Margie,

My name is Amanda Nolz. I live on a purebred Limousin cattle operation with my family. Together we work each day to raise quality seed stock, market steers for meat consumption, and raise functional heifers for replacements in our herd. We are very proud of our agricultural roots, and one of the biggest rewards for my family and I is being able to showcase our best cattle at fairs across the country.

Since I was a little girl, my dad and I have had a ritual of taking pasture tours after chores—scoping out the ideal show heifers for me to work with when they are older. Quickly after weaning time, we select our show stock and get them in the barn to prepare them for their debut into the show ring. Every morning, my sisters and I wake up early to get the heifers fed, washed, combed, nurtured, and tied up on a nice bed of wood chips in front of cooling fans. The heifers soon become our friends, and we look forward to the many hours spent with the calves to ensure that we are competitive at competitions.

The lessons we learn from showing our own seed stock are invaluable to what we become as adults. Through living on a farm and showing cattle, I have learned the importance of responsibility, respect, trustworthiness, caring, and a hard work ethic. I am proud of being able to take part in the circle of life. Since my years in 4-H, I have moved on to become the 2006 National Beef Ambassador and a summer intern with the USDA AMS Livestock and Seed Program in Washington D.C. I have decided to dedicate my life to agriculture because it is my passion. This passion stemmed directly from my days as a little girl, befriending my show cattle.

Please reconsider eliminating livestock from your fair. It is a time honored tradition that exposes people to the wonderful world of agriculture—something that is very near and dear to my heart.

Putting agriculture first,

Amanda Nolz

www.chewingthecud.org

Dear Ms. Besson,

Hello, my name is Christie Molinaro. I heard about the issue your fair board has in regards to showing livestock at the San Fernando Valley Fair and I would just like to express my opinion on that. I live in Central Pennsylvania, I am 19 years old. I have been raising and showing livestock for 9 years now and to be perfectly honest, I cannot imagine what my life would be like without livestock.
When I was 10 years old I bought and raised my own dairy goat. She taught me a lot of responsibility and money management skills. Following that minor investment, I began buying and selling more animals of various species. Sheep, goats, steers, poultry- I raised anything my parents approved of. For me, showing at the county and state fair was the highlight of my childhood. I spent some of the best summers of my life working with my fair animals. I honestly spend hours and hours leading my market lambs, goats, and steers around our field. I treated them like my pets, they were fed like royalty. At the end of the summer I would show and sell my animals at the fair. Showing in 4-H was my opportunity to exhibit my animals to the community; to show them all the hard work I had invested that year. The sale was always rewarding as well, the money from my fair animals was set aside into my savings account. In fact, I just bought my first vehicle with the money from my 4-H animals last month!
I believe any child with the opportunity and desire to raise and show livestock at the county fair be given the chance to do so. Not only does 4-H teach valuable life skills such as responsibility, perseverance, dedication, and determination; but it also teaches money management skills. I have siblings who grew up with me not showing animals in 4-H and I see their struggles with finances today. 4-H and any organization that encourages children to raise livestock and learn about agriculture is incredibly valuable, for their lives as children and also when they mature into adults. My showing days are over because I am too old, however, I can clearly see where 4-H has benefited me. I am an Animal Science major at Penn State University, I have been employed on several different dairy farms for the past 5 years, I spent the previous year representing the Pennsylvania beef industry as the PA Beef Ambassador, and I am currently on the National Beef Ambassador Team. I believe that just goes to prove that agriculture has an abundance of opportunities available to young people passionate to take them. My passion came from my years showing at the fair!

Thank You for your time and consideration, I hope the San Fernando Fair Board makes the right decision for the proper reasons.

Sincerely,
Christie N. Molinaro

Animal Husbandry from Uncle Sam

I spent the past weekend in Big Sky, MT at the Young Agricultural Leadership Conference. Once again I felt the tremendous energy present when I am fortunate enough to accompany any group of young agriculturists. That energy is what fuels my desire to continue traveling the country. Many issues were addressed and potential solutions generated. However, I feel there is one that needs more attention in order to keep the momentum rolling in the right direction and that is the “eradication of Brucellosis” in Yellowstone Park.

Information was presented suggesting that the presence of Brucellosis in wildlife is not a problem but there is a chronic disease problem in the bison herd. Widely recognized by many as a true success story, the once nearly extinct bison are now plentiful and the largest herd of free roaming bison does indeed reside in Yellowstone Park. With that said, positive news recently came from Wyoming as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service amended the state’s Brucellosis designation to Class Free from Class A. The Class Free status is based on a state finding not Brucellosis in cattle for one full year.

As hard as it might be to believe there are individuals among us that believe the bison would be best off if man didn’t attempt to interfere. This misguided thought needs to be eradicated as well. Every American citizen stands to benefit if the great bison herd of the Yellowstone were free of this population crippling disease. Mary A. Bomar, President Bush's nominee to head the National Park Service, recently said "Systematic vaccination of elk and bison will, over the long term, reduce disease prevalence in elk and bison populations, especially if vaccine technology and methods for remote vaccine delivery to free-ranging wildlife are improved." I agree completely but would add that sooner is better than later.

Obviously cattlemen adjacent to Yellowstone stand to benefit from the complete eradication of Brucellosis but I think the urgency should be felt by every family that enjoys visiting Yellowstone Park as a vacation destination. The healthier the bison population is, the more animals there are to view and enjoy. It is reported there are more and more bison interacting with park goers on the roads. In fact Al Nash, Yellowstone's director of public affairs was quoted as saying "There are the occasional parents out there who want to photograph their child with or on a bison.” I’m fairly sure those parents aren’t aware of the fact that there have been cases of Brucellosis transmission from animals to humans.

My recent trip to Big Sky country confirmed that most people enjoy traveling with their family dog. Dogs are also susceptible to Brucellosis and it would not be difficult to for Rover to come in contact with bison mucus. Since more and more Americans treat Rover like a kid, it would be easy for the disease to be transferred from canine to human. Is all of this likely? Probably not but it is more likely than some park visitor getting mad cow disease from consuming beef and look at all the new regulations beef producers are footing the bill for thanks to unscientific scare tactics leveled against the industry.

I am no way, shape or form attempting to create unnecessary fear for park vacationers but I am trying to emphasize that everyone has a vested interest in accelerating the eradication of Brucellosis in the herds of livestock owned by the U.S. Government. Every reputable livestock owner in the country would implement any reasonable measure possible to improve the health of his or her own herd. Should Uncle Sam be any different?

Well it happened yesterday, the Illinois Senate voted to ban horse harvesting in the state, but at the same time, activity in Texas is considered positive. The Texas Senate has passed a bill change offered by Sen. Glenn Hegar that opens the door for the sale of horsemeat for human consumption as long as animals have been "tested by the commission."

Stay tuned for further developments on that..

Frank Bowman is President of Horseman's Council of Illinois and had this to share.

Most downstate democrats broke ranks and voted against the bill and most
urban republicans also broke ranks and voted for the bill. Emotions ran high
during the floor debate but in the end animal welfare issues trumped common
sense.

In another somewhat related story: What is the purpose of a county or state fair? Yes, I thought so....educating consumers about food production. Look at this development this week in California. Remember it was California that lead the nation in banning horse harvesting in 1998 and now the removal of livestock from a county fair.

Pigs, sheep, geese told to scurry from Valley Fair, drawing outrage


Anti-foie gras suit dismissed

Source: Chron.com

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit by animal rights activists challenging a state grant of $420,000 to a foie gras farm in SullivanCounty. Justice Thomas McNamara concluded Empire State Development Corp. had "a rational basis" to award the grant, without special environmental review, to Hudson Valley Foie Gras to upgrade water treatment facilities and expand.

The court challenge by the Humane Society of the United States and six New York members also lacked standing, McNamara ruled. The plaintiffs had to challenge the expenditure as unlawful and not just money spent unwisely, he wrote. "The factual bases offered to support the claim do not rise to the level of illegal or unconstitutional acts."

The underlying issue is foie gras production in New York, which the Humane Society considers cruel and wants to stop. Hudson Valley Foie Gras, with three locations in rural SullivanCounty, raises 250,000 ducks annually to produce meat. Foie gras - French for "fat liver" - farms force-feed ducks to fatten their livers well beyond normal sizes.

I know most of us don't even know what Foie Gras is, but I truly believe it has the potential to impact all of us particularly given today's governmental attitude that they are better qualified to make food choices for us. We should take a really hard look at were that started. It began in NAZI Germany and should stay there. Nothing about that government that placed the life of animal above humans should be duplicated. It appears Chicago is beginning to see that. It is also interesting to note that when a colleague of mine recently spoke to the Illinois lawyer that pushed through the foie gras ban in Chicago and asked for an explanation on why he supported the banning of a food product that the veterinary community has determined not to be raised under cruel conditions, he said with a smile and a shrug that he "did it for the money." Well, there is lies another great problem.... Trent


As the foie gras turns

Source: Chicagoist.com

Mayor Daley, who found the ban nearly as ridiculous as a runway in downtown Chicago, has predicted that aldermen will repeal the outlawed delicacy ban soon. This came on the tails of Ald. Ed Burke of the 14th Ward (remember how he wanted cabbies to have a dress code?) maneuvering aldermen into voting to repeal the ban.

In perhaps one of the better sound bites this year, Ald. Ed Smith of the 28th Ward, who happens to chair the Health Committee where the ban is upheld, not only threatened to resign if the ban was repealed, he said, "My manhood, my integrity is at stake."

Only in Chicago would you find foie gras pitted against an Alderman's manhood. Be sure to tune in next time for the continuing story of "As the Foie Gras Turns."

Resource for AVMA:

http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/sep05/050901q.asp

Prohibiting production of foie gras in the United States would have a minimal impact on agricultural markets, but several delegates expressed concern that efforts to oppose foie gras production were just "baby steps" by groups with much more ambitious goals.

Always together for American agriculture,
Trent Loos

Cocaine, I have never tried it nor I suggest anyone do so. In fact, I will most likely never try Censored either, but at least I have heard of it. What in the world are you talking about Trent?

I must admit the first time I heard the news story about this energy drink that FDA was banning the name of, I wondered why in world anybody would name a drink after a street drug. Now that they have received millions of dollars in free publicity from the government and they renamed it Censored I fully understand. So often we in farm and ranch country are reluctant to do anything that might be viewed as controversial yet we are equally offended for not being recognized.

A perfect example occurred on the last California trip visiting with some dairymen. They told me the local TV station had come to their place to capture footage. The individuals commented while at the farm how impressive and clean the dairy was only to never use the story. Why? Upon calling the station they were told there is nothing controversial about this. My point is most times we can find a silver lining in what some consider bad PR.

Another good example is who would ever have guessed that BSE in the United States would lead to improved consumer confidence and increased beef consumption, but it did. Why? Because we had unprecedented opportunities to tell the story. You may not be ready to seek limelight in any fashion but please don't avoid it. Those who are trying to put you out of business don't run from the camera.


Always together for American agriculture,
Trent Loos

Sorry I am running late today but it is the direct result of being a Rancher's Husband. Yes, this week we are artificially breeding heifers. Oh, my! Using technology to get heifers bred instead of doing it the natural way. Indeed the heifers and the stockmen alike benefit from using bulls that are proven to be calving ease sires. It decreases the incidence of calving difficultly, which can result in death of the calf and/or the heifer. Secondly, the shorter calving window allows for more direct attention during the critical calving season.

The great irony of this particular today is a result of yesterday's dialogue about hands on occupations. So many of you responded about the lack of work ethic in today's young people. I think I may have been there one day myself as a youngster but the funny thing is that today I desire to spend a day getting dirty working cattle unlike I have at any previous time in my life.

I hope to one day find the formula to get our young people to understand earlier in life that our way of living is the best there could ever be, rather than believing that something other than hands on is anything but just an easier way out.


Always together for American agriculture,
Trent Loos

Once again I had a great weekend in California with dairy producers. I always marvel when in California at the number of young families involved agriculture. Yes, as I travel the country and honestly believe more young, child-rearing families are engaged in farming in California than any other state. We have four different articles included today that all stumble around the declining number of farms in the country, but they like so many others, miss the reason. Young people today do not want to work like the last generation did.

California farms grew a generation ago allowing for today's generation to have more of a executive position instead of a labor position. It is so frequently that people that are not involved in farming cry about the lack of small farms, I said small not family. Small farms require a farmer to be the laborer and decision maker, which today's young people are not going to do. Parents in this country do not want their kids to work as hard as they did and this leads to either growth or exiting the scene.

This also hit me really hard. Cannery Row in Monterey kept our nation and our troops fed during two World Wars. Today, hundreds of thousands of tourist eat and shop without truly understanding what is gone. Oh sure, the shops are cool, but what if all food production facilities become tourist traps for what used to be? A direction we are headed by the way.

David Martosko joins me on Loos Trails and Tales discussing testimony on Capitol Hill last week about the future of food production here at home. Click here to listen.

Always together for American agriculture,
Trent Loos

Kids or pigs - you decide

On November 7, 2006 the voting public of the State of Arizona will have the opportunity to walk out of the polling booth and send a loud signal to the rest of America. We know history and we don’t want to relive it. Proposition 204 is on the ballot. If this law were enacted, it would give animals in the state their own rights. Animals need to be properly cared for but they should not be given legal rights.

The proponents of 204 have spent millions of dollar trying to blur the line between humans and animals. After carefully studying the Animal Rights agenda for years, I have determined that their mission is more about dehumanizing people than it is about elevating the status of animals.

You may find it interesting to know that the first government to take this approach existed about 70 years ago. It was called the National Socialist Party or NAZI for short.
It is well documented that Adolph Hitler’s regime in Germany enacted the most comprehensive set of laws protecting animals. The "Animal Protection Law in 1933" clearly attempted to blur the line between humans and animals.

There were laws instated to protect horses and pets and laws involving laboratory research animals. There was even a regulation regarding the boiling process for lobsters. Laws restricting gun ownership and hunting were quick to follow.

The Nazis also had a fondness for protecting the wilderness. Their version of the “Endangered Species” laws was intended to preserve various species of animals. Ironically, they went to great lengths of protect animals, but they justified the killing of six million Jewish human beings.

As a 6th generation United States farmer, I can tell you that today’s food animals have far better living conditions than at any time in the history of the world. I can share stories about my childhood jobs including sitting with sows that were giving birth to ensure that the piglets were not smashed or eaten by their mothers. In those days, before we began to use acceptable, modern livestock facilities, those that are at issue on the Arizona ballot, it was not uncommon to lose six piglets if the sow happened to roll over just the wrong way. Sows, by nature, are not kind individuals and placing them in individual stalls is the best means of protecting the weaker individuals from the bullies. If you haven’t seen a sow whose uterus has prolapsed because other animals piled on top of her in times of extreme weather conditions, you might struggle to understand the benefits of individual housing units and climate controlled buildings. I have seen it and if you can open your mind enough to imagine it, you will see why producers want what is best for their animals.
Farmers have implemented management procedures based on what is best for their food animals because if their animals suffer, their reproductive performance fails and so does the farm. But what Arizona voters must ask themselves, as they cast their vote, is “What will come to me next?” I was taught in school that the purpose of the government is to protect its citizens. A pig or any other food animal does not rank on the scale of citizenship unless of course you follow the logic of Animal Rights groups who have indicated “the life of an ant and that of my child should granted equal consideration”.

I feel fortunate that in today’s world of readily available information the Arizona voters will have the opportunity to educate themselves and not blindly walk into the voting booth. Educated voters will vote NO on Proposition 204. History speaks for itself. In the United States of America, we value the life of our kids above that of any food animal. Let’s keep it that way!

Trent Loos is a 6th generation United States farmer and producer, host of the "Loos Tales" radio show, public speaker and founder of Faces of Agriculture, which puts the human element back into food production. Find out more at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail trent@loostales.com.

ATTENTION FFA MEMBERS!!!!!

Carrie Underwood may not be America’s Idol afterall…….

Did you know?

-She is the main fundraiser for HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) a group with the mission to ABOLISH ANIMAL AGRICULTURE!

-She was booed off a stage in Nebraska for her militant attempts to CONVERT HER AUDIENCE TO VEGETARIANISM!

-Ironically, Carrie, America’s Sexiest Vegetarian of the Year, appears on Got Milk? and pepperoni pizza roll ads.

-Carrie appeared on PBS Kids and spoke about her vegetarianism on air to influence children!

-Hypocritically, Carrie claims to be a country girl from Oklahoma. It is ok that she is a vegetarian, it is NOT ok that she preaches it to the world and influences our generation!


FFA members,

IF YOU CARE ABOUT AGRICULTURE, your livelihood and passion, make your statement and WALK OUT of the Mega Concert after Jason Aldean and Keith Anderson to show Carrie her actions are unacceptable to this agricultural organization!

Printed in Feedstuffs Oct 21, 2006

FFA students leading the charge

It is truly amazing that we live in what is considered to be the information age but some of us still struggle to get access to enough credible information to make an informed decision. The 79th National FFA Convention is taking place this week in Indianapolis. Carrie Underwood is scheduled to perform on Wednesday night at what is being called the “Mega Concert.” The concert is sponsored by RFD TV and the National FFA Convention. Someone needs to explain to me why the National FFA organization would allow anyone to perform who has openly promoted an end to animal agriculture.

Yes, this 2005 American Idol star is very open about her agenda to end animal agriculture. In fact, she has been quoted as saying, “Eating meat weirds me out” and she said she would much rather to sing to cows than eat them. In a live discussion posted on the website of the Washington Post in January 2006, Underwood admitted that she regularly works with Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and frequently donates clothes to be auctioned off to assist with fund raising. In February 2006, she was involved in a stamp promotion for the financial benefit of the HSUS. The HSUS logo is prominently displayed on the home page of her website.

I would hope that by now it is not news to anybody that HSUS has a direct mission to abolish animal agriculture and end hunting in this country. As recently as last week Miyun Park, Vice President of Farm Animal Welfare, openly stated their mission: “to get rid of the industry”. The Center for Consumer Freedom reports HSUS’s true mission is to spend millions on programs that seek to economically cripple meat and dairy producers; eliminate the use of animals in biomedical research labs; phase out pet breeding, zoos, and circus animal acts; and demonize hunters as crazed lunatics. Does anyone that helps with fund raising for an organization that is openly against food animal production qualify to perform to our nation’s premiere agricultural organization?

A friend of mine was working in the hospitality area for a summer music concert here in Nebraska called the Comstock Windmill festival. This party in the pasture has truly become a “Who’s Who” of country music. Carrie Underwood was scheduled to perform at this year’s event. One hour before her arrival she phoned to ensure that she would not be subjected to any of the sights or sounds of the bull riding event that was taking place. The chef for the entertainer’s hospitality tent was told that Ms. Underwood demanded a vegetarian buffet. He felt compelled to offer chicken breast in addition to the vegetarian entrees. My friend witnessed Underwood picking up the cover to the chicken breast and going into a tirade that would rival that of a terrible-two-year-old. If that wasn’t enough, she took the stage in fit of rage and suggested to the crowd, standing in the middle of a cow pasture, that everyone should convert to vegetarian diet.

Let’s just say that in a state like Nebraska, where cows outnumber people four to one, her suggestion was not very well received. Our mothers may have taught us that booing is not polite but there comes a point in time when stupidity should be greeted with the appropriate response. My friend said that she had voted for Underwood on American Idol and she wished she had the opportunity to do it all over again because she lost all respect for this entertainer. On a positive note, Trick Pony was the next act to perform and their “eat more beef” message was received with applause that would have put to shame any home crowd after a Super Bowl win.

We all live in the United States of America where we have the right to choose. I am not trying to stymie anybody’s right to choose to be a vegetarian. I am simply saying that the National FFA should have researched the situation a little more thoroughly before hiring her to perform. In fact, I have now been told that some of the executives were a little suspicious of her strange demands such as the 10 black towels that had to be imported from France for her performance. Further investigation into this matter reveals that the powers that be in the National FFA organization are threatening chapters that oppose supporting Underwood in concert. They fear that the organization will not be able to stand the $100,000 fee they are contracted to pay her if tickets aren’t sold to fill seats at the concert.

Aside from all of the emotion that we in animal agriculture interject into a scenario like this, Underwood needs be versed on the benefits of animal protein in the diet. Research studies continue to confirm that meat from animals is necessary for cognitive development in children. It is my goal that before entertainers, with no expertise in the area of nutrition, give dietary advise to our nation’s youth, we tell them to live their own lives and leave our children’s nutrition to the experts.

I have faith that the nations youth involved in agriculture will not take this lying down. In fact a campaign against Underwood’s concert started at South Dakota State University. Without bankrupting the national organization, the students will encourage FFA members to attend the first two portions of the concert and walk out when Underwood is introduced. Sure Underwood has a right to assist animal rights groups that want to abolish animal agriculture but those students who walk out on her concert will be sending her a message about their rights as well. They have a right to say, “L” is for “Leave Country Carrie!” What better way to express their support for an industry that they truly believe in!

I attended the 39th Annual Western Illinois Threshers this past weekend. The photo is taken of horsepower making it possible to unload this load of ear corn and elevate up to storage facility. Link here for more information 39th annual Western Ill. Threshers show set Aug. 4, 5, 6, near ...