New pigs delivered to the farm. My most popular video.
How Food Fear is Spread and Why Words Matter
At what point do we say enough is enough.
Dr. Josh Axe published the second annual Chain Reaction II scorecard analysis of top restaurants on his website. The analysis supposedly highlights the “problem of routine antibiotic usage” in the meat and poultry operations that supply the nation’s top restaurant chains. The report is sponsored by organizations such as National Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union, Friends of the Earth and Center for Food Safety, organizations that reflect misinformation and ideology.
How restaurants are scored
To score an “A” a restaurant is required to only serve meat where animals have never been given antibiotics or given antibiotics important to human medicine. To score an “F” a restaurant serves meat that may have been given antibiotics and if they did receive antibiotics, have followed the prescribed withdrawal times to ensure the antibiotics are naturally removed from the animal before market.
The bottom line?
Both restaurants that scored an “A” or “F” serve meat that has zero antibiotics in the meat. Continue Reading
What If Consumers AREN’T Always Right?
You’ve heard it. Many times. The consumer is always right. And you dare not question it. Ever. If you do, you will be scolded and/or mocked. I know, because I have walked those shoes.
Marketers live and die by that statement.
But what if, just what if, the consumer isn’t always right? What if they are right based on the information they have? What if they don’t have all the information and are making important food decisions based on lack of information or just plain wrong information? Especially when it comes to their food. Does it matter?
Yes, it matters
Because sometimes . . . information consumers don’t have about how their food is raised or grown affects our entire food system. Let’s take a look at the recent initiatives by the state of Massachusetts to outlaw the use of gestation stalls (gestation stalls are individual pens where sows are housed) as well as other animal welfare issues.
The new law in effect in Massachusetts
The new law will prohibit Massachusetts farmers from confining egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and calves raised for veal in spaces that prevent the animals from “lying down, standing up, fully extending its limbs, or turning around freely” — and the sale of products from animals confined in that way.
And it was passed overwhelmingly. 77.7% in favor, 22.3% against.Continue Reading
We don’t tolerate animal abuse either, so stop thinking we do
NOTE: This is a guest post by Kristeena Patsche
It was only a few weeks ago when I found myself in an uncomfortable position. I was volunteering on behalf of Minnesota pig farmers, allowing attendees at a Minneapolis event to ask questions about pig farming and what we do on the farm. In return, each question equaled one pound of ground pork donated to the local food shelf.
An innocent, simple way to have a conversation and donate some pork, right? Wrong.
It was during the middle of my shift when I, along with a few other pig farmer volunteers, found ourselves just feet away from an animal rights group, who sought us out and set up shop nearby.
Giving away animal abuse videos
The group was talking animal abuse by showing videos and giving away DVDs to those who stopped by. One gal came toward us to take a picture of our area. As she turned around, she yelled, “Why are you smiling? Animal abuse isn’t funny!”
Continue Reading