Thursday, June 25, 2009
(I hope) there’s an ag activist in all of us
by Susan Crowell
My friend Callie and her husband, Sam, never thought they’d be on first-name basis with folks at the Ohio EPA. But they and their neighbors also never thought they’d be battling a poorly managed construction debris landfill sited on a former strip-mining operation near their farms and homes.
Their multi-year fight counts as a win for the little guy, as nuisance odors and numerous operating violations finally caused the director of the Ohio EPA to deny the landfill an operating permit, effectively closing the facility.
“I never thought I’d become an activist,” Callie told me, “but when something hits close to home …”
I thought of Callie this week as we learned the Ohio legislature will be deciding whether or not to put an initiative on the November ballot, amending the Ohio Constitution to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board.(Update, the Ohio House approved the resolution June 24 by a vote of 84-13.)
As I’ve written before, I want to be very clear: Responsible animal care is essential to the success of any livestock farm. Irresponsible care and abuse should not be tolerated within the ag community. But, as I’ve also written before, the goal of HSUS is not responsible livestock care. “… the reduction of meat consumption is one of the best things we can do for the planet… ” Pacelle wrote in his blog June 19. Read More
My twitter friend Susan Crowell makes a great point here that I have also tried to share with you. Just because a proposal from a Washington DC based animal rights lobbying group sounds good on the surface, that doesn’t mean the welfare of the livestock in question will be improved. While HSUS’s confinement bans may make an uninformed consumer feel better, the truth of the matter is that it might not make the animal more comfortable. These decisions should be made by a group of professionals that represent a variety of interests from their own state so that the best outcome can be achieved. That’s exactly what Ohio has decided to and they deserve our support.
Showing posts with label Ohio Legislature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ohio Legislature. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
OH Senate Approves Care Board
BREAKING NEWS: The Ohio Senate has unanimously approved the livestock care board resolution, 32-0. This is the first time HSUS has been so overwhelmingly rejected in the political arena. Stay tuned for more details.
OH House Approves Care Board
House approves ballot issue on livestock treatment
By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF
COLUMBUS - Despite arguments it was moving too quickly, the Ohio House yesterday overwhelmingly approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would beat a Washington animal-rights group to the punch in addressing livestock confinement conditions.
The Senate is expected to act on a separate but identical resolution today, virtually assuring that the question will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Sen. Bob Gibbs (R., Lakeville), sponsor of the Senate resolution, said lawmakers had to "take the bull by the horns" to address the issue before the Humane Society of the United States could put its own issue on the ballot.
"Ohio consumers can be assured that Ohio agriculture will not tolerate those farms that are not willing to follow commonly accepted best management practices," he said.
"It's not often that the agricultural community requests additional regulation over the way we conduct our businesses," said Mark Watchman, a Napoleon farmer and president of the Ohio Wheat Growers Association.
"So it should be obvious to this [Senate Agriculture] committee, the Ohio Senate, and Ohio consumers that agriculture is confident in the way we raise livestock, and we invite this board of Ohio experts to be the check and balance on behalf of Ohio consumers," he said. Read More
Ohio’s House of Representative thumbed their collective noses at the Washington DC based animal rights group Humane Society of the United States. This was no doubt one of the worst public and embarrassing losses the HSUS has endured with Wayne Pacelle as CEO. Originally scheduled for an interview on Agri-Talk yesterday, Pacelle re-scheduled so that he could personally tend to the situation in Ohio. Pacelle’s bullying tactics backfired in the more ag-friendly state of Ohio, and at least for a day, forced him to put his tale between his legs.
By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF
COLUMBUS - Despite arguments it was moving too quickly, the Ohio House yesterday overwhelmingly approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would beat a Washington animal-rights group to the punch in addressing livestock confinement conditions.
The Senate is expected to act on a separate but identical resolution today, virtually assuring that the question will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Sen. Bob Gibbs (R., Lakeville), sponsor of the Senate resolution, said lawmakers had to "take the bull by the horns" to address the issue before the Humane Society of the United States could put its own issue on the ballot.
"Ohio consumers can be assured that Ohio agriculture will not tolerate those farms that are not willing to follow commonly accepted best management practices," he said.
"It's not often that the agricultural community requests additional regulation over the way we conduct our businesses," said Mark Watchman, a Napoleon farmer and president of the Ohio Wheat Growers Association.
"So it should be obvious to this [Senate Agriculture] committee, the Ohio Senate, and Ohio consumers that agriculture is confident in the way we raise livestock, and we invite this board of Ohio experts to be the check and balance on behalf of Ohio consumers," he said. Read More
Ohio’s House of Representative thumbed their collective noses at the Washington DC based animal rights group Humane Society of the United States. This was no doubt one of the worst public and embarrassing losses the HSUS has endured with Wayne Pacelle as CEO. Originally scheduled for an interview on Agri-Talk yesterday, Pacelle re-scheduled so that he could personally tend to the situation in Ohio. Pacelle’s bullying tactics backfired in the more ag-friendly state of Ohio, and at least for a day, forced him to put his tale between his legs.
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