Tired Of It

     Tired of it. Yes, I am tired of it. I am tired of hearing about it. I am tired of seeing it. I am tired of watching it. Yes, I am tired of it. It is in blogs, in news articles, on websites, and pushed on social media. It has been brought up for the past several years. I am tired of hearing about industrial farming!

Never get tired of views like this! 

     This term seems to be common among those who disagree with the modern day practices of farming and ranching or simply those who just don't have the knowledge of what the 21st century farm looks like. It is guaranteed that if you google anything related to farming or food production that this term will pop up in an article, blog, or youtube video. Even some journalists will use this term in their articles about farming or food production. Heck, even some food companies and restaurants will use this term just to promote their products as a "better and safer" way of eating. This term is used by those who have little KNOWLEDGE or refuse to ACKNOWLEDGE the progress that has been made in the agriculture industry.

     So what is industrial farming? According to those that have "experience" in modern day agriculture, you know those pundits and bloggers, it is an evilness that lurks in our nation's farm and ranch country. It is the cause of creating frankenstein crops and animals, polluting the atmosphere and land, corporations controlling the farmer, and simply an industry that has no morals or values. They claim this is what makes up the majority of farm and ranch country. This is what they want people to believe is happening in today's agriculture industry. I will admit that they have done a pretty good job of painting this picture and creating this image of industrial farming. Some should consider writing a fictional book because they have done such a good job of painting a false image of today's farm and labeling it industrial farming. But the key word to all this is fictional. The things they create and spread is so far from the truth that it belongs in a comic book. Some of these people that consider themselves "experts" in agriculture and food production really need to become experts in authoring fictional books.

     I will admit that today's farming isn't what it was like 30 years ago. Agriculture today has made tremendous progress in science and technology that it can feed more people than ever before. Not only are we feeding more people and providing fuel and fiber at the same time, we are also doing all of this with fewer resources because of the science and technology used. The claim that modern day agriculture is creating frankenstein crops and animals is false. We aren't breeding cows so they can have the same qualities as a pig and corn plants that produce ears that look like fish (sorry had to put some sarcasm in there). What we are doing is using science and technology to raise animals and plants that can survive today's environment as well as be more efficient with the resources that we share with everyone, such as air, water, and land. Today's farms and ranches are more environmentally friendly than they have ever been before thanks to science and technology. Equipment doesn't emit the clouds of smoke like they did several years ago. Plants, due to genetic modification and breeding, are using less water, fertilizer, and pesticides compared to several years ago. The corporations that are "supposedly" controlling the farmer is false. Instead, these agribusinesses are giving farmers more tools and options for their individual family farm to be successful. Also, 97% of the farms and ranches in the country are family-owned. It is also safe to say that some of the best morals and values can be found in farm and ranch country. These folks are the nicest and most welcoming people you will ever meet. In times of tragedy, everyone comes together. In times of celebration, everyone comes together. These folks want to do things the right way for the good of their family, friends, neighbors, and everyone else. Yes, today's modern agriculture industry is different compared to how it was back when our granddads farmed, it is better, more efficient, more reliable, and continues to provide an abundant and safe food supply thanks to all the advancements that have been made.

The cows summer home! 

      So in my opinion, this "industrial farming" picture that has been painted by many is only fictional. Farming isn't the same as what it was 30 years ago, it is better. It is actually pretty amazing to see how the farmer has evolved from a person holding a pitchfork to now a person holding a smartphone to accomplish their work. The things a farmer and rancher can accomplish now days with fewer resources is pretty amazing. Like any business, the goal is to be profitable and to be profitable one must be efficient with what they have. In order for farms and ranches to survive today's economy and environment, they must be run like a business. If farmers and ranchers can't use the tools available to them to be more efficient in what they do, then it will be harder to maintain a family business. So agriculture must continue to make progress and continue to find ways to be more efficient with fewer resources that we share with all.

   So yes, I am tired of hearing about industrial farming and how bad modern day agriculture has become. I am tired of seeing all this fiction that gets spread about an industry that I love and am fortunate to be a part of. I am tired of seeing modern day agriculture get beaten up when all it is trying to do is provide for your family, my family, and your friends families. I look forward to the day I don't have to be tired of hearing the industrial farming term no more!

      

Wordless Wednesday

The calves are coming up for some breakfast this morning. In another day or two we will be sending all of our cows and calves to pasture where they will graze this summer.

Faith and Animal Agriculture

When your eating that tender steak or delicious burger, do you ever wonder if you are committing a sin? Usually when I am eating a steak, that thought doesn't even come to mind and I am pretty sure that doesn't come to mind of most individuals that are involved in the agriculture industry. However, animal right's activists are trying to instill this thought in consumers minds, making them think twice about what they are eating.

A couple days ago I read an article in the Drovers Cattle Network that said animal rights activists are starting to change their tune a bit and are starting to use faith as a way to push their anti-meat/anti-animal agriculture agenda. However, this wasn't the first time I heard about faith being used to convince consumers that eating meat is unethical. When I was down at the 2012 Commodity Classic,  I attended a learning session that also pointed out that these activists are starting to use faith as a way to convince people to stop eating meat. In their view, they see eating a steak or pork chop as committing a sin. They think that God did not put animals on this earth for our consumption and that God gave us plants to consume instead. Yet, one of the scriptures in Genesis suggest otherwise. "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything." Genesis 9:3. This was when the Lord spoke to Noah after the great flood. So my question to the individuals that claim producing and eating meat is ungodly is why would the Lord tell Noah that everything on the earth that moves is food but in today's world it is wrong and unethical? It doesn't make much sense to me and the message about everything being food doesn't change throughout the bible.

However, not everyone realizes that eating meat is NOT a sin, and this is why it is important for the agriculture community to make sure that anti-animal agriculture groups don't start misusing faith as a way to further their anti-meat agenda. Over 78% of the nation's population belongs to the christian faith, so just imagine what could happen if these anti-animal agriculture groups started to convince Christians that eating meat was bad and against the Christian faith.

Those of us in the agriculture industry need to make sure that these groups against animal agriculture don't take advantage of faith and use it to further their agenda. I want to leave you with a passage that I found that I think makes a good point. We shouldn't judge those who don't eat meat and those that don't eat meat shouldn't judge us. The only one that has the authority to judge is our Lord.

"One person believes he can eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgement on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him." Romans 14:2-3