Happenings on the Ranch

Well, it’s official.  Just a few days after Whole Foods and several other companies announced they thought we should try to co-exist with GMO (genetically modified organism) planting, the USDA approved the unrestricted planting of GE (genetically engineered) alfalfa created and sold by Monsanto.

Despite comments and arguments from proponents of sustainable, organic agriculture, health organizations and the general public, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and the Obama administration have shown whose side they are really on – and it’s not ours.  No surprise, really, but still frustrating.

The GMO seeds that Monsanto sells are engineered to withstand multiple heavy applications of their herbicide, RoundUp.  The problem is that it’s been proven these applications create superweeds which are resistent to the herbicide.  This causes Monsanto to modify their RoundUp to be stronger to battle these new weeds.  It’s a vicious cycle.  And these seeds are truly genetic freaks … you can never grow your own seed for planting from these crops.  Farmers that use them have to go back each year to Monsanto to get fresh seed for their next crop.  They are Frankenseeds.

The biggest problem for organic growers is the proliferation of these GE seeds.  Reports are continually coming in from organic farmers whose fields have been contaminated with genetically modified organisms.  This happens naturally by the wind, bees and other pollen carrying insects that carry the pollen from one field to another, thereby contaminating the crop.  Sometimes the organic farmer can win a lawsuit against the producer using the GMOs; in most cases, there is no recourse.  And the farmer, in any instance, loses his USDA Organic certification since no GMOs are allowed in organic production.  Even worse, Monsanto has been known to sue wheat producers who have been found to have GMOs on their fields without purchasing them, claiming trade infringment, even though the farmer never wanted the darn things in his soil to begin with.  And Monsanto has won these suits every time.  No doubt the same will now happen with alfalfa farmers.

The biggest problem with GE alfalfa will be for organic dairy and meat producers.  Alfalfa is the largest source of hay for cattle in this country.  We at NV Ranch use ground alfalfa in our winter feed rations for our chickens and hogs as a good source of protein when there is no fresh grass available in the fields.  It is the fourth largest crop grown in the U.S., behind corn, soy and wheat.  Alfalfa is also notorious for it’s widespread proliferation habit.  It has been shown to spread at least up to five miles from it’s original source.  Funny, that was one of the things the USDA was considering in it’s decision about Monsanto’s alfalfa. 

The USDA had said the only options they were considering were to either completely deregulate GE alfalfa, require a five-mile distance between non-GMO and GMO planted fields, or not allow GMOs to be planted in areas where seeds were grown so as to avoid contamination.  The second two options would have been preferable (since the USDA was going to allow some form of planting no matter what) but the USDA went full-force in favor of Big Ag.  GE alfalfa can now be planted with NO restrictions.

This is a matter of life or death now for organic growers.  Organic farmers in general will have to worry even more now about contamination of their crops from neighboring farms.  Organic dairy and meat growers who use alfalfa to feed their animals will now have to carefully source their feed.  There can be no chance of contamination from GMO fields or they will lose their certification.  This is going to make the cost for organic alfalfa soar even higher than they already are (and, believe me, it’s high if you don’t grow it yourself).  In turn, consumers will have to pay much more to get healthy, organically raised dairy, eggs and meat.

Thanks, USDA, Vilsack and Obama.  You’ve officially begun the decline of the organic movement just when it had really taken a foothold with a larger percentage of consumers.  You will now be making it virtually impossible for even a middle-class family to afford to eat a large portion of their diet in a way that is natural, healthy and friendly to the environment.  It’s already been a struggle thus far to eat in a truly organic, natural way.  You’ve just sunk us.  Congratulations, I hope you’re happy.

I had planned on continuing the greenhouse saga today but something else has my blood boiling so I’ve decided to talk about it instead.

First, let me start by saying I will not even be posting the link to this video.  It’s very disturbing and I don’t think any purpose will be served by sending you to it.  If you really want to see it, just do a search for Conklin Dairy Farms.  You’ll find it.  Consider yourself warned.

Second, I don’t agree with the organization that did this “undercover investigation.”  Mercy For Animals pushes an agenda of total veganism because they say using animals for food causes them nothing but misery.  I obviously not only don’t subscribe to this idea but vehemently argue against it.  I have issues with the way Mercy For Animals conducts business, but I’ll save that rant for another day.

Thirdly, the “farm” I’m about to discuss is not a farm.  It’s not even a dairy operation.  It’s a livestock wholesaler specializing in dairy cattle.  Even though factory farming is disgusting to me on a whole, these people don’t fall into that category.  So to say this type of abuse is prevalant throughout the dairy industry is wholly incorrect and misleading.

Now, the video I’m referring to shows workers at this company violently punching calves in the face, body slamming them to the ground, pulling and throwing them by their ears, using pitchforks to stab cows in the face, legs and stomach, beating restrained cows in the face with crowbars, twisting cows’ tails until the bones snapped and bragging about stabbing, dragging, shooting and beating cows and calves to death.  The workers featured are malicious and sadistic.  There is no excuse for what they did, but there also isn’t any excuse for the amount of footage the “investigators” from Mercy For Animals taped before they decided to turn it in.  One day’s worth would have been enough, but they let this torture go on in order to bolster their cause.  That’s almost as criminal to me as what the workers themselves were doing.

Regarding Conklin, they should be immediately shut down.  There is no way the owners of this company (one of whom was shown beating a cow in the video) couldn’t have known this cruelty was happening and should be arrested right along side their employees.

But the bigger point is this: this is what happens when “farming” becomes industry.  These workers, regardless of whether this is a dairy operation or not, have grown to see these animals as just another cog in the machine of producing our food.  The cows and calves are no longer seen as deserving of any proper treatment or compassion for what they are doing for our food supply.  We’ve seen it time and again in other operations, whether beef, dairy, chicken, eggs, or pork.  It’s disgusting and is exactly why we do things the way we do on our own farm and in our lives.

The sensational journalism aside, I hope this video and the reports of what was happening there helps consumers to re-evaluate where and how they get their food.  There is no reason for someone to go vegan purely for these reasons.  It’s a personal choice and my choice is to raise animals with dignity and respect, be thankful to them for the food they provide and ensure they live as healthy and natural a life as possible in my care.  I also search out companies that do the same and buy only from them.  Believe me there are plenty of farms and large operations out there that treat their animals the right way, from start to finish.  You just have to seek them out and actively buy from them and them only.

This goes right back to the acronym I teach people when I do presentations about buying local and eating sustainably.  KURVE.

K – Know Your Source
U – Understand the Differences (between sustainable, organic, naturally raised, etc.)
R – Read About Their Practices
V – Visit the Farm (when possible)
E – Enjoy the Products

Bottom line is try to know where your food is coming from and make educated decisions.  And be thankful to these animals for what they are giving us.

Being a proponent of locally, sustainably grown foods I refuse to by tomatoes from Mexico or apples from China.  If there is something I want that is hardly grown in the U.S., like plantains, I will purchase it on occasion.  That purchase does go to support the local economy in that country and I view it as a luxury purchase.  Having labels on these products makes my decision in the grocery store much easier when I can’t buy things at farmer’s market or grow it myself.  Even so, I will rarely buy produce in the winter.  I can’t justify the shipping cost and impact on the environment through the use of fossil fuels just so I can have a head of lettuce in February, even if it is grown in the U.S.

So I, personally, was very happy when legislation came out requiring Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) on all nuts, fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood.  But there are quite a few items that this legislation doesn’t cover, like dairy products.  Unless I am able to buy from a local producer or the company specifically puts where the item comes from on their label, how am I to know that the milk or butter I’m buying isn’t using milk coming from New Zealand or, worse yet, China?

Now, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is pushing for legislation to require country of origin labelling on all dairy products including yogurt, cheese and ice cream.  I know I can’t be the only one saying, “hooray” for this one.  Many of today’s consumers are much more conscious about where their food comes from and how it is produced.  Producers that are just as conscious about these issues proudly display where their milk is produced and how it is handled.  But large manufacturers very infrequently put any labeling at all about where their milk is coming from and how it is produced, including whether the cows are treated with bovine growth hormones.

Where do you stand?  Does where your food is coming from affect your purchases more now than before the COOL legislation was passed?  Would this new legislation make a difference in the dairy products you buy?  Sound off, please.  I want to know where you stand.