Animal handling guidelines are a great thing

Why? Why is the threat of animal handling guidelines causing a deer in the headlights look? Who has survived in production agriculture in the past 30 years? It is the producer who keeps his animals in the “ideal comfort level at all times.” It is the producer who is efficiently converting natural resources into human consumable products. The dairy industry now has 1/3 the dairy cows producing 70% more fluid milk by volume than in 1944. We must speak in terms consumers understand rather than in our own lingo. This comes to mind today because of these words from a recent conference reported by Adrian Ewins Saskatoon newsroom.

Ninety percent of the management practices demanded by animal welfare codes and guidelines are already used by most producers, said Ed Pajor
of Purdue University in Indiana. "So use it as an opportunity to take credit for the good things you do," he told farmers and industry officials attending the annual Prairie Swine Centre conference. "The public doesn't know you do them."



Farmers with turbins?

What? Doc Wulff has recently received a patent on an engine that will revolutionize America. Doc and his family reside near Columbia, MO and I took a ride with him in a Saturn car powered by 100% renewable fuels. Acetylene and alcohol are the energy sources used. Acetylene is made from carbon and 87% of the earth’s crust can be used to make this fuel. Initial it appears that they have produced an engine that burns fuel with zero emissions and EPA will validate this with testing on April 15. Additionally, this car gets over 50 miles per gallon, and Doc thinks that this is only a fraction of its capability. I can’t help feeling that “this is huge!” Doc joins me on two Loos Tales to explain this new phenomenon. Link to A Fuels Technologies, LLC explaining in more detail.


Listen to Loos Tales originally airing April 10, 2003
Listen to Loos Tales originally airing April 11, 2003

They’re Weenies

Today is the official launch of the “They’re Weenies” campaign. What is it? I have heard one to many people say; “the special interest groups” have too much power. They have “power and influence” only if we allow them to. Upon being confronted with the truth they will retreat. Recent examples, last week I told about Gary Yourofsky speaking at Indiana University, he has been quoted as saying. "Do not be afraid to condone arsons at places of animal torture, matter of fact, if an "animal abuser" were to get killed in the process of burning down a research lab, I would unequivocally support that, too." Reference Fur Commission for full profile.

Reported by Johnson City Press (TN) this week the Weenie Yourofsky was scheduled to speak at East Tennessee State
University. Yourofsky blew up and did not speak because Dr. Brunhilde Toper-Meyer, a veterinarian who is director of the University's Division of Laboratory Animal Resources made available pamphlets "21 Things You May Not Know about the Animal Rights Movement”. WHAT A WEENIE


On a local nature, recently Iowa’s biggest Weenies Iowa Citizen’s for Community Improvement (ICCI) held a community meeting in Audubon, Iowa. Their intent was an anti-agriculture “hearing” for public discussion concerning two area producers and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The crowd was 70% producers and the truth prevailed. Local producers like Ron Beech spoke and said that’s not right, here is the truth. Read Amy Wilkerson’s report of the meeting.

We have always been reluctant to confront people and they have been counting on that. Food production is worth fighting for and the best soldiers of the truth are without a doubt those of us that get our hands dirty everyday doing it.

THEY’RE WEENIES the truth is on our side, just look them in the eye and tell them so.

Speak Up For Ag

Saturday I attended a Speak Up For Ag meeting in Columbus, NE. The highlight certainly was a producer panel of five who took the stage in front of 200 friends and neighbors. The mission of this gathering was quite simple; proudly tell your community what you do on your farm. “You are an expert in our own experiences”, to often we feel we are not qualified to tell the story. NOBODY is better qualified than you to tell your own story. One concept that was brought up by one of the panelist, was the power of the activist groups PETA, HSUS, Sierra Club et al… HEY I am here to tell you they are ALL weenies, once confronted with the Truth they tuck their head between their legs and retreat. THEY DON’T EXPECT US TO BE SPOKESMEN and hold them accountable to the lies. When we confront them, they will leave us alone and chase some other industry. Congratulations Speak Up For Ag planners. They do remind us it the people, Faces of agriculture.






Too much information


It has come to my attention that the information I send out in Loos Lips everyday can be somewhat disheartening. So it begs the question, what is the balance between knowing the facts about what is truly happening and the optimistic attitude to continue the battle? I believe we must know what they are saying so we can be more prepared, but we must focus on what we do have. Reference a column I wrote in Feb 2002 called Never Better, please read. Secondly the positive side of we do comes to mind today because on my journey yesterday from Columbus, NE to Rochester, MN. I stopped in Ames, IA where Andrew McCrea’s was hosting a book signing. . Andrew does a daily radio program a written a book (The American Countryside) that focuses on the positive things happening in America. Check out Andrew McCrea.






Winter isn’t back, it never left


I am speaking today in Rochester, MN to SE MN Ag Alliance. Very similar to Speak Up For Ag this is another coalition from all commodities uniting to present one voice. It does look like a major blizzard here and I hear across much of the Midwest today. Well anyway that’s your weather update.

Livestock industry breathes a little easier

Last October a jury trial awarded four plaintiffs $1 million in damages for odor and $32 million in punitive damages against hog farmer Iowa Select. Iowa Select Farms announced today a settlement in the case of a Sac County nuisance lawsuit that has eliminated $32 million in punitive damages awarded by a jury in October 2002.“Punitive damages are appropriate only if there is a history of intentional bad faith action. That was obviously not the case here, and this settlement is a testament to that fact,” said Iowa Select Farms CEO Jeff Hansen. This is great news, no punitive damages.

Don't rest though livestock still under attack, award or no award many of these simply want us to occur cost in defending this type of thing.


Speaking of attacks

The Indiana Statesman is has reported this week that Gary Yourofsky spoke on April 2, 2003 at Indiana University. Teresa Platt and the Fur Commission know all about this guy, log on see what his past looks like. Here are some of his quotes this week though.

Cancer rates would drop by 60 percent if the world stopped eating meat,
he said in a speech Tuesday afternoon in Holmstedt Hall.

"Human beings are not carnivores or omnivores in any shape or form,"
Yourofsky said. "Human beings are herbivores."

"I'm vegan," he said. "I do not eat anything that has a face, mother or
bowel movement."

"There would be no starving persons if we used plant-based
agricultures," Yourofsky said.

Yourofsky said he is just following in the footsteps of people like
Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi and Jesus Christ by trying to make a
difference in this world.

And here is my opinion, “we grant him the right to speak at a university?????”, in INDIANA not San Francisco.

On a lighter note,

Squirrels, ABC news reported yesterday that taxpayers spent $600,000 studying sex habits of South African ground squirrels, I not kidding read the story. Anyway on Loos Tales Doug Wulff from Columbia, MO has invented a critter guard that you cannot live without. Listen to Loos Tales enjoy, then call Doug and order your critterguard right away.

Country of Origin: BRAZIL

You must read this read sent to me by Donna Schmidt-Moenning. Donna and her husband Mark operate a farm and she is a farm broadcaster near Rochester, MN. PLEASE READ THIS…..

Here's a new twist -- although what should surprise us anymore in this business. Mark Finstuin, a local pork producer, had his EAW (environmental assessment worksheet), which he did voluntarily, not required for the size of unit he wanted to build (under 1,000 animal units) APPROVED by the County Zoning Board but his Permit was denied yesterday. It now goes to the county commissioners for the final say. So the EAW says everything is in place and sighted appropriately but the permit was denied. This is the Milton Township issue where there's been a lot of local opposition with Land Stewardship's help. They already have the guy tied up in court with a "possible nuisance" lawsuit. Soooo...if Mark doesn't get his permit does the lawsuit get dropped??? It's pathetic when a judge will even look at a case where a guy hasn't even done anything and can be sued as a possible nuisance. The board voted by paper ballot, so there's no way to know how the board members voted. The EAW vote was 6-1 to accept and the Permit was denied 4-3. Duane Johnson was shocked. I think there was a lot of disbelief on both sides in the room. On a positive note, one non-farm dwelling in Claremont Township was denied after 2 farmers spoke up that there are too many non-farm dwellings in their area that they have to contend.

This is all time low this guy has been spending money defending a nuisance lawsuit for odor on hog barn he didn’t even have permitted. Listen to my commentary about this on Truth Be Told…


Dan the MAN,

Dan Murphy posted this story that I wrote this week on www.meatinglace.com. Thank you Dan, below is a preview entire story.

“Vegetarian to be or not to be”

What motivates people to choose a vegetarian lifestyle? The answer is as diverse as the country we live in, but there is one common thread: Misinformation runs rampant.

Think not? Here are some responses from otherwise intelligent people to the question, "Why are you a vegetarian?" (the first three responses are from attendees at the recent Health and Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa, Calif.):

· "I am a vegetarian because I'm opposed cutting down the tropical rain forests in our country to build livestock farms."

Can’t see the forest for the trees

The following is written summary of the Loos Tales airing today click here to listen.

Jason Fedewa is a third generation operating a sawmill called Michigan Veneer near St. Johns, MI . At one time Michigan Veneer would cut logs at the sawmill and today they have them custom cut with finished veneer deliver back to the warehouse. There have been instances where logs where shipped to Germany cut raw product shipped back the U.S. veneer produced and then final product shipped back to customers in Germany. The labor cost in Germany offset the cost of transportation. Hello who is listening here? Finally Jason tells me due to human management practices timber buyers have more trees to choose from today than they did one hundred years ago.

While we are in the wood business

Bruce Vincent has the website that is the best resource you need for resource providers it is called www.providerpals.com. The following is taken directly from his web site.

Waiter! There is a tree in my twinkie

There are tree-based chemicals in many of our food and beverage products! of these chemicals are used as flavorings, while others keep the ingredients in food from separating. There's that There are tree-based chemicals in many of our food and beverage products! Some of these chemicals are used as flavorings, while others keep the ingredients in food from separating. There's even a tree-based chemical that makes bubble gum chewier!
Cellulose, the material that makes up the walls of tree cells, is used as a food thickener in such tasty treats as snack food, milk shakes, ice cream, cake frosting, and pancake syrup!
Cellulose also is an important ingredient in non-edible products such as eyeglass frames, steering wheels, hairbrush handles, cellophane, and photographic film!

Will the negative rhetoric stop?

Just two days ago on Loos Lips I was talking about the perception of hormones used in livestock agriculture. Today in the Orlando Sentinel another attack on the misuse of antibiotics and hormones. Livestock producers only use the minimal amount needed. Then the statement below about NCBA “siding with drug makers” is ridiculous. NCBA is concerned with its members and the HEALTH of the beef industry, not the profits of drug manufactures. We have market demand for both types of meat in this country, but we must be very careful not to fuel the divide and conquer strategies from the external groups. Click here to read the entire story below are the hightlights..

The Animal Health Institute, a trade group for the makers of animal drugs, worries consumers may think the labels for antibiotics and hormones mean that meat produced without them is safer than other meat.

"You can't use a claim to leave the impression that another product that's not making the same claim is not safe," spokesman Ronald B. Phillips said.

Conventional farmers feed animals antibiotics and hormones, one reason the National Cattlemen's Beef Association sides with the drug makers.

"A healthy animal is a safe animal. That's why from time to time that antibiotics are used because we don't want sick kids and we don't want sick cattle," said Bryan Dierlam, director of legislative affairs for the association.


United we stand


I love it, with all the technology we have in this world today, we will win the war in Iraq with the high tech assistance of animals. Most of you probably already now, dolphins are uprooting water mines and this report tells how pigeons are protecting our soldiers from chemical attack. Some things don’t get better with time and human and animals continue to work together. Click to read entire report but I have including just a bit here.

A week into the invasion of Iraq and news networks are beaming home images of American and British soldiers donning gas masks and body suits to protect themselves from potential chemical weapons attack.
The troops have practiced the drills, and are carrying the best high-tech chemical detectors an army can buy. The US marines even have a brand new piece of kit: pigeons, which act like canaries in a 19th-century coal mine. The birds are so sensitive to nerve agents such as sarin and VX that they fall ill at a whiff of danger.

Thanks to Ruthi Coats for this:

I am the proud mother of 3 sons in the Air Force and a proud mother in-law of a daughter in-law also in the Air Force. Please read this and realize that it is very true.

IT IS THE SOLDIER
by Charles M. Province

IT IS THE SOLDIER, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
IT IS THE SOLDIER, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
IT IS THE SOLDIER, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us freedom to demonstrate.
IT IS THE SOLDIER, not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
IT IS THE SOLDIER who salutes the flag,
Who serves under the flag and
Whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.


"Exploitation” of food animals

COMMENTARY: AN ACTIVIST MANIFESTO: WELCOME TO THE WORLD AFTER WE WIN
by Dan Murphy on 3/28/03 for www.meatingplace.com
It remains a compelling vision, one shared by cynically opportunistic leaders and rank-and-file zealots alike in the campaigns to legalize animal rights on a par with people, impose a vegetarian diet on all of humanity and effect a transformation to socialist-style governments everywhere: Someday, somehow they will "fix" this messed-up world and permit all life on Earth to live forever without cruelty, injustice and greed.That pipe dream centers on three key tenets:·
"Freeing" all animals from bondage to humans·
Switching all people to purely vegan diets·
Reinventing global food production and processing according to a low-tech, labor-intensive template.
Such a transformation would solve virtually all of the world's problems, according to the activist gospel.

click here for entire commentary



Have a great weekend….

Hormones, what hormones?

Sorry I missed sending Loos Lips yesterday. I have been on a whirlwind tour with the Michigan Corn Growers for the past twenty-four hours. Actually I am writing this sitting in the Detroit airport waiting for my plane home. Airports, there is no better research opportunity than this. I repeatedly visit with people in airports about their food preferences and the image of farmers/ranchers. I am here to tell you most do not alter there purchases because of it, but every single person will voice concern about the hormones used in livestock agriculture. The most recent was a guy that owns a construction company. All the concern about hormones used in the beef industry, yet not one single person can tell what hormone it is. What about you, do you know? ESTROGEN.
I had an excellent meeting last night with many of the Michigan commodity organization including Kathleen Hawkins of the Michigan Beef Industry Commission. Today she forwarded this information to me about the truth of estrogen in the food supply. Thanks Kathleen
You are correct when you say that hormones are a concern of consumers. Daily human estrogen production is 54,000ng for girls (before puberty), 41,500ng for boys (before puberty) 480,000ng nonpregnant women and 136,000ng normal adult male. As you know, a nanogram is one billionth of a gram.

By contrast, the amount of hormones ingested by eating beef is minuscule when compared to the amount of hormones produced in the human body daily. For example, 3 ounces of cooked beef (a serving) has 1.2ng (nonimplanted steer) and 1.9ng (implanted steer). Other foods by comparison 34ng in 8 ounces of milk, 908ng in 1 bowl of split pea soup, 993ng in 1 egg, 2,700ng in 4 ounces of cabbage and 35,000ng in a low dose birth control pill.

Michigan agriculture has 125 commodities produced

Speaking of my whirlwind tour with Michigan Corn Growers. Jody Pollok is the executive director of this organization. Yes she does talk fast, but she works harder for her members than she talks. I was indeed very impressed with the drive of Jody and many other agriculture enthusiasts here in Michigan. Many here in Michigan truly want to get in front of the consumers with producers opening dialogue. Developing leaders and spokesmen will be accomplished here and I believe set the standard for all other states to follow in term of coalition building.

I finished my tour with a visit to Nobis Dairy Farm near St. Johns. Man, Larry and Ken Nobis are living examples that it is the “People” that set US agriculture apart. Thanks to all in Michigan and I look forward to my next trip.

Wolf in sheep’s clothing

I cannot believe that I continue to see the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine as a “credible” reference for food issues. The only difference between PCRM and PETA is that PCRM is much more clever in naming their organization. In my opinion, the more radical PETA may be, the may “mainstream” groups like PCRM seem to be. The purveyor of “truth” regarding the agendas of these vegans is the Center for Consumer Freedom. Get the entire profile of these guys and other bad guys at www.activistcash.com. . This is a summary of what you will find:

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Who would guess that a fanatical animal rights group could pass itself off as a physicians’ organization concerned with health issues? Judging by its stated positions, PCRM’s goals are to abolish the use of animals as food (including milk, eggs, and other animal products) and to eliminate the use of animals in scientific experiments. The group furthers its mission by continuously misinforming the American public about animal research and providing potentially dangerous dietary recommendations. The American Medical Association has rightly labeled PCRM “an animal rights front organization.”
While PCRM claims to be primarily a network of doctors, the group’s own literature shows that physicians make up only 5% of its membership. Furthermore, the group’s member physicians represent less than 0.5% of America’s doctors. Far from being an unbiased source of health guidance, PCRM has asserted itself as a home for anti-meat, pro-vegan nutritionists who are committed to removing beef, dairy, poultry, and other animal products from our diets for good.



Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. would make a great Canadian citizen

Some of you, well most of you I am sure, think that I am too hung up on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The truth is that he just can’t keep his mouth shut. My experience is that when his mouth moves, the truth is a foreign language. The following appeared in a Canadian Newspaper this week. I have pulled one of the Question and Answers from the interview.

Has the conflict in the Middle East taken attention away from
environmental issues at home?

Kennedy’s reply….

It has made it easier for large corporations to operate without public
scrutiny and enabled them to make deals that are scandalous. The
fossil-fuel industry, and other commodity industries, are given much
freer rein to operate. I'll give you an example. Smithfield Foods, the
largest pork producer in the world, invented a way of raising pigs in
large factory farms, which creates huge amounts of pollution,
impoverishes farmers, and distorts markets. By educating the public,
politicians and press in other countries, like Poland, we've been able
to stop Smithfield from expanding into those countries. But as a result
of President Bush's efforts to bring Poland into the coalition against
Iraq, there was a $12.5-billion loan guarantee. Attached to that
guarantee.

Excuse me but the war is now a whole six days old and he is trying to convince someone this has already happened. Furthermore, a paper printed it. Oh, I forgot - he wouldn’t lie, he is a Kennedy.

Looming problem in Rural America

Meth labs in Rural America are a serious problem. Last Thursday I was driving up Hwy 65 in Saline County, near Grand Pass, Missouri. The Highway Patrol and Saline County Sheriff were busting a meth lab at Shawn Summers residence. I stopped to visit with Deputy Wilma Garrett about how prevalent these labs actually are. She told me “this is the time of year when anhydrous ammonia tanks are rolling and I just cringe”. I just completed a two part series on Loos Tales about this problem. Click here if you want to know what to do if you suspect a meth lab in your neighborhood.

This is a live link the Loos Tales airing today interviewing Deputy Wilma Garrett.

Incidentally, Wilma notified me today that Shawn Summers is still at large and a warrant for his arrest has been issued.



Speaking of drugs

My daughter Lindsi was seven months old on Saturday. The first seven days of her life she received IV antibiotics because her body temperature was below normal at birth. Upon further investigation, I learned that this practice is very common. Yet according to the “plant based diet” eggheads, it is my fault as a livestock feeder that humans are becoming resistant to antibiotics. The Sierra Club is an example of one such group with this accusation: “Each year in the United States, roughly 16 million pounds of antibiotics are routinely added to animal feed to speed the growth of livestock. Bacteria that are naturally resistant to the antibiotics survive, reproduce and spread. This leaves us, the consumers, at a greater risk of being exposed to deadly drug-resistant bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter”.

These groups always estimate that 70% of all antibiotics produced are used in livestock feeding. Do you know how they come up with that number? They take 9 billion head of livestock times the maximum dosage according to the label; you and I know that doesn’t happen. By the way ANTIBIOTICS ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE COMPENENT IN FEED, why would we feed one more pound that absolutely necessary?

Many of you have requested more information about this. Ron Phillips at the Animal Health Institute is a great source for this data. On his website you will find the presentation Antibiotic Resistance and Food Producing Animals by Dr. Richard Carnevale,