AgrOpinion.com

A Farm is NOT a Sweat Shop

2012-02-01T16:06:00.000-06:00

Thankfully the U.S. Department of Labor has figured out that while a kid may work up a sweat bailing hay in the middle of August, farm families should have more leniency than other industries when it comes to putting kids to work.

Today the Department announced strong plans to re-propose the parental exemption portion of the child labor in an agriculture proposed rule to reflect more fully the needs of families in rural communities. Bottom line: for now it’s still OK to let your youngsters help out on the farm. And it looks like their ability to work for family members will be protected in the future.

From the Dept. of Labor’s news release:
The department recognizes the unique attributes of farm families and rural communities. The re-proposal process will seek comments and inputs as to how the department can comply with statutory requirements to protect children, while respecting rural traditions. The re-proposed portion of the rule is expected to be published for public comment by early summer. The department will continue to review the comments received regarding the remaining portions of the proposed rule for inclusion in a final rule.

An advantage of a rural life is that you start building a strong work ethic from the first day you enroll in a 4-H livestock project. I know many 5, 7 and 9 year-olds who take their responsibilities caring for livestock very seriously. It would be a crime to lose that because of strict regulations created a chilling environment for parents and grandparents.

We don’t have kids, but we have certainly benefited from having our friends and neighbor’s children help out working cattle, bailing hay, doing some basic chores. I believe that we’ve also shown a few of these kids that their moms and dads were:
1) not so mean
2) not so hard to work for
3) smarter than the kid gave them credit for
We think those are important lessons to learn before one graduates from high school. Hopefully the rules will allow us to help out in this manner in the future.

This is a great example of where farmers and ranchers can have success when they’re vocal about their way of life. We all still need to pay attention to how the final rule comes together, but the farm community can breathe a little easier today

Recipe for a federal takeover of farming

2012-01-31T17:07:00.001-06:00

Applause for Doug Wolf, president of the National Pork Producers Council who raises hogs and cattle as well as corn, soybeans and alfalfa in Lancaster, Wis.

He authored a tell-it-like-it-is piece for the Chicago Tribune "Recipe for a Federal Take Over of Farming" regarding his objections -which should be all livestock owners' objections - to federal bill H.R. 3798. This is the bill that has the support of the United Egg producers who agreed to back positions held by the Humane Society of the United States regarding how chickens should be raised. Click here for their take on the legislation.

Maybe you don't have a single chicken on your place, but if you do have cattle, hogs, sheep or goats you should care deeply about this bill.

From Wolf's article...
"If some producers want to cooperate with the animal-rights movement and agree to specific rules for raising their animals, that's their business.

But when they write those rules in federal law, that's everyone's business — at least all of us in agriculture. By injecting the federal government into the marketplace with no benefit to the public or animal health, it has the potential to irreparably damage the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers across the country.

It also likely would lead to higher food prices, fewer consumer choices and scarce federal resources being redirected away from assuring safe food and other things the government should be doing."

Wolf is spot-on when he calls this "a recipe for a federal takeover of farming." If you are a livestock producer large or small, you must be familiar with what the Bill is suggesting and be vocal in your opposition. Once these decisions are taken out of the hands of the real animal experts we all lose--consumers and farmers alike.

Or one day we may be saying which came first...the chicken or the legislation?

The right kind of Green Revolution

2012-01-25T19:17:00.000-06:00

Bill Gates just might be the best advocate agriculture has at the moment.

In his 2012 annual foundation letter, Bill Gates shines a light on the need for expanded agriculture production and more focus on research to deliver new solutions and approaches to improve the lives of the poorest people on the planet.

Because of the philanthropic causes he’s been involved in, he has seen firsthand the food insecurity that exists around the world and he wants to do something about it by encouraging more research to improve productivity in the sector.

From his letter…

"We can be more innovative about delivering solutions that already exist to the farmers who need them. Knowledge about managing soil and tools like drip irrigation can help poor farmers grow more food today."

He encourages a “Green Revolution” meaning a new era of research and development that is similar to what happened in the 1960s and 70s when according to his letter “Norman Borlaug and other researchers created new seed varieties for rice, wheat, and maize (corn) that helped many farmers vastly improve their yields. In some places, like East Asia, food intake went up by as much as 50 percent. Globally, the price of wheat dropped by two-thirds. These changes saved countless lives and helped nations develop.”

He speaks of the 1968 book The Population Bomb by Paul Ehrlich that predicted that hundreds of millions of people would starve to death because production couldn’t keep up with increases in world population rates. He credits the “green revolution with staving off those predictions and causing food costs to drop dramatically from 1970 through the 1990s. Food prices have been climbing during the past decade and that has him concerned for the poorest of the poor."

Before this green revolution, he sites that 40 percent of the world’s population was poor compared to the 15 percent today. Reading between the lines of his letter, one can see that he’s worried that as food prices climb—for whatever reason—we could see those rates rise dramatically.

Now I don’t know what Bill Gates knows about modern agricultural production practices, but I’m optimistic that he is realistic about using science and technology to improve yields and cut costs. I hope he isn’t implying that funding for small ag should trump investing in large ag. I believe investments in ag must be made in the vein of helping “all boats rise together” or we will not see the advancements needed to support the population boom expected in the next 40 years.

I do like that he’s raising the issue.

Whether it’s a large U.S. farmer feeding 130 people or a mother in Tanzania who produces enough to feed only a hand full of people, all of agriculture can benefit from increased investment in research.

What would your biggest priority for investment be?

Humane Society of the United States DOUBLES CONTRIBUTION to animal shelters

2011-02-15T11:09:00.000-06:00

The HSUS nearly doubled the amount of money it gives to animal shelters according to it's 2009 tax documents.

But that's not hard to do when you're going from about one half of one percent (0.5%) to four-fifths of one percent (0.8%).

Here are a few more numbers from the HSUS tax return courtesy of http://www.humanewatch.org/:
•Total revenue: $101.6 million
•Total expenses: $121.7 million
•Net assets as of December 31, 2009: $160.5 million
•Fundraising expenses: $22.3 million (23 percent of every dollar raised)
•Salaries and benefits: $35.8 million
•Total grants to other groups: $6.7 million

Here is some more info from Humane Watch:
•At long last, internal documents reveal what it takes to be one of HSUS's 11 million "members and constituents" (Hint: Just get on the group's mailing.)

•HSUS was for animal abuse registries before it was against them.

•HSUS quickly and quietly retired Humane Society International's $11 million debt in 2009. If you give "$19 a month" to HSUS, those were your donations at work.

If you're not going to http://www.humanewatch.org/ weekly you should be. I would also encourage everyone in agriculture to make a donation to this group.

Vegans are now “Vegan Skeptics”

2011-02-02T20:32:00.000-06:00

Like many in the farming and ranching community, I watched Oprah yesterday and was unhappy with her promotion of a Vegan diet. But surprisingly, I think a few vegans were unhappy with her show too.

There’s a growing voice among hard core animal activists that they should not be discussing veganism in the ways it was discussed on the Oprah Show. Here’s a blog on that subject with links to others sharing the same sentiment.

Through that post, I found an interesting paper online titled: “Boycott veganism: Animal rights only begins with your diet “
It’s 14 pages of rationale and documentation as to why promoting a vegan diet is actually harming the animal rights movement. It’s an interesting read with lots of insight into how the animal activists are trying to reshape the animal rights/welfare debate into something akin to this country’s debate of and abolition of slavery.

From the paper….
“When asked why they pass on the cheese, for example, they simply say ‘Because I'm vegan.’ In doing so, they have failed animals and the movement in two ways. First, they have dodged an opportunity to offer a clear and compelling message on behalf of the animals. If the concept of veganism were eliminated, animal rights advocates would lose their rhetorical shortcut (Because I'm vegan), and be forced to offer a powerful, but more challenging, message of injustice and inequality -- e.g. ‘Because killing innocents is wrong’; ‘Because exploiting someone just because they are different from us is not fair’; etc. Without veganism, the focus of the conversation would move to animals and their lives, rather than humans and their french fries.”

“They allow themselves to ignore the fact that every piece of meat is murder, that every egg is oppression, and that their ‘vegan lifestyle’ is not a personal choice, but a moral and political imperative. The message sent by their personal boycott becomes, not just confused, but content-less.”

The rhetoric is about to escalate, and the debate is about to be reframed—read the paper. Those of us who believe that meat is an essential part of the diet will have to be ready with new arguments.

What do you think about comparing meat eaters to slave owners?

Your deficit and mine

2010-12-08T07:22:00.000-06:00

For some time, the U.S. has had a federal deficit over $1 trillion dollars. But have you ever stopped to think what that really looks?

I sure hadn't.

A trillion dollars is written as $1,000,000,000,000. That's a lot of zeros huh? The Outstanding Public Debt as of this morning is: $13,839,908,891,247.82.

Are you nervous yet? Angry?

At the Kansas Livestock Association annual convention last week, it was put in perspective for me. If you went on a $1000 shopping spree every day for the next 2.74 million years you would spend a trillion dollars.

When I posted this, your share was over $44,500. It's more now. The debt per tax payer is over $125,000.
Click here to see it in real time: but be warned, it could cause a headache. (A really big headache.)

So multiply those 2.74 million years a few times--whatever's appropriate for how ever many trillions of dollars we owe on the day you're reading this.

I know a lot of people who have turned off the evening news because they've reached their limit and don't want to hear any more about the economy or the state of affairs in this country. But it's time for all of us to plug back in and demand that the federal budget be balanced.

Services we enjoy are going to go away, but it's time to pay the piper. We're going to be paying him for a very long time--even longer if we don't start the payback soon.

There are a lot of sacred cows in the budget. What's the first one you would butcher to bring spending back in line?

Happy Hunting

2010-12-01T22:21:00.000-06:00

You know it is deer season when:

Camouflage vehicles come out of the woodwork

The local radio station plays the Thirty Point Buck song over and over again.

The neighbor who you hear from only once a year calls to say they’re going to hunt in that same spot again—permission is presumed just because you gave it last year

You see trucks parked in lots of out of the way places, but no teenagers are making out inside

Blaze orange is the must have color

You don't see the "King of the Forrest" where he's been every morning for the past 2 months.

Good hunting, and let’s be careful out there. I would love to know what other signs of the season you've seen this week.

Food production class ruffles feathers

2010-11-03T21:51:00.000-05:00

Did you hear the one about the girl who had a chicken?

No it's not a yoke.

Whitney Hillman a high school student from Concordia, Kan. kidnapped her chicken, Chicklet, to save it from being slaughtered as part of an animal science and food production class.
The teen who says she loves animals and wants to study zoology enrolled in an animal science and food production class. Because I grew up on a farm, I realize that some animals are destined to enter the food chain, but apparently she did not.

When she found out that she would have to raise the chicken and then slaughter it, her feathers were ruffled. With the help of her parents, she and Chicklet flew the coop. Chicklet has apparently gone into the food animal protection program and Hillmen landed 2 days of in-school suspension.

I have some mixed emotions about this story. I don't know why Hillman couldn't opt out of the class or simply talk to the instructor about her feelings about not killing the chicken which she says became her pet.

But 98% of America is disconnected from where their food comes from, so I'm all for a class that educates those who do want to learn the process from egg to chicken fried dinner.

What is the happy medium?

Photo from KC Star, Tom Dorsey

Not in my back yard

2010-10-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

What would you do if you live in a community with a cement plant and you are worried about contamination from hazardous waste being disposed of in that plant? What would you do if you were worried that there are toxins that could be harming your kids.

Would you conduct some research?

Call some experts on soil, water and air quality?
Check out reports compiled by that company, universities, or government agencies—including many independent reports?

Would you tour the plant and ask about what’s going on there and what controls they have in place to make sure your kids are well?

Would you make sure you knew the difference between hazardous and toxic waste?

Or would you call an attorney?

Calling an attorney to investigate is just what some residents of Chanute, Kan. did recently when they had concerns about Ash Grove Cement Company’s facility there. The community meeting with that attorney, Michael Hodges was held Tuesday night and it drew quite a crowd.

Hundreds of people were there to support the facility’s safety record and attention to complying with state and federal regulations. It’s a plant that incinerates hazardous waste not toxic waste, but at least one of the people who contacted the attorney didn’t know the difference. Of the people who showed up for the meeting only a handful--I counted about a dozen--expressed concern.

The concerned citizens didn’t seem to know what really goes on at the plant. It also appeared that they didn't know any studies existed that would show that health problems are no more prevalent in the community than elsewhere in the region.

Besides calling Mr. Hodges, my sources tell me that they were calling area media outlets saying that Erin Brockovich was going to be at the meeting. (If you were there and saw a lady with a shirt on that showed some cleavage, it was me, not her. But I would be happy to send you a signed photo. Just send $5 and a SASE.)

What was the motive in getting this group together?

Maybe they really are concerned about health issues? But if that’s the case, start with your doctor not the attorney. Do some reading. Lots of information is available online.

It didn’t seem difficult to me to determine the attorney’s motivation. He talked at length about how he is in business to make money. And at the end of the meeting his words were telling. He talked about how they weren’t going to accomplish anything tonight including a settlement with Ash Grove. Watch the video and tell me what his motivation is.

He also said that he hadn’t read any reports prior to the meeting. HMMMMM? Why would you make a 2 hour drive to investigate a case you might potentially take on without doing any research before making that trip? HMMMMM?

There is a meeting tonight (Oct. 27th) with the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment where residents with health concerns can ask questions. If you live in the area and have concerns, I encourage you to go.

Want to read more:

Summary of Southeast Kansas Health Study – conducted by University of Kansas Medical Center. (KU Med.)
Kansas Cancer Registry – multiple year report from KU Med
Information from KDHE and EPA regarding permitting at Ash Grove.

Want to tell the attorney how you feel about this? He said he welcomed emails at this event.

A meeting like this seems indicative of the society we’re living in. We’re sue happy. We want to make a quick buck. We think corporations are evil.

I don’t like any of those things. I especially don’t like them in my own back yard.

Do you?

HOG WASH!!! HSUS at it again

2010-10-18T16:49:00.001-05:00

I love pigs!!! Always have, always will.
(And you guys though I loved only cattle.)

But this is one pig collectible that I won't be buying.

The Humane Society of the United States just emailed info on their holiday fundraising products. And the ornament is being showcased this year. The website says it takes 77 hands to create this work of art that retails for $19.95.

If their track record stays true to form, that means that only about one cent of that which is raised from ornament sales will go to actually helping animals. Only about 1/2 of 1% of what they raise goes to animal care. Here's the analysis.

Aren't they exploiting farm animals to make a buck? Isn't that what they say farmers shouldn't do?

Do you think it's wrong for them to do this?

Photo: from the HSUS website.

Now, health insurance reform for pets?

2010-09-02T17:33:00.000-05:00

Had your fill of health insurance reform yet?

Apparently the residents of California haven’t.

There is a bill making its way through that state’s assembly that would reform pet health insurance.

Who knew that pet health insurance is as messed up as the human health insurance system is?

I don’t know of any friends who have pet health insurance, but apparently some of the people in California who have paid for that coverage aren’t happy.

But let’s back up a minute.

Between 2000 and 2005, veterinary costs increased 70 percent according to the bill’s analysis. During 2009, Americans spent $12 billion on pet care.

Consumers are turning to pet insurance to mitigate rising costs. The Humane Society of the United States—which has spent $27,000 lobbying for passage of the bill—says there are 170 million dogs and cats kept as pets nationwide. Only about 1 percent of those pets are covered by health insurance.

This may seem absurd to you and me, but the bill looks like it's headed for a vote.

Is health insurance is a right for humans? Should it be a right for pets?

I don't think so, but what do you think?

A new cash crop that’s good for the environment too!

2010-08-03T23:13:00.000-05:00

If you aren’t confused enough by the food pyramid, the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) wants you to eat more of a new food source.

Bugs.

Trade in your burgers and fries for beetles and fries. Forget nachos. Instead you could be eating grasshoppers and salsa. How about a meal of mealworms? Or some slug soup with caterpillars for a garnish. Yummy!

Yes the FAO is saying that we should switch from eating meat to eating bugs to better use our natural resources. There is a policy paper drafted by a Belgian entomologist that is under consideration.

Less land for livestock means more room for crops and somehow that means fewer greenhouse gasses. Apparently insects are more “metabolically efficient” which makes them cheaper to raise. And because they are more genetically different from us, insects aren’t subject to contagious disease transmission like livestock are. No Mad Moth syndrome would lurk in the future.

They’re high in protein and calcium. They’re low in fat and--I assume--high in fiber. Plus just think of the variety. You could go almost 3 years and never eat the same bug twice. Makes you wonder why we haven’t been eating the crunchy critters all along.

If you’ve ever watched the Food Network, you know there are places in the world where entomophagy—bug eating—is done. You can even learn about incorporating bugs in your diet. That site is based on an essay dating back to 1885.

In fact, bug farming is already common in other parts of the world. The UN has started a locust farming pilot in Laos. Some 15,000 household farmers reportedly raise locusts in Thailand. Instead of counting cows, your banker could be counting ants?

It could happen if the UN has its way.

But don’t sell your combine yet.

We wouldn’t be forced to trade calf fries for sawflies any time soon. The proposal suggests raising insects to feed livestock and them phasing it into the human diet more directly later. Eventually they’ll grind the bugs up and press them into patties to trick us into eat them.

Not to mention the economy will have to get a lot worse before most of us would ever consider eating bugs. But if it eventually comes to pass, I wonder how the animal rights activists will try to restrict confined insect feeding operations?

Farming: How hard can it be?

2010-06-24T21:49:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine took a drive in the country last weekend with her husband. When they reached the country, he had an epiphany.

This lifelong city dweller-whose dayjob is as an actuary--is thinking about taking up farming. How hard could it really be? This is a guy who has never changed his own oil and mows his own yard under protest.

And I'm not talking hobby farming or just a big backyard garden. I'm talking wheat fields, corn fields and a herd of cattle farming.

His rationale?

How much stress could farmers have? Cows don’t talk back. How hard could it be to grow a row crop? It’s just like growing tomatoes in the back yard. Caring for pets is just like taking care of livestock isn’t it?

You just need a tractor, get some land and go to work. Isn’t it that simple?

Like many who are removed from farm like, he doesn't realize that growing anything is part art, science and miracle. And farming requires a lot of time, talent and tenacity.

I thought we should work up a list of easy farm chores to help him rethink leaving corporate America.

Some easy farm chores:

Hauling hay in 100+ degree heat.
Helping deliver a calf in the middle of winter, in the middle of the night
Unloading a ton of feed sacks
Planting all night when your trying to beat the rain
Looking a a field that's been flooded or shredded by hail

I'm sure lots of things are missing from the list. What's your favorite easy farm chore?

Misleading Kids to Lobby Against Factory Farming

2010-05-05T22:13:00.000-05:00

Are your kids or their teachers being suckered in?

They may be unwittingly aiding the anti-meat cause.

The HSUS puts a monthly newsletter KIND News during the school year. This turns up in classrooms all across the country under the guise of promoting kindness to animals. Who’s against that?

You might be after you check out their online edition.

April’s edition for third- and fourth-grade students includes an article trashing animal agriculture, in which HSUS tells its young readers to write to their Congressman, the USDA, and the EPA.

From the online edition:
Decisions affecting animals are made all the time by our elected officials. Senators and representatives consider laws that protect pets, wildlife, farm animals, and animals used in research. The job of these officials is to be a voice for the people they represent.

To get your lawmakers to vote in favor of animals, you must tell them what you think. Below are some important issues on which you can take action. For more tips on contacting your lawmakers, check out our Speak Up for Animals guide.

There’s a special placefor teachers to get lesson plans including some about the need to protect prairie dogs.

And there are monthly activity calendars posted. Many things on there seem harmless enough. But it’s a place where they can take shots at livestock production as well.

And then there are a whole lot of activities revolving around farm animals. In one section it encourages kids to take a stand and be a “brave soldier” in changing people’s minds about eating animals. It doesn’t exactly say that, but I’m sure the conclusion some kids are coming to. Check out the farm facts they’re using to obtain emotional reactions from kids.

Keep an eye out for materials that come home from school. A well meaning teacher could be inadvertently be putting out an anti-meat message by using these materials.

Everyone should be kind to animals. But these messages go a little too far.

Why aren't all the farmers sick?

2010-04-22T20:23:00.001-05:00

I suffered through Food, Inc again yesterday. (Thank you PBS for adding credence to their lies and exaggerations.)

People who don’t know any better watch that show and think everything they put in their mouths is going to make them sick. That’s what the makers want them to believe as they push their eat local, eat natural, anything from a big farm is bad agenda.

I would challenge them to go back to the source of our food—us. People like you and me who grow our nation’s food supply. If our food supply is so dangerous, you and I are living at ground zero.

So why aren’t all of the farmers and ranchers sick?

The scare tactics used by activists like the Food Inc producers use tactics like:
• Pesticides and herbicides are ruining our health
• Adding hormones causes man boobs
• Meat eaters will all get colon cancer
• We breed e coli on our farms and ranches

Of course, I know that you can do harm to yourself and others if you don’t use ag chemicals correctly. I will never forget the day when I was five years old and accidentally breathed in a bunch of ammonia at my grandpa’s fertilizer plant. It made me very sick. I realize there are a lot of people with serious health issues because of misuse of chemicals.

But if they are that toxic and residues are, as the activists say, so prominent in our food supply, why aren’t we all sick? I don’t know any farmers with a 3rd eye or who have become radioactive after being in the field. Not scientific-I know. And I’m not trying to make light of the danger, but if chemicals were so bad we would all be sick.

Now regarding the meat issues.

Farmers and Rancher eat more meat than the average city person. We all have a freezer full of it that came right off our place. We’ve never had a vegetarian meal at my house.

I haven’t seen too many farm boys looking like farm girls. I have a lot more city friends who are fighting cancer than farm friends who are. And most of the farmers I know seem to have fine reproductive health.

Can you get heart disease? Sure. Everything is best in moderation, but they’ve missed the memo that the research doesn’t support their assertion.

They don’t want to learn about e coli being everywhere in the environment.

They show the pictures of cattle standing in mud and talk about what a breeding ground it is for the pathogen. And they show mud and manure on the animal too. Like we’re licking that in every bite of ground beef.

The only time I’ve seen cattle standing in mud like they show was after a 10 inch rain. And you know what? We were standing in it too. Mud happens.

They say confined feeding and the way we feed corn makes it worse. They never talk about how to cook or wash food to reduce the risk. The farmer carries 100% of the blame for ecoli. And they never talk about strides made to detect and control it.

If it’s as easy to get sick from e coli as they say it is. Everyone with cattle should be in the hospital.

But again, you and I are around the stuff all the time. We probably have immunity from breathing tiny amounts of e coli in when walking through the barn.

So I’m sure nobody would study instances of e coli in farmers vs. the general population. It wouldn’t be scientific since we have something going for us that they don’t.

But there’s nothing scientific about the scare tactics they use anyway.

So farmers and ranchers defy the activists and stay healthy.

Dancing with the Stars: A vote for Pam is a vote for PETA.

2010-04-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

Agvocates, it’s time to send Pam home from Dancing with the Stars.

Voting can take place by phone for a half hour after the show-so HURRY. Voting online is open until 11am Eastern/8am Pacific Tuesdays. Here’s the link to vote online or call these numbers to vote for anyone other than Pam. You get 10 votes per show.

COUPLE NAME PHONE NUMBER
Aiden Turner & Edyta Sliwinska
800-86834-09 or 800-VOTE4-09

Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke
800-86834-01 or 800-VOTE4-01

Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
800-86834-03 or 800-VOTE4-03

Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya
800-86834-06 or 800-VOTE4-06

Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower
800-86834-04 or 800-VOTE4-04

Kate Gosselin & Tony Dovolani
800-86834-10 or 800-VOTE4-10

Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough
800-86834-08 800-VOTE4-08

Niecy Nash & Louis Van Amstel
800-86834-05 or 800-VOTE4-05

I agree with the HSUS. Hell is freezing over as we speak.

2010-04-08T20:20:00.000-05:00

There is a first time for everything.

Regular readers will be shocked, but I have finally found some common ground with the Humane Society of the United States of America.

They want support for a new rule that will allow fewer snakes to be traded for pets. I generally am against anything that impedes anyone's ability to conduct business, but I'm against snakes even more.

From the HSUS website.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed important new rules to list as "injurious" nine species of large constrictor snakes—including Burmese pythons, reticulated pythons, boa constrictors, and anacondas.

This will stop importation and interstate movement of the animals as pets. These snakes are dangerous to people and they can wreak havoc on our ecosystems. Add to this the suffering of these animals in the pet trade, and it is clear that action is needed now.

Now I'm not rushing out to donate to them, or send a thank you to the Fish and Wildlife Service, but I will admit I think this is a good idea.

Is it cold where you live?

This 4-Her has a thing or two to share with PETA

2010-03-04T21:47:00.003-06:00

One of the great things about having a blog is meeting other people in the ag community. I met Dee Dee through Twitter and wish that all of my young friends would document their 4-H and FFA experience like she is. Here are her thoughts on how PETA targets young people in ag programs.

I’m a sixteen year old 4Her. When I first joined 4H I never planned on doing anything agricultural related.

Then I tried out some show chickens during that same year my 4-H leader at the time had a farm and was breeding sheep.

So I said let’s see what this is like. She had a very beautiful ram and ewe that she was going too breed and I would get the offspring. Well that offspring happened to be a beautiful Leicester Longwool named Savannah Mae.

That’s where my 4-H adventures began. I have sheep, chickens and soon to have beef cattle and dairy goats.

I get really tired of all the Animal Rights groups targeting 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) because we have farm animals. Many of those activists believe incorrectly that if you have farm animals that you are abusive.

The other problem is that animal rights groups think that 4-H and FFA are teaching innocent children how to kill animals. What they don’t realize is that many of these 4Hers and FFA members already own animals before they ever joined 4H of FFA. We don’t “murder” animals. We take care of them to their very last breath and then they are taken to the abattoir to be humanely killed to feed the world.

The whole world can’t live off of fruit, vegetables, and tofu etc.

People like my sister who have uncontrollable seizures and can only have 10-15carbs a day. This means she consumes a lot of meat and dairy products. These products are a must have or her health suffers dramatically.

PETA says on their website that “Programs offered by 4-H and Future Farmers of America encourage kids to lovingly raise and care for baby pigs, cows, and other animals and then sell them at auction to be killed and turned into hot dogs, hamburgers, and other meat. Worse yet, some of these animals are subjected to cruel treatment before they go to slaughter.”

My point in being a guest blogger is to open up to the world to support humane farmers and stop targeting 4H and FFA members at fairs etc.

Dee Dee
Twitter.com/4hfarmer
Check out Dee Dee’s blog chronicling her 4-H adventures.

I look forward to sharing more of Dee Dee's stories in the future. And I hope that her post inspires my young readers to start a blog--or simply guest blog on mine.

Government Weatherization Program is a Snow Job

2010-02-27T14:48:00.000-06:00

The stimulus program also known as the American Recovery Act has a provision for winterizing houses, but so far the program hasn't been too productive.

The Energy Department which runs the program told ABC News that so far it has spent $522-million dollars on the program to winterize 9,100 homes. Do the math and it works out to $57,362 for each home fixed up so far. Are they insulating with stacks of dollar bills?

This program is part of the $5 billion worth of Obama administration stimulus money that was going to rapidly create nearly 90,000 jobs--green jobs--throughout the country. It was meant to kill two birds with one stone, get people to work in a rocky economy and make thousands of homes more energy efficient.

With the winter the nation has faced, winterization last fall would have been a good thing. The program has only spent about 1/10 of the funds allocated back when it was passed. They've had to figure out prevailing wage for winterizing projects. And they've gotten bogged down in a bunch of government created hurdles.

So I'm proposing we eliminate the weatherization red-tape in favor of duck tape. I'm creating the "Red Neck Winterization Kit".

Send me a check for $499.99 and I'll send you a kit to winterize your home. Using bales of straw, sheets of plastic, and a few roles of Duct Tape, you can make your home or trailer snug as a bug just in time for spring.

We can do it for a fraction of the cost of those taxpayer funded programs. Maybe I'll even apply to get certified as a government approved vendor. But that would mean I would have to raise my price, so you better order now.

(Shipping is included.)

Have you looked at the list of HSUS supporters lately?

2010-02-25T22:00:00.000-06:00

Probably not. I don't think I ever have looked at the list of corporations who support the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

But there are companies you do business with on this list and you may want to rethink that.

Pilot Travel Centers is the most recent to come under attack from the ag industry. I'm sure a lot of truckers hauling grain and livestock stop there to fill up, but I hope they don't any more.

Here's a link to a longer list of companies supporting the HSUS, but here are some of the companies you know:

Bank of America
BB&T
Microsoft
Harland Clark-probably prints your checks
Land Rover North America
Oreck Vacuums
Petco
Petsmart
Xerox

This week agvocates are concentrating on letting Pilot Travel Centers know that we don't approve of their donation. My main page has a number of links and ideas that you can use to tell Pilot how you feel.

Dear [yellowtail], your letter was nice, but...

2010-02-22T16:13:00.002-06:00

Our friends at [yellow tail] have figured out they made a mistake, and I believe they are trying. But I'm a little underwhelmed.

It's easy to send a letter saying we messed up. It's a nice letter.

They could have advised Tiger on his apology and it might have went better for him. But after such a firestorm from the ag community, couldn't they--shouldn't they--make a similar donation to a pro-ag group?

If you haven't seen it here's a letter they sent explaining their donation.

Dear Kay Johnson Smith, Animal Agriculture Alliance:

I am writing to thank you for your feedback regarding our [tails] for tails program.

The spirit and intention of our donation to the Humane Society of the United States was for the celebration of animals. Being farmers ourselves we support those who care for their land and their environment, just as we do. We are proud of our rural heritage and value a solid relationship with agricultural communities around the world.

[yellow tail] is committed to the plight of animals in need, and we know that animal welfare groups work in different ways to advance their cause. We are interested in the welfare of animals, and in financially supporting animal welfare causes that provide direct care services to help animals, not on taking positions on any animal lobbying issues. We pledge to you that any future support for animal welfare will go to organizations specifically devoted to hands-on care, such as rescue, sterilization, feeding, or disaster assistance.

Like the wines we produce, we are friendly Australians who enjoy bringing people together, and look forward to doing so through our annual spring and summer promotional campaign "[tails] around the barbecue" and our "holiday enter[tail]ing" campaign. We very much value your opinion and wish to thank-you for your honesty.

Sincerely,
[yellow tail] customer Service Team

It's a nice letter, but anyone can say they're sorry. Actions speak louder than words. And offering up your annual BBQ promotion doesn't make me feel like the company is exerting an effort. So I'm still going to avoid drinking their wine

So what do you think? Am I being overly critical? Or being too harsh in what I would like to see them do to make amends?

Going green and becoming a vegan could soon be mandatory in Cambridge, Mass.

2010-02-18T21:02:00.000-06:00

The city’s Climate Congress is sorting through recommendations that will be submitted to the City Council to reduce green house gas emissions in the city which is home to Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Some of the proposals put forth by their Climate Congress include:
• Elimination curb side parking and “congestion pricing” to reduce car travel
• Some sort of a carbon tax
• Taxes on plastic and paper bags.
• Ban production and distribution of bottled water
• And coercive taxes to promote vegetarianism and veganism, complete with "Meatless or Vegan Mondays."

How enacting these restrictions, punitive taxes and tactics in one city will solve a “global crisis” is beyond me.

The bright minds who live there have decided that what they could do is a drop in the bucket. But they are determined to lead by example since the rest of the world isn’t doing its share.

There is also a proposal to institute a tax or tariff on the purchase of non-regional food. Maybe that means they’ll be taxing tofu and soy milk.

This time of year, I wonder how much food is actually raised in that region.

The population of the Boston Metropolitan area is approximately 4.4 million people. Farm Bureau says the average farm feeds 155 people, meaning that it would take 28,387 farmers to feed that city. There are just over 6,000 farms in all of Massachusetts.

How productive are those farms? Seventy-six percent sell less than $25,000 worth of goods each year. Nearly half of all farms (43%) sell less than $2,500 worth of products each year.

I’m sure those scientists have higher IQs and much more book learning than I do, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they have some fancy equation and technology that can get their regional farms to produce what they need to feed the region.

My math says the Boston area including Cambridge goes hungry if they have to rely on the local farms to feed them. I think even a fifth grader can come up with that conclusion.

There is a proposal to invest in local greenhouses to grow their vegetarian/vegan food supply, but the scientists are arguing now about whether it’s better for the environment to go that route or continue to ship food in from other locations.

The scientists are also arguing about whether they can get the public to comply and how much any of the taxes could hurt development and commerce in the community.

Now I don’t pretend to be smarter than the guys at MIT and Harvard, but I assure you eliminating parking spots and taxing people for driving will hurt business.

What happens next? The Commission will meet the first week of March to determine what to recommend to the City Council. After that who knows, but I am afraid their so-called book sense will trounce common sense.

I Never Dreamed that Vegans would hate PETA and the HSUS too.

2010-02-14T15:12:00.002-06:00

Dear readers: I was shocked to learn recently that vegans and vegetarians may hate the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) more than most farmers and ranchers do. Obviously we dislike those groups for entirely different reasons. But I wanted to learn more because I always assumed that a vegan was a card carrying member of both organizations. I couldn't have been more wrong.

It may seem odd for me to give my blog over to an animal activist to talk about her goals for the animal rights movement. I believe it is important for us to learn more about their way of thinking just as we would like them to understand where we're coming from. And I wanted to learn more about the issues they have with these groups.

I know many of you won't agree with my guest author Khaetlyn, but I ask any comments you leave to be respectful. I would like to get more insight from vegetarians and vegans. There are things we can learn from each other. Please keep reading--Jody

I despise People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society of the United States. Those loud and obnoxious animal people with their silly antics, who are only trying to get publicity and donations for their organizations, make me feel ill to the point of nausea. No, I am not a rancher or a farmer. I am not a vivisectionist. I am not a zoo keeper. I am a vegan, and I support animal rights.

I would not cage Jade the cat and force her to have babies her whole life, and when she is too worn out from the constant cycle of breeding, slaughter her and eat her flesh. I would not force Diesel the dog into submission to perform unnatural tricks for the sake of people's amusement, nor would I kill him to wear his fur and skin. If I would not inflict unnecessary suffering, such as the aforementioned acts, upon the cat or dog with whom I share my home, why would I do these same things to other animals? This "moral schizophrenia" as animal rights philosopher and author Gary L. Francione (photo above right) calls it, is unjustifiable as there is no morally significant difference between a cat, dog, cow, or chicken. Indeed, if we were to do to cats and dogs the things we do to animals raised on farms or in labs, it would be a felony offense.

But what if we made it better? What if we improved their conditions? Would it not it be better if Diesel had a bigger cage? Would Jade not feel better if her throat was slit more quickly and efficiently? No. Humane slaughter is still slaughter. Kind confinement is still confinement. Their exploitation should be abolished, not merely regulated, according to Francione.

So what about their "rights?" When the term "animal rights" is used it really only means one right, or the right not to be the property of someone else. Francione states that as long as animals are considered property, the interests of the property owner will always outweigh the interests of the piece of property, so we cannot really take animal interests into consideration until their property status is abolished. Animals are sentient creatures; animals feel pain, pleasure, and a wide range of emotions. They have an interest in continuing life free from pain and the tyranny of human dominance and corporate greed. They are someones, with individual personalities and family bonds, but as long as they are still pieces of property, they are nothing more than production units and are reduced to mere commodities.

How do I convince people that animals have rights? How do I convince them that going vegan is the first thing someone must do to be consistent with the principles of animal rights theory, as stated by Francione? Well, I do not throw paint on them, for one, and contrary to popular belief, abolitionist vegans and animal rights activists do not want to pass legislation concerning the legal status of animals or how they are treated. I do not bomb the buildings of farmers or lab technicians, nor do I threaten to harm the employees who work there. I agree with Gary L. Francione when he states that non-violent and creative vegan education is the best and most effective way of showing people the importance of abolitionist animal rights theory and understanding how to practice it in every day life.

I do not see non-vegans as my "enemies" but rather as potential dinner guests with whom I will share my mashed potatoes, vegetable stew, and lemon-vanilla cupcakes. They need not worry about getting their windows smashed with a crowbar or their coat ruined by red paint at my house; leaflets, patience, compassion, and a well-stocked kitchen are my weapons of choice.

About the author:

Khaetlyn Grindell is a 16 year old abolitionist vegan and animal rights activist living in South Carolina. She is a staff member of the Eagles View Newspaper and Quill & Scroll literary magazine at Greenwood High School. When she isn't writing and spending time on human and animal rights or political affairs, she enjoys drawing, painting and reading non-fiction publications.

To read more of Francione’s thoughts go to his website.

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach

2010-02-13T12:58:00.002-06:00

Guys may wait until the last minute to figure out what to buy for Valentine's day, but this girl has waited until the last minute to figure out what to fix for Valentine's day.

We're going out with both sets of parents and my grandma tonight. But that's not a very romantic celebration so I'm trying to figure out what to fix at home on Sunday night.

The options for dining out in a small town are limited. And while I like our little restaurants, none of them have the right mood for V-Day. So I'll be cooking at home tomorrow

Here are some great ones I've found . I think any one of them will be a hit with Daryl. Hope they help you if you're in the same fix that I'm in.

Steak Diane
Ribeye Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter and Mushrooms
Flat Iron Steak with Herb Butter
Pomegranate Steak with Quinoa
Grilled T-Bone for 2

Side dishes are pretty easy, cheesy scalloped potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, and I'm making chocolate dipped strawberries for dessert.

If you haven't made them before they are so easy. I dip my strawberries in melted Hershey's Hugs. Pop 'em in the fridge for 10 minutes and you've got a great treat that seems way more fancy and difficult than it really is.
Please add your own links to favorite beef recipes that are a great treat for Valentine's Day or any other time you need to get to your man's heart through his stomach.

We're not on drugs

2010-02-10T22:24:00.001-06:00

Katie Couric's reports on CBS this week have given people some inaccurate ideas about the use of antibiotics on farms and ranches.

If you aren't familiar with raising livestock, and watched her reports you may think that farmers and ranchers are feeding their animals antibiotics as part of every meal and injecting them with antibiotics every day. That's not the case on our ranch.

Currently none of our animals are on antibiotics. We can't remember the last time we had to administer antibiotics for an illness. We think it may have been a year and a half ago. We do use antibiotics they are prescribed by our veterinarian.

Antibiotics are expensive. They are not something we gleefully give or over-use in our operation. We're a small operation, but it's true that even large operations use them judiciously.

We do vaccinate our calves on our place. These vaccinations are given when the calves are small, just like you immunize your children against a variety of diseases. Our calves are vaccinated for:

Blackleg which causes swelling in the legs, neck, and back and results in death.
Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheits is also called Red-nose. It is an acute contagious viral disease and is the main cause of Shipping Fever. This results in runny nose, loss of appetite, and weight loss.
Bovine Virus Diarrhea is an infection causing numerous problems such as damage to the digestive and immune systems, pneumonia, the inability to move and diarrhea.

The cows and bulls are vaccinated once a year for:

Lepto which results in abortions.
Vibrio which is an infectious bacteria resulting in infertility. It is considered an venereal disease.

All cattle are given a wormer--just like your pets need--for control of parasites in the liver and the stomachs which will cause weight loss and disrupt proper digestion.

Without vaccines and antibiotics we can't ensure the health of our herd or those of our neighbors. The CBS report kept talking about antibiotics being used to make animals grow faster, but the language they used was a little misleading. Antibiotics don't promote growth. Sick animals don't grow. They must be well to grow.

Consumers should be assured that numerous precautions are in place to keep drugs from entering the food supply. Farmers and ranchers are aware of the time it takes for an antibiotic to leave an animals system. And all drugs have gone through rigorous testing before they are allowed for use in food animals.

We know of farms that use antibiotics therapeutically. We don't want to speak for larger operations, but have seen a variety of research that shows that the use of antibiotics in those operations reduces illness and prevents death. So we believe it to be a sound process for insuring animal well-being.