What I Did On My Thanksgiving Vacation

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, our friends from PETA held a protest in downtown Rapid City. Their goal was to show people that dairy cows are being abused by the farmers that own them. In addition to this, they were going to be wastefully dumping milk and encouraging everyone else to throw out their dairy products.

With only 24 hours notice, I was able to get several area ranchers to show up for the protest to make ourselves available for media interviews to share the true story of livestock production. Along with that, several ag organizations committed to donating milk to the local food pantry in response. In fact, so far there have been over 1000 gallons of milk (updated as of 12/8/09)committed for donation to food banks in South Dakota. Even though it turned out they weren’t dumping real milk, it’s reckless and irresponsible to suggest that people should waste food when there are some right here in our community that struggle to provide food for their families.

Even though none of the ranchers at the protest were dairy producers, they still showed up to let people know that the things PETA was saying weren’t accurate. I have friends that dairy and have been luck enough to tour several dairies all across the country. I have never seen the abuse and neglect that PETA claims is running rampant at these family farms.

Besides that, the things they were claiming didn’t even make sense. In fact Virginia Fort, the PETA representative at the protest, claimed that since we lived n the 21st century, we no longer needed to utilize any resources that livestock provide us. When asked where our food would come from, she claimed we could be farming the land that cows are currently grazing. I was proud of my brother-in-law when he countered with the question, “So you want us breaking up pristine, native rangeland to start farming it?” Her response was priceless. She said, we might as well break it up because we are letting cows poop on it anyhow. I asked if I could get her on video with that comment and a look of horror crossed her face. She said absolutely not, since she was realizing that she had said something more ridiculous than the standard claims they make.

At that point she declined to visit with us anymore. But as with everything you do in life, there are lessons to be learned. The first lesson is that we have to view these types of things as opportunities to teach people about agriculture. If we hadn’t been there, all of the local media would only have talked to the PETA protesters. Instead, almost without exception, more attention was given to the local farmers and ranchers and their stories than was given to the protesters. Along with that, through the donations to the food bank, we emphasized that not only do we care about our livestock, but we also care about our neighbors that live in our rural communities in South Dakota.

The other lesson that needs to be shared is that these protesters knew nothing about dairy production other than what was printed on their handouts. When we tried to have a conversation about what they were saying, they couldn’t do it. It drives home the point that farmers and ranchers are the experts. We are the ones with the first-hand, lifetime knowledge about agriculture. With modesty to a fault, it’s hard for most of us to go out and tell people that, but we need to. Our consumers want to go to a trusted source for their information about food production. We need to make sure that everyone knows we are the trusted source.

So the next time something like this happens in your region, treat it like an opportunity to tell your story. Agriculture was a big winner last Wednesday in South Dakota and it’s because PETA helped us do it.

Click here for some video of the event.

Ag Needs "Parallel Response"

Remaking agriculture's image: Time for a 'parallel response'
ROD SMITH
30 Nov, 2009 04:15 PM

TO get their message out today, food producers need to have an entirely new sense of urgency and need to use an entirely new set of alliances and tools, according to one specialist in issues management.

This requires first a desire to actually respond, then alliances with interests that are not traditional to agriculture, then capabilities to communicate plus outreach that transmit messages consistently, continuously and rapidly, explained George Clark, director of the issues and crisis group at Burson-Marsteller in Washington, D.C.

"The (communications) landscape has changed dramatically," he said, whereby a "story" can leap from a cell phone photo or video to YouTube in seconds, and food producers need "a parallel response".

F ood producers need this response because activism is occurring on a broader frequency that's more opposed to agriculture and conventional food production than ever, he said.

Furthermore, activists are taking their agendas directly to the media and public, which agriculture tends to avoid, Clark said, noting that this process begets funding and membership and creates support for the agendas.

Activists are in the conflict industry, he said - creating conflict to raise money to create more conflict to raise more money. Read More

I would take the suggestions in this article one step further and challenge farmers and ranchers to be engaged with our consumers long before an issue arises. If we can build those relationships and teach people about what we do, then when challenges for animal rights groups arise it becomes almost a non-issue. It also makes you a source of accurate information for consumers and the media when an issue arises, which will give you a great opportunity to share your story.

Thank A Farmer

On Tuesday night's AgChat on Twitter a great idea was shared about how we can thank farmer and ranchers for the hard work they do growing our food. And with Thanksgiving this week, it couldn't come at a better time.

If you have a twitter account, please use the hashtag #thankafarmer on Wednesday morning and share what you are thankful for. The big effort to begin at 9am MST, but please feel free to thank a farmer all day long. Not only will this give everyone a chance to reflect on what great things farmers and ranchers produce that we should be thankful for everyday, but it will also help remind everyone else where their food comes from.

If you don't have a twitter account, please do the same thing on Facebook, or a blog if you have one. The point is we need to take the day before Thanksgiving to give thanks for all of our blessings, especially the safe, affordable, abundant food supply we enjoy in this country. It doesn't happen by accident, it happens because of the world's greatest farmers and ranchers that live in this country.

Thanks everyone and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! ~Troy

Wednesday Morning update:

WOW!! Thank a farmer is really catching on. Here is a long list of blogs that are already talking about it. Check them out! And please get in on the action if you can. I can't think of a better way to kick off our Thanksgiving holiday.

Love Thanksgiving? Thank a Farmer - Busy Women's Guide to Eating Better http://bit.ly/8lvACg

Giving Thanks - Cut to the Paste http://bit.ly/8w1Bvz

Be Thankful for a Lot of Things, and Don't Forget the Farmers - Texas Agriculture Talks http://bit.ly/7vcClc

America’s Family Farmers – Food for thought from Monsanto http://bit.ly/8HXNux

Farmers make foodie aspirations possible - Farm Bureau Blog http://bit.ly/4svklJ

Don't Be a Turkey This Thanksgiving, Thank a Farmer - Beyond the Rows http://bit.ly/6Y8WgQ

Food a Plenty, Thanks to family farmers - NCGA http://bit.ly/2plNrK

Giving Thanks - Marketing Newbie http://bit.ly/8nhJCs

A place to post your thanks - Beef from Pasture to Plate http://bit.ly/5nuPL9

A Farmer in Northwest Iowa - Faith, Fiction, Friends http://bit.ly/5EdzJl

Thanking a Farmer for Introducing Me to the World of Beef Cattle - Beef from Pasture to Plate http://bit.ly/5DpkxC

Fun Facts about the Food We Eat - Ag Day http://bit.ly/70rAgI

Thank a Farmer - Beef From Pasture to Plate http://bit.ly/8oEQni

#thank a Farmer - JB Chicago http://bit.ly/5rfMzp

It's Thank a Farmer Week - Tyson Foods Hunger Aid http://bit.ly/8nF2xg

#ThankaFarmer - Ray-Lin Dairy http://bit.ly/5OgYgC

Reflections on Your Thanksgiving Plate http://bit.ly/7Kz2r0

Our Affordable Food Supply

The $4.29 Thanksgiving Dinner
Posted by Brad Tuttle TIME Magazine
Monday, November 23, 2009 at 10:48 am

We're not talking about using coupons or tricks to throw together a random cheapie meal. We're talking about the typical Thanksgiving feast, with turkey, cranberry sauce, rolls, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

The American Farm Bureau (spotted via Consuming Interests, thanks) says that because prices have come down on certain foods, including turkey and milk, Thanksgiving dinner should be 4% cheaper than last year. In 2009, the average cost for a Thanksgiving dinner that feeds ten is $42.91, or about $4.29 a person. Last year, the average meal for ten was $44.61, $1.70 more expensive.

The price decrease is nice. But what stands out to me is that the day we gorge and eat and pass out and unbuckle our belts and eat some more isn't that expensive, even before food prices dropped. All you have to do is cook at home and your meals will be reasonably priced. It's as simple as that. Even if you occasionally go all out with an expensive piece of meat, cooking at home is still way cheaper than going out to eat, even at restaurants we all consider cheap.

As Jim Sartwell, an American Farm Bureau economist, says of the home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner:

Again this year, the cost per person for this special meal is less than a typical "value meal" at a fast-food outlet.

Think about that the next time you're pulling up to the drive-thru. Link

No where else on the planet can you feed so many people such a fantastic meal at such an affordable price. This is something we should be proud of, not ashamed of like some of our famous food elitists in the country try to tell you. We continue to produce this abundant, affordable food supply all the while maintaining the safest food supply in the world, growing it on less land and with less environmental impact. It’s an incredible story to tell and one that I am proud to be part of.

The Benefits of Modern Ag For Pigs

Study shows moving pigs inside has huge benefits
Nov 23, 2009 12:09 PM MST

COLUMBIA, MO(MU release) – A study by University of Missouri Extension swine experts shows that moving pigs indoors has led to improved health for pigs and higher-quality product for consumers.

Since the shift to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), veterinarians have seen a significant decline in parasites, said Beth Young, swine veterinarian with the University of Missouri Commercial Agriculture Program. Young spoke at the 2009 Swine Institute in Columbia, Nov. 10.

The Commercial Agriculture Swine Focus Team looked at changes in the swine industry since 1945.

In the 1940s, 55-70 percent of pigs were infected with lungworms. By the 1970s lungworm outbreaks only affected about 11 percent of farms. "In the past decade, lungworms are rarely seen," Young said.

"Likewise, 78-94 percent of pigs were infected with kidney worms in the 1940s, and now infestations are rarely seen," she said. Read More

It’s more than annoying to hear the anti-agriculture crowd try claiming that modern livestock housing is unhealthy for our animals. Even without these scientific studies, farmers and ranchers can easily see what methods for raising livestock allow them to be more comfortable. But it’s studies like these that we need to combine with our own stories to share with our consumers.

New Uses For Livestock Products

Waste not, want not: Companies find uses for leftover animal parts
By Greg Latshaw, USA TODAY

A growing number of companies are turning their attention to creating renewable products — such as adhesives and plastics — from the animal parts that can't be sold on supermarket shelves.

From plastics made from feather protein to diesel fuel made from fat to organic fertilizer made from poultry litter, the USA's top meat producers are developing new uses and markets for the animal parts that humans won't eat, says Tom Cook, president of the National Renderers Association in Alexandria, Va.

For years, those parts have ended up in cosmetics, soap, pet food and animal feed. Now, meat companies are putting more resources into sustainability programs, says Paul Rutledge of the American Meat Institute's sustainability committee.

At Clemson University, such products are being tested at the South Carolina school's Animal Co-Products Research & Education Center, says center Director Annel Greene.

Greene says there are a number of uses for the leftover materials that have yet to be discovered. "It's fascinating to see everything that can be done," Greene says. Read More

Most people may not realize it, but we get so much more than just meat from our livestock. Virtually nothing is wasted and even more and better uses are being discovered. Livestock play an integral part in our lives. That’s why it is so reckless for people to advocate eliminating animal agriculture. The fail to account for all the things other than food that we need them for, especially things like life-saving medicines.

Farm-City Week

Farm/City Week Tackles Livestock Myths vs. Facts
National panel clarifies animal welfare issues.
Tom Bechman
Published: Nov 20, 2009

Anyone present in the audience at the kickoff of National Farm/City Week Thursday, Nov 19 or listening via Agri-Talk radio got the message loud and clear. Farmers and groups that work with farmers are realizing that it's time to fight back against so-called animal welfare groups who issue damaging videos and spew half-truths. And the best way to fight back is for farmers and ranchers to tell their own story.

"One of our goals is for farmers and ranchers to sit down and tell the story of agriculture whenever they can," says Roger Berry, field director for the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska. "The other goal we have as an organization is to work with farmers and ranchers who want to bring a son or daughter back home into the operation, and find a way to do it. Often that involves turning to livestock to generate more income."

"When consumers ask questions about where their food comes from or if it's safe, that's a great opportunity to talk," Berry says. That's when we need to have farmers tell their stories."

While opponents of livestock agriculture, such as PETA and the Humane Society of the United States, are good at evoking emotion by placing disturbing videos on places like YouTube, ag supporters can do the same thing, Berry says. And many already have. There are plenty of YouTube videos on line today that show farmers doing the job of animal care the right way.

"The opposition looks for a bad actor and wants the public to think that's what all of livestock agriculture is like," he continues. "There will always be bad actors in any industry. But for every bad actor, there are thousands of farmers and ranchers out there doing things right." Read More


It’s Farm-City Week and there’s probably no more appropriate time to have it than during the week prior to Thanksgiving. I hope that in your own way, you will help spread the real story of agriculture this week. Along with that, please remember all of the people that are responsible for our ability to enjoy Thanksgiving. Our military and our farmers and ranchers are the reason we will be enjoying this holiday. Don’t forget about them in your prayers.