PETA Uses Kids as Pawns

I think we can all agree that exploiting children to get ahead is pretty low-down and dirty. I figure only the most conniving, manipulative organizations would be willing to target children with propaganda in an effort to create a whole generation of like-minded individuals. 

Would you be surprised to find out that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been targeting children with animal rights propaganda for more than a decade? I didn't think so.



PETA is targeting their kids and they don't care if you like it or not
Source: Center for Consumer Freedom

The second edition of the Center for Consumer Freedom's (CCF) report, "Your Kids, PETA's Pawns," explores the tactics that extreme animal rights groups use to indoctrinate children using violent and sexualized animal-rights propaganda and protests outside of elementary schools.

Additionally, and this is probably the most sickening, is the blatant use of children as props for their shocking campaigns. The runny icing on this burnt cake is that psychologists and school officials have denounced PETA's actions as "despicable," "traumatizing," "beyond insensitive," and "an absolute atrocity." Does that stop PETA from exploiting children? Not at all. You may recall, I have blogged about their atrocious actions in the past and they appear to have no remorse.

Picture this - you're an average height adult viewing an ad on the side of a bus. All appears normal until your five-year old starts crying saying that the images on the bus are scary. You can't imagine why your child is upset, until you lean down to his/her point of view and find that the imaging on the bus at a child's height level is violent, graphic images of animal abuse. Not cool, PETA. Not freaking cool.

I'm not a parent and I'm furious that PETA is doing this to kids. I can't imagine how parents of children who have encountered this propaganda may feel.

If you want to read the whole report, feel free to check it out here. Thanks to the Center for Consumer Freedom for investigating the shady dealings of manipulative animal rights organizations.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Horse Slaughter Funding Reinstated

A few days ago, some news was announcd regarding the equine industry which, as you know, is very near and dear to my heart.

In 2006, horse slaughter in the U.S. was effectively 'banned' because the funding for plant inspections was cut. All slaughter plants in the U.S. must be inspected by USDA/FSIS and if there is no funding available then there is no slaughter.

Recently, news broke that the Department of Agriculture had reinstated federal inspection money in a November 18 bill. Hallelujah!

Not suprisingly, there has been an uproar from anti-agriculturalists and people who are unfamiliar with the equine industry. Allow me to take the opportunity to lay out some facts:

- Although horse meat is not widely consumed in the U.S., it is consumed and described as a delicacy in countries like France, Canada and Mexico. We (the U.S.) comprise a very small percentage of worldwide population and shouldn't assume that if we don't like something, it's therefore taboo for everyone else. It takes all sorts of minds to make a world go round, folks.

- Horses are expensive - just like other livestock. Expensive to feed, expensive to own and very expensive to have euthanized by a veterinarian. By selling a horse to the slaughter market, an owner could save some money on a euthanasia injection but also contribute to feeding people in France, Canada, etc.

-  When horse slaughter was stopped in 2006, horse welfare drastically decreased. Where there was once a market for horses who were past their useful lives there was now an abyss of no hope. It wasn't smart to take your trailer to the salebarn and leave it unlocked because you'd likely find yourself with a few more hungry horse mouths to feed. Others were unlucky enough to walk outside in the morning and find a few horses left in their pastures. And most horrible of all, there were  instances where the hide that contained the brand had been cut off, and the horse had been set free - all to prevent the horse from being returned to the owner.

Link to article about horse in Nevada whose brand had been cut off

- This reinstatement of funding is holistically a great thing in many ways. Horse welfare will improve and jobs will be created. Job creation? Yes, that's right. Every slaughter plant that opens will employ several hundred people, if not a thousand, essentially stimulating the economy in that region.

These are all points that I have seen time and again be misrepresented or misquoted in the comment stream on horse slaughter articles. Many of those comments are outrageous and unfounded however there is one such mindset that needs to be addressed. On an article on Huffington Post, several comments have touted irresponsible breeding as the culprit of poor welfare. I hope that horse owners view the previous five years as a wakeup call. Equine people, if you can't afford to feed and care for a horse, please don't continue to breed them. If your child only wants one to ride occasionally, please seek out leasing options or buying an older horse - not contacting a breeder to have one specially bred just for your child. These are all strategies that have partially created the situation we are in. This is what a friend of mine said on Facebook and I can't say it any better myself:

 "I couldn't be more supportive of the reinstatement of funding for horse slaughter in the U.S. It is desperately needed for our industry. However, those of us that own horses shouldn't just see it as a "garbage disposal" for our unwanted horses; we have to approach the problem up front. This means prudent and responsible breeding practices. Just because you think you want a foal, consider whether this horse will contribute to your lifestyle please! There is a lot more work that goes in to making a well-trained, confident, good horse than you may realize. I support horse slaughter and I support breeding GOOD horses, it's time to focus on the latter."  - A. Wilson, cowgirl and responsible horse owner

All in all, this is a fantastic thing for agriculture and the equine industry, in my opinion. What are your thoughts?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Delving Further into Antibiotic Use

Happy Monday!


As a brief follow up to this post, I found a podcast about antibiotic use in food animals from the AVMA media website. In this podcast, Dr. Scott Hurd, an associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine at Iowa State University, discusses quantitative risk assessments of antibiotic resistance in humans. He does a really great job of explaining the issues and concerns in laymen's terms.

To listen to the podcast, click here. If you can help me learn how to embed podcasts in my future posts, please email me (bbuzzard13@gmail.com).

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Antibiotics Safe for Livestock Use

Just like we've been sayin' all along...
The Government Accountability Office released a report that stated there isn't sufficient evidence  to warrant a study into a link between antibiotic use in food animals and antibiotic resistance in humans. Did you get that? Here, I'll say it again.

GAO said "these data [collected by USDA] lack crucial details necessary to examine trends and understand the relationship between use and resistance."

Haven't pork producers been saying this for quite some time? In a www.meatingplace.com release, NPPC has noted that pork producers have long been in compliance with responsible antibiotic use with veterinary supervision in order to keep their animals health and pork safe.

Need some more info? Read the whole piece here.

image from here

And if you're new to the antibiotic use scene, here are some crucial facts to help you better understand antibiotic use.

Antibiotics are given strategically – administered when pigs are sick, susceptible or exposed to illness.

Using antibiotics strategically ensures that the safest meat in the world ends up on America's dinner tables.

Only antibiotics approved by the FDA are used to treat pigs.

Human safety is a key component when considering animal antibiotic approval.

•    Withdrawal times, or the number of days an animal must be removed from antibiotics before entering the food supply, ensure that antibiotics are not present in the animal’s system at the time of slaughter.

Do you have comments about this issue? Are you excited about this news (as I am) or does your opinion differ? Let's converse! Leave me a comment below!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

In Honor of Pigs and Pork

Photo courtesy of Magnum Photo Agency

I keep reminding readers that October is National Pork Month and for good reason. I love pork - it's delicious, nutritious and is so versatile!  The Pork Checkoff provides a wealth of great pork information on their website.  Check it out -- especially the kids section  :)  Check out these facts that make learning about food safety and pork fun for kids.

• Did you know that pork is now 16% leaner than it was 15 years ago?
• Look for the word “loin” in the name for the leanest cuts of pork.
• Pork is a great source of important nutrients, such as B-vitamins and protein.
• Pork tenderloin is just as lean as a skinless chicken breast.
• Pork’s mild flavor goes well with many ethnic seasonings, spice rubs and marinades.
• It takes about eight minutes to broil, grill or sauté a pork chop.
• Pork chops are America’s favorite cut of pork, and because they come from the pork loin, they are also a healthy choice.
• Because pork is so lean, it is important not to overcook it.

The Checkoff also makes it easy to access information about animal well-being (that's right up my alley), animal science (that, too), the environment, swine health and pork safety.  Skim over these sheets and you're sure to learn a thing or two about the process of getting pork from the farm to the fork :)

PUT SOME PORK ON YOUR FORK!

p.s. is that picture up there not adorable?  I love it!

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Hollywood Scientist Set to Appear at Kansas State!

 

 Photo courtesy of http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Sorry for my hiatus in blogging, dear friends.  Last week my project consumed my life and I just haven't gotten back into the swing of blogging regularly.  However, today I've got great news - which you may have already heard about but if not, check it out!

Temple Grandin, PhD, will be coming to K-State on November 9-10 to give two lectures.  The first will be on November 9th at 7pm in Forum Hall in the KSU Student Union.  The lecture is entitled, "The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Look at the Science".  On Wednesday, November 10, Temple will be speaking in the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine in Frick Auditorium and will be giving a lecture about dogs and cat health/welfare.  Both events will be very thought provoking and exciting!

Temple is probably the most functional autistic person in the world and has written several books about how her autism has helped give her insight to how animals behave and possibly, feel.  She has authored hundreds of journal articles and designed over half of the animal handling facilities at slaughter plants in the United States.  Recently, the movie about Temple's life, Temple Grandin, won 7 Emmy awards.  She is a truly amazing person and we're so excited to host her at KSU!

Temple's visit is co-sponsored by Food For Thought and KSU's University Programming Council.  Follow me on twitter for more Temple updates in the coming weeks!

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Temple takes the Emmy's by storm!

Temple Grandin, the movie, won 7 EMMY AWARDS! Last night, the woman who many people don't even know about made a huge impact at the Emmy's.  However, when I googled "Temple Grandin + Emmy's" this morning the first 3 hits were "Temple Grandin wins big, who is she?" 

She is an advocate for autism, diagnosed at the age of 2, and has written several books and journal articles about animal behavior, animal welfare and how being autistic has enabled her to think like an animal.  She has designed over 50% of the slaughter facilities in the United States and travels to all over the world teaching her safe and low stress animal handling methods.

Temple will be visiting K-State on November 9th and 10th to lecture about how austism has influenced her life and career.  Temple's visit is being sponsored and organized by Kansas State University's Food For Thought.  Below is a red carpet interview with Dr. Grandin and five of the seven Emmy's that Temple Grandin, the movie, earned:




TV MOVIE Temple Grandin

(HBO)OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE, MINISERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Claire Danes (Temple Grandin)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION IN A TV MOVIE, MINISERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Mick Jackson (Temple Grandin)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A TV MOVIE, MINISERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
David Strathairn (Temple Grandin)

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A TV MOVIE, MINISERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Julia Ormond (Temple Grandin)
I have a feeling that a lot more people are going to learn who Temple Grandin is. Congratulationst to the cast and crew! If you haven't seen the movie, do it - it will change your life.  You can buy it here. Or you can read any one of here numerous books - visit her website for a full list of resources about animal handling and autism.
Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Proud to be a Redneck

I'm from the backhills of southeast Kansas - and damn proud of it. I grew up going mudding, wearing camo, attending bonfire parties in pastures, swimming in the horse tank and watching tractor pulls & demo derbys (and loving them). In addition to those 'ignorant' activities, I helped my family raise and train horses and care for the small 'herds' of show string livestock.  Calling me a redneck isn't an insult but saying that you're better than I am is.

Bryan Monell, animal activist who specializes in undercover efforts, proclaimed that "Those people are rednecks," in reference to all people work with animals AND "we are superior." Wow, if you want to fire up a bunch of agriculturalists who already despise you and your efforts, no better way to do it than saying that you're better than the people who raise and produce our nation's foodsupply.  Now, I already told you that I don't mind being called a redneck and that I'm proud of it.  But I looked up 'redneck', and Google's definition reads:

An uneducated, unsophisticated, or poor person, typically used to describe residents (of either gender) of the rural US.

Now, I'm definitely of 'either gender' and am from the rural U.S. and am sure as hell poor - but by God, I'm not unsophisticated or uneducated.  Good thing Mr. Monell wasn't in rural Kansas at a farmer-laden coffee shop when he said that, he might have wound up in the hospital instead of jail (where he currently resides until his court date in September regarding an 'incident' in California at a circus). 

Why is it that activists continually insult our nation's farmers and ranchers and then continually eat the food those same farmers and ranchers produce?  Major slap in the face to our producers.  We should all be thanking our farmers every day for providing us with a very safe and healthy (not to mention affordable) food supply that we can count on year round.  Mr. Monell may be winning the name-calling battle, but all he has really achieved is ticking off farmers, ranchers and agvocates around the nation. Especially since his slander was written in a recent http://www.cattlenetwork.com/ article.

In closing, I've included some words of wisdom for agvocates and producers: 

1. Be the bigger person -- don't resort to name calling.

2. Use insults to fuel your agvocacy passion - I'm so ticked off right now that I can't wait to get to the grocery store and spill my agriculture guts to some unsuspecting shopper.

3. Tell your story -- utilize twitter, facebook, blogs, snail mail, telephone, word of mouth, the coffee shop - let consumers in on how you care about the land and animals that contribute to our food supply.

4. THANK A FARMER! 

Until next time,

~Buzzard~

p.s. - that link to Bryan Monell's court case is not my opinion of how the incident occurred but it gives you a more detailed description of what happened than I can provide.  I'm sure he wasn't 'innocently and peacefully' protesting a circus.

Kids ask questions, please provide answers!

My little sister is quite possibly the coolest person on Earth - at the moment she's tied with Dr. Jim Nelssen but she's only 6 and 3/4 so she has lots of time to move up.  On the rare occasions that I get to see her, sometimes she'll go with me to feed horses.  We all know how kids are - they're the best exercisers of who, what, where, when, why and how.  Meaning, they ask TONS of questions.  I've recounted one particular experience below when we were doing the evening chores.

K - What are we gonna do now?
B-  Feed the horses.
K - Why?
B - Because it's supper time
K - Horses eat supper?
B - Yep - just like you. We always make sure we feed the horses first, then we eat.
K - Are they having squetti (spaghetti) too?
B - Nope - we're giving them corn and oats.
K - Why don't they get squetti? 
B - Because horses don't like spaghetti and these corn and oats will give them lots of energy to chase calves and run around and play. There is some molasses in there too.
K - Mlasses? What's Mlasses?
B - MOlasses. Say MOlasses.
K - MA lasses.
B - Close enough. Molasses is a type of sweetener that makes the horse's food taste better.
K - Like sugar on rice krispies?
B - Exactly.

At this point, the conversation turned to rice krispies and then she went to play with the kittens. When I started feeding hay, she came back....round 2!

K- Why is that grass made into a square?
B - This grass is a kind of hay, and this square is called a flake.
K - What does it do?
B - It gives them minerals and nutrients to keep their body healthy.  Kind of like your Flinstone vitamins.
K - Why can't you just give them a Barney Rubble?
B - Because Barney Rubble is for little girls and hay is for horses.  This hay also keeps Doc (my A-team breakaway horse) and his friends from colicking.
K - What is cowlicking.
B - Colicking - not cowlicking.  We don't lick cows.  Colic is when a horse gets a tummy ache because he ate too much corn and molasses and oats.  Hay keeps him from getting the tummy ache.  Do you know how it feels when you've eaten too many cookies?
K - I wanna eat cookies all day.
B - Fine. Remember what it feels like to drink too much pop and your belly feels yucky?
K - Yes. It makes my tummy hurt.
B - Ok. When Doc gets colicky, he feels like you do when you've had too much pop.
K - Oh ok. Don't give Doc any of my orange pop.

At this point, it was time to water and blanket the horses for the evening (this conversation took place over Thanksgiving break last fall) which led to questions/answers about why we blanketed the horse, why the blanket had straps, how the horse laid down/got up, how does the horse know it's time to wake up, etc.  While very amusing, I'll leave that out for length's sake.

I think it is very important to answer questions that youngsters have.  Sometimes we get caught up with our daily routine and forget that the young mind is a sponge - we should saturate that sponge with knowledge while kids are willing to listen to what we have to say. With a society so far removed from agriculture, we need to take advantage of every opportunity we have to educate the next generation.  K doesn't live on a farm and might never but at least now she knows why horses are fed grains and hay.  That's more than a lot of urban adults could tell you.  I invite anyone to come help me feed horses in SEK - just be prepared to haul hay, clean stalls and chop ice ;)

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Ohio gives consumers A+ education

I just returned from a wonderful 'vacation' at the Ohio State Fair.  My future in-laws show hogs at the state fair which happens to occur during their home county fair - not exactly an ideal situation.  So, I go and help out with the hogs and try to stay out of the way in Columbus while their father holds down the fort at the Wood County Fair.

My first day in Columbus I wandered the fairgrounds for awhile looking at the exhibits and resisting the fried food stands.  I was pleasantly surprised at the number of consumer education booths I kept encountering.  In almost every building I entered, there was a booth or display that provided consumers a first hand view at how Ohio produces a safe, wholesome food supply.  Take a look at what I found in the swine barn - there were four viewboxes set up to show fair-goer's how hogs are cared for on a farm.

Under each flap was a picture of the equipment or in this case, some feedstuffs.

Moving on to the beef barn, I admired the putt-putt golf course.  My friend, Erin Limes Lampe, who is the Director of Programs and Industry Relations for the Ohio Beef Council, had set up a putt-putt course with beef production facts.  You could play on the course for $1 and at each hole there was a sign describing different production methods and phases.  This hole was about herd health.

Erin told me that 4000 people play that putt-putt golf game every year.  If even 1/2 of those patrons were non-agricultural consumers, that is a superb achievement for the beef industry.  Erin has also developed a video to show consumers the story of beef production in Ohio. You can access this by clicking HERE. 

My last stop was the Dairy Bar, where I admired the informational displays while waiting on my delicious strawberry sundae. 

I think it's great that consumers can see who produces their food and how it is done.  In addition to the above displays, the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine had set up a booth that allowed patrons to milk a cow and admire the animals in the petting zoo while a moderator explained how producers provide basic health care to their animals.

I think that Ohio does an amazing job of educating consumers on how their food is produced.  Almost every agricultural entity has a form of media to communicate to consumers how agriculture is embedded in everyone's lives.  By setting up displays and booths at their state fair, Ohio agriculturalists have been able to educate a largely urban population about what goes on in the food industry.  I give Ohio an A+ and can only hope that other states will follow suit.

Until next time,

~Buzzard~

Wine Fed Beef

Another niche market has popped up in the beef industry - wine fed beef.  Canada is trying to produce the equivalent of Japanese Kobe beef by supplementing red wine from the Okanagan valley to the normal feedlot ration.  Cattle are fed this combination for the last 90 days before being harvested - feedlot owner Bill Freding says that the meat doesn't have the flavor of wine to it but it is darker red and has a sweeter taste.  Freding said that representatives from the British Columbian meat industry are very excited about the product and have been requesting steaks and ribs a lot.

Makes me wonder what is next?  Champagne fed pork?  Boone's Farm (Wild Island) chicken?  What about using a white wine? Would that make the meat too bitter?  Anything is possible in the agricultural industry but one thing is for certain..... Yellowtail won't be used in any livestock diets.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Less Talky Talky

Temple Grandin, in her book "Animals in Translation", talks about a government program in the 1960's that eradicated screwworms.  If you don't know what a screwworm is take a look.  They are the larvae of a fly that lays its egg in the wounds, cuts, bites and scratches of animals.  After they hatch, the maggots come out and eat the animal alive.  They're disgusting little creatures and will kill an animal, or human if not taken care of quickly.  This is what it can do to your livestock.  Anyway, the USDA put sterile male screwworms in little chinese food paper boxes and dropped them out of airplanes all over the Southwest and Western regions of the U.S., even Mexico.  When the flies got out they mated and voila! eggs that never hatched were laid in wounds.  There hasn't been a screwworm case in the US since 1982.  That story is a great example of action taken by the government.

Today, there is a lot of talking going on with the government.  Talk about how to make ag more sustainable. Talk about how to feed the world in 50 years. Talk about how to make meat plants more humane and safe.  Policies are being enacted that don't have a lot of scientific background but lots of smoke and lights instead.  Instead of talking, let's act.  Instead of saying "no mistakes can be made in a meat plant" (which is impossible) make meat plants more humane by setting standards that can be met, like 95% of all animals must be stunned correctly on the first try.  Work on feeding the world in 50 years by allowing farmers and ranchers to continue using current practices that work (ex. antibiotics).  Instead of inhibiting beef production with regulations on air emissions from cows (in my opinion: stupid) or regulating antibiotic use in swine that prevents disease AND allows us to produce lots of high quality pork at a low price, protect our industry from nay-sayers like PETA and anti-ag-activists/lobbyists like HSUS.  Policy should reflect the wants and needs of the population that is being represented.  That doesn't seem to be happening anymore. Let's stop talking and start doing and keep feeding the world in a safe, healthy and efficient manner.  

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

p.s. I suggest you read Animals in Translation - it's about animals and Temple wrote it. How can it be bad?

These Boots.....

I love Eric Church.  I love his voice, I love his music and I'd love it if he were my arm candy (not all the time, just temporarily).  Last night I went to a FREE and amazing Eric Church concert in the Power & Light district in Kansas City.

One of Eric's hits is a song called "These Boots." He talks about a lot of life events and stupid things he's done while wearing them.  It's an example of great songwriting and you can read the lyrics or listen to the song later to find out what I mean.

 But let me get to my point.....
 You know who else experiences a lot in their boots?  The fine folks that produce our nation's food supply - yep, America's farmers and ranchers have more stories to tell about what happens during a day in their shoes than anyone I know.  Don't believe me?  Ask one of over 2,000,000 American farmers how they feed the nation day in and day out - I'm sure they'd be glad to tell you. 

For example - every day dairy farmers mik their cow herds 2-3 times per day.  The work day starts before the sun comes up and ends after the sun has disappeared.  Dairy farmers do this 24/7, even on the holidays. How does that milk taste? Thank a farmer!

Right now, in Colorado, farmers are in the middle of wheat harvest.  Wheat harvest, regardless of location,  isn't your typical 9-5 with breaks at 10 and 3.  When I was in high school, I used to go up to my room at 9 or 10 pm and look out the window to see the neighbors harvesting wheat with the headlights on the combine blazing.  They worked late into the night and were back at it again early the next morning. 

My best friend in elementary school, Heather, and I used to bottle feed the calves that her dad had put on the porch.  He had been up all night checking mama cows and calves every 2 hours to make sure that the calves were standing and able to nurse.  If they were too weak, they went to the porch and we got to take care of them.

These are just a drop in the ocean compared to the endless knowledge and experience an American farmer has.  Below, I've listed some great sites for true, and humorous, farm stories. 

Baxter Black, DVM and cowboy poet - On the Edge of Common Sense
The Chronicles of Newman (and other farm stories) - http://www.stargazingfarm.org/chronicles/
Five Farms: Stories from American Farm Families

And just for good measure, I had to throw in a picture of my boots ;)

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Pork Done Right

So there I was, strolling through the parking lot of Weber Hall when I saw it.  A bumper sticker. Not just any bumper sticker, no no - this bumper sticker was special. Why? Well because obviously it became the subject of this post - gotcha  :)

I don't know who drives the Chevy S-10 that this sticker was so happily clinging to but I do know that it sums up the pork industry pretty darn well.

Doing what's right -- not "doing whatever we want."  A prime example is antibiotic use in the swine industry. Antibiotics are administered to prevent sickness - in some countries in the EU, antibiotic use in the pork industry has been outlawed unless it is needed. In short, no preventative measures can be taken.  Now, there is more antibiotic usage due to the large numbers of pigs getting sick because preventative measures weren't taken.

Something for ya to talk about at the water cooler today!

Until next time,

~Buzzard~

Care, Not Cash

I've raised horses and livestock my entire life.  From horses to goats, sheep to swine - I've fed, watered, doctored, been frustrated by and been trampled on by all of them.  Why do I, and thousand of other young livestock men and women, put so much time, sweat, blood, tears and care towards our animals and their lives? Because of the love we have for livestock and the way of life that accompanies owning and caring for them.

The first time I ever read this poem, I was standing in my the Ninja's parents' kitchen in Ohio in 2009 and I have loved it ever since. Written by H.W. Mumford, it exemplifies all the superb qualities of a Stockman (or woman) that are often unnoticed. 

A Tribute to the Stockman

Behold the Stockman! Artist and Artisan.

He may be polished, or a diamond in the rough-but always a gem.

Whose devotion to his animals is second only to his love of God and family.

Whose gripping affection is tempered only by his inborn sense of the true proportion of things.

Who cheerfully braves personal discomfort to make sure his livestock suffer not.

To him there is rhythm in the clatter of the horse’s hoof, music in the bleating of the sheep and in the lowing of the herd.

His approaching footsteps call forth the affectionate whinny of recognition.

His calm, well-modulated voice inspires confidence and wins affection.

His coming is greeted with demonstrations of pleasure, and his going with evident disappointment.

Who sees something more in cows than the drudgery of milking, more in swine than the grunt and squeal, more in the horse than the patient servant, and more in sheep than the golden hoof.

Herdsman, shepherd, groom-yes, and more.

Broad-minded, big-hearted whole-souled; whose life and character linger long after the cordial greeting is stilled and the hearty handshake is but a memory; whose silent influence forever lives.

May his kind multiply and replenish the earth.

Nowhere in that literary masterpiece does it say "and make as much money as possible" or "take over modern agriculture" or "fool the public into eating meat".  It doesn't mention those statements because 1) they're not true and 2) nobody gets into the farming or livestock business to make millions of dollars. Farmers and ranchers do so because they love the land, animals, hard work and their fellow farmer.  They are rich in character, determination and wisdom.  What better wealth to have?

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Mixed Emotions, Opinions in Ohio

Last week, news hit that HSUS was pulling out of Ohio. Skedaddling; leaving for good.  Agriculturalists across Ohio, and the nation, cheered together instantaneously.  Wordage from OH Governor, Ted Strickland, such as he will "strongly encourage tougher penalties on puppy mills" led us to believe that no real harm had been done to OH but that HSUS was defeated and rushing home with their tails tucked under.  Our celebratory praises were short-lived and possibly misplaced.  Sure, Ohioans accomplished a huge feat: stopping HSUS from presenting a ballot initiative. But at what price did that victory come?

Pacelle's blog, A Humane Nation, praises HSUSer's and their effort of buying signatures in Ohio.  He also jumps a bit to conclusions about how successful he was in this agreement.  You can read his blog for yourself but just remember, he is good at twisting words. (p.s. I really hate that I linked to anything related to positive opinions about HSUS but to be fair and unlike them, I did. Please don't hold it against me).
I've been talking to several friends in Ohio who farm and I've gotten a variety of opinions.  One told me that he was thrilled that HSUS was gone and would never be coming back -- another farmer was pretty ticked that after the end of the year, he could no longer purchase gestation crates for his swine facility.  Misconceptions are occurring everywhere and it's no wonder.  If you didn't read the full agreement (which I suggest you do) between HSUS and Ohio, you'd have no idea of some of the provisions within.

I'll summarize some of the major points.  This is, in my mind, a hard fought and won battle for Ohio. However, with every battle there comes some casualties.

• Part 7 - "Recommendation will be made to the OLCSB for current hog producers and to phase out
  the use of gestation crates by December 31, 2025. By that date time all sows must be
  housed using alternative systems. After December 31, 2010, any new facilities must
  utilize alternative sow housing (not gestation crates). It is understood that in all housing
  systems, sows may be housed in breeding/gestation stalls until they are confirmed
  pregnant."
• Good/bad -- The good side is that hog farmers can buy gestation crates, as is, until December.  All those who want to continue using current practices may until December, 2025. I'd like to point out that science and technology are always evolving, in 15 years a more efficient and more welfare friendly system may have been developed. In which case, no one will care about gestation crates anymore. The down side is that the HSUS still has their grubby paw in the mix on hog farms and has succeeded in getting some regulations, while small, invoked. And I don't know anybody who wants that.
• Part 9  - "HSUS will also not initiate litigation (nuisance or otherwise) to attempt to use legal process to obtain the same ends as articulated in the ballot initiative in Ohio through the life of this agreement. HSUS will not fund, advise or otherwise support other organizations to move forward in their place."
• This is good. In short, they're not going to further pursue a ballot initiative. This saves Ohio millions of dollars that can be spent on improving animal well-being instead of being poured down the toilet for campaigning.
  
• Part 10 - "The HSUS will not submit a constitutional amendment on animal welfare in 2010 to the Ohio Secretary of State. Failure to implement the provisions related to wild and dangerous animals or the reforms recommended to the OLCSB by December 31, 2010
  could void the agreement and allow the HSUS to pursue a ballot initiative whenever it
  chooses. However, if the terms of this agreement are met and implemented to the
  satisfaction of all parties, the agreement will extend to January 1, 2014. At that time the
  agreement shall be extended through January 1, 2017, and subsequently through January
  1, 2020, if the terms continue to be met, and no party shall reasonably withhold its
  consent to the extensions. Any future pursuit of a ballot initiative by HSUS could nullify
  the limitation on gestation crate or battery cage facilities until and unless other lawful
  prohibitions come to exist."
• This is not so good - basically, if OLCSB doesn't take some direction from HSUS on wild and dangerous animals, they'll renig on their end and pursue a ballot initiative.  Then we'd have to go through all the drama all over again.

I very, very strongly encourage you to read the agreement. Like I said, there are mixed opinions and the aforementioned were mine.  You may have your own.  There are good and bad sides to the Ohio saga - let's try not to be pessimists and instead, let's face the uncertain future with a smile.  Remember what your mom used to say - kill 'em with kindness.
 
Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Vegan Tries Beef

Ok, so the vegan didn't really try beef, but he did take a tour of a cattle feedlot in Wiggins, Colorado.  To be exact, it was the Magnum Feedyard owned by my friend Christine Gabel's family.  The vegan, Ryan Andrews, visited the feedyard and wrote about his firsthand experiences with cattle nutrition, feedlot health systems, the myth behind corn fed cattle and E. coli.   You can read the article by clicking this LINK.

It's absolutely spectacular to see people who don't eat meat getting a firsthand look at how it's raised and produced for human consumption.  Andrews stated he still probably won't eat meat but now he knows the truth about beef production and can say that it's not the horrific process he previously thought.

I can only hope that more reports are done in a similar fashion.  These types of articles exemplify the food production industry to the urban consumer.  Congrats to Gabel and the Magnum Feedyard on being a shining example of the beef industry!

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Backyard Animals - South African Style

So, I know I promised you a post on the wildlife of South Africa. Here it is.  In Kansas we tend to see backyard wildlife that are similar to this:

  

In South Africa, it's not uncommon to see animals like these ostriches roaming through your backyard:

If you live in the northern part of South Africa, you can visit the Kruger National Park and see hundreds of different species of wildlife and plants in just one day.  While in Kruger (from 6:30 am - 5 pm) we saw the following (short list):

Wild dog (rare), hyena (very rare), giraffes, lions, cape buffalo, black rhino, elephants (the previous 4 are 4/5 of the Big Five) wildebeest, zebras, baboons, kudu (antelope, the hide of one which now resides on our floor), crocodiles, monkeys, hippos and so much more.  It was straight out of The Lion King!

It was absolutely amazing to see, up close, all the animals which I had only seen on Animal Planet or in the zoo before.  One night we were at our hotel, Hippo Hollow Resort, and the sign on the lawn read:

At that same hotel, this guy was sitting on our balcony and his friends were running around on our roof. 

We made sure not to leave the windows or doors open that night. The last thing I wanted was to wake up to a monkey rummaging through my stuff or sitting on my bed!  We did see a hippo that night but thankfully no crocodiles came and made a tasty snack out of it.  We did see some action while there:

This mama elephant was not happy that we were in close proximity to her babies and she trumpeted at our convoy and half charged! We left promptly.

It was an amazing trip and I hope that each and every one of you travels abroad at some point in your life.  You'll never forget it and you'll certainly never regret it.

Until next time,

~Buzzard~