What Does the Future Hold for Animal Agriculture?

image taken from google images

A hot button issue that has been is it ethical to raise animals in confinement? Not everybody, but some, are thinking about how their food was raised. Many folks still envision the typical dairy barn as a big red barn, a silo and some black and white cows on a green hill. That is just not the case for many dairies. In fact many many dairy cows spend most of their time inside.  I am only going to scratch the surface about the issue of confinement farming or large production farming for that matter, but I am going to do my best to present some facts and my point of view.

image taken from google images

I want to be clear that I am not attacking the way many farmers raise their animals. It has been a very effective way and healthy way for years. With the advancement of science, it has been amazing at how we have become so extremely efficient when raising animals. So I commend farmers for taking care of their animals the best way they know how and producing the safest food in the entire world! I will also go ahead and say that I am not attacking folks who believe that we need to "kick it old school" and raise everything outside. I just think we need to meet in the middle and have a good quality facts based discussion on the topic. Because times are changing and the public is pushing for a new way of thinking.

A little background...

• Currently the United States produces about 40% of the worlds food. 
• We only use about 20% of the harvest-ready land. That is awesome! 
• The united States also has the safest food in the entire world! look it up if you don't believe me, the USDA will be more than happy to show you the data and the facts. 
• American's also have the LUXURY of paying the least out of nearly all other nations for food.

Large production farming in many cases involved some confinement for animals. Poultry, Swine (hogs) and dairy cattle, being the most apt to this kind of living. I have personally been to a large production dairy where they milked 3 times a day, all their cows stayed inside and I have to say it was one of the BEST barns I have ever been in. The cattle were handled with dignity and the utmost attention, they had excellent bedding and it was dead silent. I don't think I heard one "moo" during my tour. that farm was a great example of how large production farms can get it right. There are very few farms out there that are not taking the greatest care of their livestock. I will repeat myself: there are very few farms out there that are not taking the greatest care of their livestock. Farmers farm because they love animals and the land. You can't get rich on being a livestock producer alone, so don't ever think that is why they bring the food to your table.


This is a great video from a Dairy farm in Wisconsin that does a great job of raising animals. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaGp8Ru_n1M

Why confinement gets a bad rap:

• People "the public" don't understand what it takes to raise an animal.
• People "the public" think too much about animal "rights" instead of animal "welfare"--Huge difference
• People "the public" don't understand how if large production farms didn't use confinement, how greatly the land would be effected in a negative way. 
• "The public" needs to just plainly be more educated about animal agriculture.
• Health risks for animals in confinemen due tend to rise based on their close proximity to one another-if not cared for properly
• Bio-security is a HGUE issue

Why large scale production farming is good:

• You can produce more food efficiently 
• You can produce food more safely
• Animals can receive the care they deserve everyday fast and efficiently
• Saves space and land
• Produces less of an environmental hazard than people think

On on side of the issue people say we need to keep things the way they are or become more confined to continue high production, while others go as far as saying we shouldn't even have farms and all the animals should roam free. I think the most ethical way to solve this problem is to meet in the middle and communicate effectively between the two sides. We need to look at the facts, talk to scientists, listen to farmers and hear the needs of our consumers.

Why I think we need to make a slight change:

• I personally am not a fan of concrete floors. I do think however that they are the best for the situation we are in right now. They are easy to clean and last a longtime, but they are harder on animals joints and cause traction issues.
• The world needs to adjust. We can not physically and ethically support any more people. We need to change our eating habits and become more humble with what we have not what we want.
• Those who can need to start raising their own food. Be more self-sustained!
• I whole heartily believe that animals would live a better life in their natural environment. Do I think we are abusing them now? NO! I just think that we need to get to a place where we can make things a bit more natural for the animals. 

To be honest it would take me an entire book to explain why I think we need to do some evaluating in the way we produce some food products and how the public is way out of touch to how their food get to their plate. I can't possible explain or list all the facts about animals raised in confinement or why we need to take a good hard look at the human race in general. The only thing I can tell you is to please do some HEALTHY research. Take into account who is giving you the information. Off-the-wall activists are not good sources and please question those who even seem to be solid.

A little bit about me...
I am a farmer. I have been all my life. My father and I raise a small heard of 100% grass fed cattle. We raise grass fed for one reason only--Cost. I love the roots that my family has to agriculture and there is not a day that goes by that I don't thank them for sticking it out through the Great Depression, keeping their farming traditions alive and supporting me in trying 

I am the shower on the far right with my cow Angel. (Isn't she cute!) She is a Registered Red Angus.
 8/15/2011 Brainerd Minnesota.

Watch Your Meat Counters!

United States spending cuts have been in the news a great deal lately. Most folks hear about it on the news and think about the effects they would have on Medicare, air traffic and state and local governments. My biggest concern (at least regarding my field): USDA meat inspectors. 

If these spending cuts go into effect on March 1 like they are expecting, your local meat counter is going to feel it. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/20/us-usa-agriculture-meat-idUSBRE91J1CQ20130220 If the budget cuts happen, up to 30% of the USDA's 100,000 employees might be forced to take absence, USDA says. Along with that, a possible 600,000 poor women and children might be dropped from a program that provides them with additional food. These are the choices that the USDA has made to satisfy the 2 billion dollars cuts that they will be required to do.

The main reason why these inspectors might be furloughed is they are currently being labeled as "non-essential". We would not see the effects of the loss of these workers until the middle of April is what people are saying.

Processing plants and producers alike, along with grocers, depend on these workers to get their products on the shelf safely. A lot of people don't know that America has the safest food production and safest food distribution in the whole world! The possibility of these workers being put on hold for any amount of time is alarming. They are an essential piece of the large puzzle we call FOOD! All food that gets on the shelves and gets shipped needs to be inspected, its federal law. The thought that they are not considered essential is just preposterous.

What do these possible cuts mean for the consumer? On the far end of the scale you could see certain foods in shortage. Processing plants will have to stop production in many cases with so many inspectors being put on furlough.These things just don't happen in the U.S. And consumers will more than likely feel the punch at the cash register as well, with meat and poultry prices expected to rise dramatically.

What can we as consumers do to prevent this? Write to congress, contact your local politicians, and just hope that those who are working in Washington will stop this from happening.

The link below goes into greater detail about the buget cuts and the USDA's plan
http://news.msn.com/us/us-meat-inspector-layoffs-bad-way-to-cut-budget-lawmaker 

Advances in Agricultural- That I need to Communicate!

Photo taken from Google Images

Let's take a trip back in history. 6000 B.C. Draft animals are used in replacement to humans for powering plows. 1837. During this year John Deere made his first plow out of an old sawmill blade. 1960's. No till seeders allow faster and more accurate planting of seeds. Well, 2012 brought some new technologies too. The use of Smartphones and GPS enable farmers to run combines, tractors, and irrigation systems at a touch of a finger. 

The use of Smart Phone and GPS technology is rapidly taking over many industries, agriculture included. Like I said above some of the recent uses of Smartphones involves running farm equipment. Here is some more detail:

• Tractors can go on Autopilot- Thanks to GPS's on Smartphones, farmers only have to be on their machines until a few key points are plugged in, then the computer chip does the rest. Farmers are able to track where their tractors are and have less human error in tillage rows. 

• No seed waste here- Farmers can now set up with the help of GPS technology, the exact amount of seed you need to finish off those final rows of your crop. Farmers used to have waste from double planting, but that can now be a thing of the past. This video does an excellent job of explaining this advancement.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fVCSLCIrqjU 

• There is an app for that!- Many new applications on the market for Smartphones can let farmers shut off or turn on their tractor from miles away and just with the touch of a button.

• Let's take a drive- It used to be the case that when you needed to move irrigation systems you had to drive to each field. Well imagine that, you don't need to do that anymore. If a farmer has the right technology on their Smart Phone they can send messages to the systems to move on their own and where to go!

There are many more ways Smartphones and GPD technology is aiding farmers in the field. I expect the Smartphone and GPS to be as common as the pitchfork in the next few years. Of course, anyone can use their Smartphone and be a part of agriculture: Heard of Farmville???

Photo taken from Google Images

With the world growing at such a rapid rate, the world is going to need to supply food for over 9 billion people in what most experts say, less than 50 years. We can't feed all that we have now! Because of that alarming fact, people in the agriculture community are doing all they can to make animals more efficient, fields more producing and equipment even more dependable. The use of Smartphones and GPS is just one way that the agriculture industry is putting every effort into supplying this ever-demanding world with food using new technologies. 

http://12most.com/2012/03/12/advanced-agricultural-technologies/ 
The link above is another great blog about the advancements in agriculture in the past year.

What is an Agricultural Communicator?

4-H North East Livestock Show September 2012 Brainerd, Minn.
Registered Red Angus owned by Jack Burt of Jacobson, Minn.
Shown by Delaney Nelson- Itasca County 4-H

Some people study how to build skyscrapers, some folks choose to study medicine, I on the other hand chose to study how to communicate about agriculture (no, it is not how to talk to cows effectively I've been asked that before). I seriously get a high from telling people about where their food comes from!  Which is good, since my field of work is completely centered around informing the public along with fellow producers about agriculture.

Agricultural Communication is a vital field. The field's goal is to to better help people understand about the route food, fiber and many other products take everyday to get to them or how they effect them. My personal goal is to get people out of  the dark about where their milk comes from, teach them about how beef cattle are slaughtered and abolish many other production myths.

The United States Environment Protection Agency (EPA) says that less than two percent of the population lives on a farm (http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/demographics.html). That means over 98% of the population is not connected directly to agriculture. Kids and adults alike these days are not understanding how food is produced and they can be misinformed incredibly easily without the proper educating from agricultural communicators. Farmers and other producers need agricultural communicators to educate the public and to help keep agriculture a clean, positive and welcoming atmosphere. Negative myths equal loss of profit- and no one likes a lost profit.

 Therefore, agricultural communicators need to have a broad knowledge of agriculture on a national and international scale, in order to accurately inform their audiences. People in this field have a high appreciation and respect for honesty, integrity and accuracy. Research is our best friend. The current view on agriculture is not always a positive one and that is a battle that agricultural communicators face everyday and are continuing to work on. We have a great deal of work ahead of us, which is good job security at least.

Here is a quick snapshot into some typical tasks for an Agricultural Communicator:

• Update company blog
• Write news releases
• Create newspaper articles
• Edit/produce newsletters
• Produce handouts/brochures
• Update/contribute to company Facebook
• Create videos
• Directly speak with consumers

You can see the trend here. Nothing is truly off limits in the line of tasks, the list could go on and on. 

I would like to end this post with some fun facts about agriculture:

Have you consumed food today? Have you drank a liquid other than water? If you answered yes to either of these questions than you should thank a farmer. Do you know how any of these fine products got to you? Many people would say, "Well yes, it came on a truck and bought them in a grocery store." Did you know that milk typically only travels 50 miles or less to reach the grocery store counters? Another fun fact is did you know that food is the most affordable in the United States than in any other country on Earth? I could ramble on and on about all the fascinating facts about agriculture--but I will stop here. 

Agricultural Communication plays an important role in the translation of information about food, fiber and many other products. I hope you learned something about agricultural communicators, agriculture in general or at least a cool fact to tell your friends. My next post will be about a recent technological development in the field of Agricultural Communication.