange was just another online debate about GMOs. But this one was notable because of who initiated and hosted it: Monsanto Co.
For years, environmental and food activists have made good use of YouTube video and Facebook to skewer Monsanto in the blogosphere. Now, the biotech giant is turning the tables.
Read More
Social media is an enormous force that can’t be ignored. Our side of the debate has been, and probably always will be, slow to adopt things like this. However, we can’t ignore it. It’s things like blogging and twittering and just going online to comment on articles that are misleading about agriculture that have become things that are almost necessary. It will be hard to win this fight if we aren’t there where the battle’s are taking place. All of these little things add up and make a difference.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)