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Thank you to Troy and Stacy, Advocates for Agriculture, for another great find to read. The OpEd written by Megan Daum is a must read if you live in a urban area or are just removed from agriculture. Megan writes as a columnist for the LA Times and her column for today, Animal rights, writ to large? Well written but ultimately I agree with Troy she falls short on understanding the big picture. My response is to add she fell just short of doing her research on Animal Rights Lobby Groups like HSUS & PETA. Like any politician, Wayne Pacelle is good at just leaving out information when asked by the press. She even drew the wrong conclusion of HSUS being a 'The Humane Society is a mainstream anti-cruelty and animal-shelter organization.' Wrong they are a lobbying group only. I don't have to add any more as she got an ear full in the comments to her blog. The comment left by dogmom is the best:

'Your statement that HSUS is a "mainstream" and "animal shelter organization is totally incorrect but it is what Wayne Pacelle wants everyone to believe. HSUS does not own or operate a single shelter on its own and does not regularly give money to local animal shelters. In contrast, the ASPCA in New York operates a state of the art shelter and low cost animal hospital and helps local shelters all over the US. I know, because I am on the board of an East Coast shelter that is getting $ and expertise from ASPCA. HSUS charged us $6,000 for a "consultation" that produced a nothing but boilerplate report. Worthless, just like HSUS!'

Submitted by: dogmom

6:25 AM PDT, July 16, 2009

'Nuff said'

Kim

Michigan Farm Bureau - Close Up on Farm Animal Welfare

How do I feel when I watch before my eyes the one thing I love second only to my family being attacked? What emotions do I feel? Anger, Extreme Sadness and Fear. We bought the ranch to sustain us through our retirement. It won't provide a great income but one we feel we can live on. How would you feel if someone threatened your right of choice on any matter? Any matter at all. I think HSUS is after ME and other animal livestock producers. This is what I wrote on another site about my feelings for what I love, my ranch. It's not just the livestock it everything which occurs around me at the ranch.


In this country, the greatest on earth we have so much freedom to choose which side we are on in any discussion. We truly are blessed. I choose to be a rancher, I choose a much smaller income when we sell our business on the coast. I do so because I love walking outside and seeing the cows with calves grazing. A blue bird landing on a fence post nearby. Sitting in our mule (motorized) watching my husband on the dozer clearing mesquite trees and having a 12 week old skunk walk by me within arms reach. I enjoy watching a pair of turkey buzzards raising a pair of chicks....did you know they are ground layers. I didn't until Larry found the nest. We have our second nest this spring on the ranch since we have purchased our property. I love walking quietly up to one of the stock tanks to see the turtles sunning themselves. I enjoy watching the interactions of the cows in the herd. And they have taught me so much about life just as my horses have. I love being covered with dirt, hot and sweaty. A shower and cool glass of tea on the porch in the evening is my reward for a wonderful day.

On occasion I spend time online searching for something that will alleviate the fear I have of someone taking my right to choose my rural ranching lifestyle away from me. As I was searching the web I ended up on Michigan Farm Bureau. I was thrilled to see a six part video announced to be added to You Tube this week. Videos that show researchers, farmers, and the truth about what farmers do. The title of this six part series is titled, Close Up on Farm Animal Welfare. I love the whole series, but I thought I'd leave you with a touch of what is talked about.

I love the introduction to each segment by Ernie Birchmeier but especially his introduction for Segment 3. He talks about the evolution of our confinement systems to be able to feed a hungry nation. He says this segment will show, 'How we do, Why we do, What we Do.' No truer words can be spoken. Listen closely to the President of Michigan Pork Producers and his experience of raising hogs outdoors. That would have been back when he was growing up. They talk in soft tones of Why we got to where we are. Sows eat, squash, and step on their babies causing death and injury. Inclement weather can take even more death loss. Pigs are happy when given a little to eat and their body is clean. They really hate being dirty. They roll in mud because they can not sweat, it keeps them cool and the bugs off.

Segment 6 starts by giving the statistics about where we were and where we are today as far as the number of people each farmer contributes to feeding meat to the consumer. Imagine taking my ability to feed 143 people away from me. 143 citizens of my country will not have the food I produce, will they be hungry. What if one plant farmer quit. 143 plus people will go hungry. No meat no plant food equals a minimum of 143 hungry people. Could you be one of those people? Why would an organization want that to happen to their fellow citizens? I have the ability to produce a minimum of 40,000 lbs of beef on the hoof each year right now. That equates to approximately almost 21,000 lbs of beef to the consumer. If you do the math I can contribute 1.5 lbs of beef per household of four 365 days a year for 38 families. That is 153 people. I have the capacity to produce more meat then the average family needs in a year.

My favorite Segment is number six, but if your unfamiliar with the discussions of the previous three you might not understand what is being said if you don't know about farming and ranching. I love hearing the personal understanding of the importance of agriculture to this country. Please hear the stories we tell, the love we have for our profession, and the dedication. If you learn about us, you will side with the producer who desires to provide the consumer with the safest, cheapest, and most abundant food in the world.





The half truths and downright lies of a lobbying organization declaring they are for animal rights. Versus the organizations who are for animal welfare and are doing front line work for the benefit of animals. Don't believe HSUS or PETA or AFL. These groups are dangerous to my lifestyle and yours. Don't give to them, your money is being used to lobby unjustly about my job, my life, and what I choose to do which under the Constitiution and the Declaration of Independance is a God given right of the American people.

The printed article can be found at the Michigan Farm Bureau their online You Tube page is at Michigan Farm Bureau

Kim

HSUS President & CEO Pacelle on Swine Flu

I have never in my life seen such a blatant outright piece written with half-truths and down right lies in my entire life. Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of HSUS, blog post dated April 27, 2009, A Possible Connection: Swine Flu and Factory Farms, is the source for all of his half-truths and down right lies. This man is blaming everyone involved in animal agriculture production for Swine Flu and other diseases and pathogens. He is responsible for two of the most egregious forms of asking for donations and getting huge amount of dollars only to spend a fraction on what was raised. Katrina, HSUS receives 37 million and only spends 4 million on animal victims of Katrina. The most recent is the Micheal Vic, where they raise money only to say, 'Put the dogs down.'

HSUS as reported by Micheal Johnson of the Charlotte Observer quoted: “The Humane Society of the United States is trying to help out from the top down,” said David Miller, executive director of one of those dog-and-cat shelters, the Humane Society of Charlotte. “That's confusing for people sometimes.” And yet this is what was said by Victoria on the Facebook Group Stop the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) :

'HSUS infuriates me to no end! I am a shelter director and I can tell you for a fact that we get people all the time assuming if the give to HSUS we will be helped. We have never seen ONE RED DIME from them. We are in a county with an 11.5% un-employment rate and I can't even get them to send us a donation to help us continue our spay/neuter certificate program. You would think after all their yapping about that, they would be willing to help shelters continue their programs when they are financially incapable of continuing!!! Tells you that they really don't care about those of us actually working with the pets that they supposedly hold so near and dear to their hearts. HSUS does not operate one single shelter in the US and are nothing more that a massive lobbying organization I will never support them after what they did to horses in this country. We have a small hog business and farm on a small scale and this group will be the end to all of us if we do not stop them now.'

Victoria's post was dated March 11,2009. Obviously they would rather put her small farm out of business then help the shelter she is head of. Pacelle would say she is running a Factory Farm without even knowing her. I guarantee her pigs are treated with the utmost respect and care!

Pacelle uses in the first paragraph the H1N1 influenza virus is what humans are contracting. Further down Dr. Micheal Greger, a senior staff member of HSUS, writes about H1N1 as a swine influenza virus. The influenza virus humans are contacting is not H1N1! It is a combination of swine, avian, and human virus. Time and again research has shown the virus mutates. This is a totally new virus. Pacelle says it has been traced to a major area of pig farms in Mexico. Mexico does not have the built in safety system the U.S. has for their food supply. We have the safest food system in the world. A local restaurant owner in the Clear Lake (NASA) area is a immigrant from Lebanon. In the Middle East if you want chicken for dinner you go to the local market tell the merchant you want 'that chicken.' The chicken is alive when you pick it out, the merchant carries it in back of the shop, harvests the chicken for you and brings it out to you. No USDA inspection like we have here. Where would you like to purchase your chicken? Pacelle refuses to acknowledge the safety systems in our Agriculture products.

Dr. Paconna interviewed on ABC Early Morning National News is quoted as saying, 'You can't get the flu from eating pork.' Don't let Pacelle say you can as he implies in his blog post. I've heard the same statement all day long on every news program I've watched. I've been watching as we received rain all day.

By the time you finish this post you are sure you are going to get influenza and it is all of the pig producers fault in this country. Even the picture he shows is misleading. There is no dirty floor the pigs are standing on. In fact they look pretty happy pigs to me. Pigs are very curious, intelligent and expressive animals. Happy pigs have the kind of face you see on these pigs. The slats of wood are the cover over an automated flush system to remove manure. Pacelle has once again shown a false statement of how our pork producers are concerned with the welfare of their animals to bring a very safe product to market for the consumer.

Again, Pacelle has shown what HSUS is all about. He and the rest of HSUS wants to get rid of Animal Production Agriculture as quoted in his March 30, 2009 blog post. Notice I highlighted Policy of HSUS on wanting to eventually do away with Animal Production Agriculture.

We believe in the Three R's—reducing the consumption of meat and other animal-based foods; refining the diet by eating products only from methods of production, transport, and slaughter that minimize pain and distress; and replacing meat and other animal-based foods in the diet with plant-based foods.

I'm just exposing the man for what he is, head of a deceitful lobbying organization!

Kim

Edited on 4/30/09: In an above paragraph I stated H1N1 is not a human virus. Yesterday, even the President uses H1N1 virus as the name of the flu currently infecting humans. So I apologize. Now my question is who is wrong? If swine do have H1N1 virus affect them as a stated in Pacelle's blog and known as swine flu then what is the name of the current virus affecting us. It obviously evolved, mutated, changed, converted, or changed to be able to affect us as proved by the US Center for Disease Control as being of Swine, Avian, and Human origin. My point of HSUS trying to instill fear hasn't changed!

On top of that please understand you can not get the flu from eating pork.

In Support of Animal Abuse? Not Me!!!

Can My Pet Be a Vegan Like Me?

Pet Owners and Veterinarians Divided Over Vegan Diets for Pets

By Ki Mae Heussner and John Berman
April 8, 2009

In a country bred on burgers and bacon, it's hard enough for vegans to defend their meat-free diets. Imagine the scrutiny they face when they decide that their pets should go veg-only, too.

Should animals be denied meat, fish, dairy and poultry?

For the longest time, Ari Moore, 28, and her partner, wrestled with the idea of adopting cats. Committed vegans, the couple wasn't sure they could adequately square their ethical beliefs with a cat's nutritional needs.

But after research and conversations with other vegan cat owners, about four years ago, the pair decided to make the leap and adopted two homeless cats in Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood. Read More

I was so horrified by what I saw on Television I literally broke down in tears. It is the most egregious form of Animal Abuse I've ever seen and justified on National Television News. How could ABC do this? There was even a vet who agreed with a vegan diet provided certain provisions were done to protect the animals health. How could this vet do this? He is going against his oath! As an Agriculture Economics major I was also very interested in livestock and my pets. I took both courses, a total of six hours of Animal Nutrition. The very same courses the Vet Students at Texas A&M are required to take to become Vets. This was in 1986. Vet students are still required the same courses. It is just beyond me any Vet would even agree with changing a diet on our household pets.

The comment next to mine on the article from a vet was so sad. She treated a ferret who's vegetarian owner didn't understand her ferret was a carnivore. She stated the ferret was literally orange from the cantaloupe he was forced to eat.

I encourage you to read the entire article as it explains some of the problems associated with forcing a vegetarian diet onto our pets.

The greatest single argument I have is I can choose what diet I wish to eat. I choose a balanced diet including meat. I support the right of choice of vegans to choose the diet they wish to eat. A pet doesn't have that right of choice, we make it for them. This is wrong and abusive if you force them onto a diet that is not what nature intended for them to have. It's the most bigoted, abusive idea I've seen anyone espouse.

I've spent a great deal of time studying raw meat diets for dogs. These diets include plant foods for the dogs, too. I think it is a great way to feed your dogs.

I also would like you to read this post on Advocates for Agriculture. It is the true hidden agenda of HSUS: The Goals of HSUS. If you live in Ohio your the next state to go under the guns of HSUS in 2010.

Finally, I do not support other citizens of my country telling me and attacking me on the bases of my right to choose to be happy. Remember I have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I give this right to you. Return the favor.

Kim

Justine's Comment to my post on Prop 2

I start with thanking Justine for a very constructive 2nd comment that didn't feel like an attack. We are trying as two individuals to come to the meeting of two minds. That is a good thing.

This is Justine's second comment to me:

'Well Kim, if I had a blog, you would be most welcome to post on it. You are also welcome to come with me on a tour of a factory farm followed by a tour of a farm animal sanctuary. I think you will see the difference. Yes roosters fight naturally to establish a pecking order. When there's room to move around, it's easier for them to create a natural hierarchy to follow and for the non-dominant males to stay safely away from the dominant ones.

When you say liberalism, why don't you say what you really mean? Extremism. You think people who care about animal rights are extremists. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you are also an extremist. You don't believe that animals should have the slightest bit of comfort before they die.

I'm not asking you today to give up beef or to close your farm. That is too much to ask and I don't want to take away your livelihood. I'm asking that you consider that there is both a humane and sustainable way to farm. Even if you don't believe that animals have a right to live and not be eaten, I hope that you will realize that animals do not need to suffer prior to their death. They don't need to be forced into small cages, they don't need to have their beaks docked, they don't need to live their lives in pain and fear. There's a middle ground.

Take care!'

Justine it is with pleasure I hope with this post you understand more about my family and most importantly me. Our family believes in sustainable ranching. We chose the Lowline Angus specifically because they can sustain themselves on grass. Crossing with very highly efficient Santa Gertrudis gives us the ability to educate local cattle producers an alternative to having to feed a large amount of harvest products to sustain the cattle through the winter months. With price of fuel and grain going through the roof last year, feed and fuel is no longer cheap. The American Consumer of Beef loves grain fed beef. There is a segment of the population who is discovering organic or natural grain fed beef and organic or natural grass-fed beef. The two taste very different. The Lowline Angus is perfect for all types of operations in the beef industry. For years with cheap feed, fertilizer, and fuel we were told bigger is better with cattle. Research out of Dickinson Research Center of North Dakota State University has found cows in the 1000-1200 lb range are much more efficient producers of the grass they eat and as a percentage of their body weight can wean a calf that weighs half of what they do. This allows producers to stock more cattle and raise more pounds of beef per acre. Their nutrition requirements are less then a cow weighing 1600-1800 lbs. If I can stock three cows in the smaller range for every two of the larger cows and still have adequate grass then I'm selling more pounds of beef. I'll have three calves weighing 1500 lbs vs two calves weighing 1200lbs. My income rises. The other upside to this is allowing more land to be used to raise crops. I really consider myself a grass farmer growing native grasses having far more nutrients then improved grasses. I utilize the sun and rain to produce a crop of grass. I market the grass in the form of cattle. I also am very aware of improving my wildlife population. If I improved the habitat for my wildlife I provide a better habitat for my cattle.

Our family finds inhumane treatment of any animal as wrong. I have been to and worked on what you call a factory farm as well as spent time at horse sanctuaries. I've always had a deep abiding love for animals especially horses. I've been around horses for 41 years, owned them for 39 years. They are a part of my sole. I'm lost without a horse. I do find animal rights activists as extremist. I'm not, I dislike organizations like PETA and HSUS that loves to use shock value to force their extremist concepts on people. I often think of my Puritan ancestors who spoke of tolerance in their beliefs, but in reality were no more tolerant then anyone else of the time period. Because of their desire for tolerance for their beliefs, I fully believe we should all be tolerant of others beliefs. I had a close friend from Virginia who came down and showed me a picture of PETA members arriving at a Hunter/Jumper show throwing tomatoes at the participants in the ring riding their horses. She was the Show Secretary for the show. That was inhumane to the horses never mind endangering the riders. There was no tolerance that day for anyone at the show. 95,000 animals under PETA's care last year were euthanized last year. I'm sure they would say they were all terminal. I had my vet tell me one time a Greyhound I found on the side of a county road wasn't going to make it. She was seven years old and lived to 13 years old. HSUS is currently calling for broiler chickens to die from carbon monoxide gassing but actively lobbies against dogs and cats to go through the same thing. I find this concept bigoted. I voice my opinion, there is a place in our country for all beliefs on a range of subjects. I respect your desire to be a vegan and I think it is wonderful you are. Your comment to me shows me you respect me for having cattle and I think, too, for enjoying meat in my diet. Our garden is grown organically. We try very hard to only eat a whole food diet. I bake all of our bread to avoid the preservatives. I admit we slide on occasion, mostly my husband and son. Like you when possible I buy local or directly from a farmer. We really aren't that far apart.

In relation from this post to the last you were much more kind and I appreciate it. It's ok if what I write makes you think I'm an extremist. I know I'm not. I'm much more a realist. The real facts are so very apparent about food and the production of food. We are a rich nation in both culture and technology. We are the richest nation in the world because our country has the very best environment and soils to produce a huge amount of food. The world is still growing with a projected growth of 80 million people from 7/08 to 7/09. There is an approximately 6.7 billion people in the world. They all need to eat. 30 years ago as I started my college education we could feed our nation and the world. There were half the people. We have lost 100 million acres of farm & ranch land to urban development. Not feeding the world could have all kinds of consequences. Look at Africa to realize what happens when a country can't feed it's citizens. That bothers me greatly! It bothered me to hear of individuals in the richest nation (not in $ value) were selling family heirlooms to eat, pay their house note, and keep the electricity on in the last year. People had to make the choice between eating and paying the house note.

I call it liberalism because of the individuals in PETA and HSUS get the liberal politicians to listen to their shock value ideology. If the conservative side listened they'd vote conservative. The politicians are only interested in getting re-elected.

I agree there is a middle ground, but when someone posts 15 lbs of grain to produce a pound of gain in cattle, they are nuts. I invite that person to please read the following information available by South Dakota State Univ. Research has been done in all of the areas discussed in this article. There is even the reason behind why those who say cattle eat 16lbs of grain per lb of gain to get to slaughter weight. It's just easier to read it then me get on my soap box.

Beef by Richard Goodrich & W. Ray Stricklin

You really need to believe that all livestock producers want what is best for their animals. They feel that way because a healthy happy animal grows or produces well.

I'll give you an example of just such a thing happening to us as a family. Our daughter Lynn asked to raise and then show a market hog her sophomore year in FFA. We purchased a show pig for $200.00 and at the particular time I borrowed the money because we didn't have it. We purchased the pig at the last possible moment and the chances were very great the pig wouldn't make it to minimum weight to be shown. We were told to buy a "non show pig" so she would eat better. We couldn't afford to feed two. We didn't buy the other pig. Their stomachs are like ours and you can't push them hard. When Lynn's pig arrived at the county fair the gentleman that help Lynn's Ag teacher pick up the pig and deliver her to us was amazed this pig not only made weight but would be in the Heavy Weight Class. On top of that she never had to be held so she wouldn't go over weight. Lynn wasn't around and her Ag Teacher asked how she did it. I smiled, 'Traylor you won't believe it when I tell you, it's as simple as "Happy Pig." Lynn's best friend for five months was her pig. They raced around the barn together with her pig always winning by two laps, rolled in the mud, had a bath, worked together practicing for walking in the show ring every evening it wasn't raining. In fact where we lived at the time the neighbors around us would sit out on their porches to laugh and enjoy the interaction Lynn and her pig had. Her gilt would grunt the funniest noise every time she would lap Lynn. And the racing was the pig's idea not Lynn's.

I actually think if you start researching "factory farm" practices you'll find we aren't cruel to animals, including laying hens.

Then here is another food for thought. We lost $12,000 dollars from the loss of three calves to coyotes on our ranch in August and early September last year. What would you have done? The number one stress on our ranch for the cattle is coyotes and not the humans. We need the coyotes to control the rabbit, mice, rat and feral cat and hog populations. It's about balancing our wildlife.

Kim