Monday, February 27, 2012

One man's burger is another man's... Stem Cell???

I have known for quite some time that researchers have been working on growing meat from the stem cells of animals, but I recently found this article suggesting that they have made some serious progress. You can find the article here:

One stem cell burger: $330,000



I have to admit, the idea of eating a stem cell burger kind of makes me cringe. But then again, technology has brought us so far in the agriculture industry, so I hesitate to criticize this idea. I think it is exciting that technology is allowing us to explore options such as these, but are stem cell burgers really going to be successful? I am thinking that if people have a problem with eating a GMO (genetically modified organism) crop, there is no way they are going to accept a piece of "pinkish-yellowish" meat that was grown in a petri dish.

Another question I have is about the claim that this is an alternative for people who are "concerned about the ethics of livestock production but don't want to be come a vegetarian." The article clearly states that making these stem cell burgers in the future would use animals that were killed so that the stem cells could be harvested. Maybe it's just me... but I don't quite understand how that solves any ethical issues concerned with livestock production.

It is exciting that today's advanced technology is allowing us to research avenues such as this one, but as for stem cell burgers, I think we have a long way to go before they are an economical choice (after all, the funding for the research to produce this 1/2 gram burger was $330,000). Even then, I wonder how consumers will react to seeing a stem cell burger on the grocery store shelf? Only time will tell... until then, I'll stick to my conventional home-grown burgers!

Monday, February 20, 2012

"We all know our beliefs, but we need to know our facts."

Last week I was given the opportunity to attend the Agricultural Communications Symposium in Champaign, IL.  It was a great opportunity for a college student such as myself, because I got to hear numerous professionals speak about ag communications and what they have learned in their years of experience. While I learned a lot at the event, there was one statement that I thought was a great take-home message from the day. During the last panel, Kristina Boone from Kansas State University made a great point:

We all know our beliefs, but we need to know our facts.

What a short but noteworthy point! How many times have I tried to make the point that everyone is entitled to their opinion or beliefs, but before forming said beliefs people need to do some research? Her statement really hit home for me and I thought it was worth sharing.

No matter how opinionated people are… you can’t argue the facts. Even when researching information on a topic, people often disregard facts that disagree with their current opinion. The fact of the matter is that there are facts out there that can support almost any argument, but we must take ALL of the facts into consideration in order to be making an informed judgment. Especially when it comes to the food we are choosing to buy, it is incredibly important to be an informed consumer!
So I encourage you to form your own opinions and stick to your beliefs... but know your facts first.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Is going "back to the start" really a good idea?

I have noticed it becoming more and more common to hear people express their opinion about current farming practices and suggest that we go back to "the way things used to be." To be quite honest, I completely understand where they are coming from. In today's world, technology is everywhere. It can become overwhelming and frustrating at times. Having said that, I do not agree with the statement that farming practices should regress to where they were 50 years ago.
Here is a video created by a chain restaurant that promotes this idea:



First of all, I have to address some of the images shown in this video. They depict animals roaming around freely as their ideal farming operation… besides the numerous parasites that the animals are exposed to rooting around in the soil; the idea of animals roaming around freely is entirely unrealistic! From my own experience, if people driving by my farm notice cows that have gotten out of their fenced in area, sheer panic ensues. First they call the police (as if they would have any training on how to herd the escapee’s back into their pen), and then we usually get a knock on our door and are greeted by the concerned citizen. I just don’t see the public being ok with farm animals roaming about as they please. I would also like to point out that producing animals in confinement protects the animals from harsh weather, predators, competition among the group and exposure to parasites that can cause disease or illness. This video depicts it as a negative practice when, in fact, it has a lot of positive factors.

As far as the general message of “going back to the start,” is that really what you should be asking for? While technology on the farm can be overwhelming both for the operator and the consumer observing the ever-changing practices on a farm, the benefits that it offers far outweigh any frustrations it may cause. The advanced technology that is available to farmers allows them to produce a safer product and more of it. As Americans, we have access to one of the safest food supplies in the world. This is often something that we take for granted because many of us have never had to worry about the food we buy exposing us to diseases or other illnesses caused by contaminated food.

Not only does this technology allow for a safer food product, but more of it! 50 years ago, one American farmer fed approximately 25 people. Today, that number has increased to 155! Another thing most of us as Americans have never had to worry about was having enough food to feed our families. America has an abundant food supply, and that is thanks to our farmers and the technology they have had access to.

When people express their opinion of wanting farming practices to be like they were generations ago, I don’t think they realize the entire outcome of what exactly they are asking for. Sure, it might be more picturesque to some people, but are you really willing to give up your safe and abundant food supply?

Friday, February 10, 2012

Occupy Wall Street: Do your homework next time.

In case you haven't noticed, the "occupiers" are still camping out outside of corporations and on public universities throughout the US. My college campus has had student occupiers since September... and they are still there- well, their tents are at least. As they will tell you, it is their right to occupy these areas and stand up for what they believe. It doesn't bother me one bit that there are people out there that will stand up for what they believe is right, I am glad that there are still people out there who will try to make a difference!
What I DO have a problem with is the general lack of knowledge that these occupiers have about the very issues they are standing up for. If you have not seen their "list of demands," you can see it at their website here:
OccupyWallStreet.org

Here are two items from their list that directly relate to agriculture:
"They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization."
"They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices."

Poisoned the food supply through negligence? Here’s a fun fact for you: The US has one of the safest food supplies in the world. When you go to the grocery store, you don’t have to worry about what kinds of diseases or pathogens may be carried by the food there, you just have to worry about what flavor or packaging you like best. That is because we have the technology available to grow safe food. Even after it leaves the farm, products are inspected for safety before ever reaching the grocery store shelves.

Undermined the farming system through monopolization? There are numerous organizations that work with the agriculture industry in order to support and get funding for research in order to better our industry. A monopoly is when one company or person has exclusive control over something… who then is controlling agriculture? Bottom line: agriculture is a consumer driven industry, not controlled by one person or company.

How about profiting off of the torture and cruel treatment of animals? If you can explain to me how an injured or neglected animal is profitable to a producer, I would love for you to help me understand. Healthy animals benefit producers, torturing them would be far from profitable. The occupiers lost a lot of respect from me for that statement alone.

As for confinement, there are numerous benefits for the animals AND for the consumer of animal products raised in confinement. The animals are not exposed to outdoor threats such as predators, hazardous weather conditions, and pathogens for disease. If you still do not agree with this practice, however, there are plenty of producers who raise their animals outdoors, and as a consumer you can choose which product to buy in the store. I understand that raising animals in confinement is a controversial issue, but listing it as a negative practice is simply not factual.

One last thing that I found humorous about this list of demands was their statement accusing the media of misinforming the public. This is a huge problem with agricultural issues such as animal welfare, and yet, they have used the misinformation supplied by the media to form items on their own list of demands. I guess that’s one way to prove your own point…
My point here is simple: I applaud the occupiers for standing up for what they believe is right, but get your facts straight before you make a national protest with weak arguments based on non-factual information.

Monday, February 6, 2012

More than a Classroom Education

One of the classes I am enrolled in this semester requires each student to spend 2 nights at the University Farm for "calf watch." It is pretty self-explanatory: the student checks cows throughout the night to watch for new calves being born. Last night, instead of watching the super bowl and pigging out on all of the delicious recipes my friends made, I spent my night waking up every 2 hours to walk through the cow barn and get newborn calves under a heat lamp and separating cows that were going into labor.

As exhausting as it was waking up every 2 hours throughout the night to work with cattle, I couldn’t help but think about the education that Ag students get and how much it differed from the many other majors on my college campus. Every Ag student has numerous classes that take place at the farm and offer the student hands-on education and experiences.

I cannot count the times that other students have asked about my classes and been so intrigued to hear that we go to the farm and work with animals as part of our course work. The experiences I have had growing up on a farm and now learning even more about the industry on the University Farm are experiences that so many of my peers will never get. A lot of my education has taken place in the classroom learning about the science behind the animal industry, but the applied education I have received on the farm has really strengthened my knowledge and passion for the animal ag industry.

How many other college students can say they stayed up all night helping cows give birth and helping them care for their newborns? As tiring as it was, it was a rewarding experience and one that I know I am lucky to have as an Ag student.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

6 More weeks of winter??

Groundhog's Day has come upon us, and I was not surprised this morning to hear that, once again, the groundhog had seen it's shadow. "This means six more weeks of winter... great."- was my first thought. But then I looked back on the last few months and realized... has winter even started yet?? It was 53 degrees today for cryin' out loud! I wouldn't mind six more weeks of this!

As much as I have been enjoying this mild winter, it does have me concerned about what we will encounter this spring. What if the snow all comes at once during planting season? Frozen ground and snowy weather does not make getting the crops in the ground an easy task. Weather is a MAJOR factor in farming, and I think that is commonly over-looked by the non-farm public.

To a farmer, winter weather doesn't just mean starting the car early to defrost the windshield and having to shovel the sidewalk. Winter weather means plowing the driveways so that equipment can be moved and operated. It means checking the animals to make sure they have access to food, water, and shelter during the cold weather. It means postponing getting their crops into the ground. It means hoping the weather doesn't cause power outages, because your rural home will be one of the last to be fixed. I can remember going 3 days without any power on our farm one winter while I was in high school. FYI: to all of you non-farm folks out there, when you have your own well, a power outage means no electricity, heat, OR running water! Talk about a stressful time on the farm.

I love the lifestyle that comes with living on a farm, but it does take hard work- especially during severe winter weather. So I hope that the groundhog was wrong this year, and we continue to have a mild winter with a smooth transition into a beautiful spring! Farmers are always in a better mood when planting goes smoothly, and my family is full of farmers... so wish me luck if this winter decides to take a turn for the worse!