CAFO Action Alert

As Wendell Berry has tartly observed, to take animals off pasture and put them on feed-lots is to take an elegant solution — animals replenishing the fertility that crops deplete — and neatly divide it into two problems: a fertility problem on the farm and a pollution problem on the feed-lot. The former problem is remedied with fossil-fuel fertilizer; the latter continues to stink.

When It Comes to Agriculture, Size Does Matter –

A Rebuttal to the Dairy Business Association (DBA)
and the Factory Farm Lobby in Wisconsin

By: Tony Schultz

Stoney Acres Farm (Athens, WI) and FFD board member

A version of this op ed was printed in the Country Today, 10/14/09

Last week the executive director of the Dairy Business Association Laurie Fischer wrote a seemingly polite yet defensive editorial to many newspapers and media outlets across the state as a response to the increasing attacks against the rise of factory farming and the environmental issues that accompany them. Although the editorial tried to say “size is not the issue” it continually referred to pollution concerns surrounding larger farms and flat-out stated large farms are better for the environment. This is because no matter how much they use neutral phrases like trying to “keep cows in Wisconsin” or say “regardless of size” they are an organization that represents factory farming and the aggressive expansion of that particular type of agriculture. Much of DBA’s funding comes from corporate donors. Its website says they include Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC, Pfizer Animal Health, Accelerated Genetics, Wick Builders, Bayland Building, insurers, financial-service firms and a host of other agribusiness interests that view big farms as big accounts that buy lots of stuff. Anyone questioning or challenging them is told to shut up, get out of the way of the natural course of “progress” and portrayed as an enemy of all of Wisconsin agriculture. To read more click here

Support family farmers! Please contact Governor Doyle and let him know that you oppose this kind factory farming!

no_cafo

photo credit unknown

Keep it Simple

Ethically-raised cattle spend their entire lives eating quality forage, not the byproducts of industrial ethanol production.  Free from hormones, pesticides and antibiotics, traditional ranching is a sustainable, environmentally friendly practice, as is intended by God and nature.

Evidence is very strong that grass-fed, grass-finished beef is lower in total fat and calories and significantly higher in vitamin E, beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acid and CLA’s than animals raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Far superior in taste, grass-fed beef is at its best when simply prepared using just a few ingredients..

Rib-eye Steak

Rib-eye Steak

Take a 1 1/2 inch-thick bone-in ribeye steak and season it liberally with coarse salt and freshly-ground pepper.  Drizzle it with raw olive oil and cover it with fresh rosemary, parsley and lemon slices (Steamy Kitchen).  Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.

Allow steak to come to room temperature for 1 hour while pre-heating a cast iron skillet in a 500 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Take the skillet from the oven and place it on a burner over high heat.  Place the steak in the pan and allow to sear undisturbed for 30 seconds.  Turn the steak and sear for 30 seconds more.  Put the lemons and herbs on top of the steak and place the pan back into the oven for 2 minutes.  Turn the steak and cook 2 minutes more for medium-rare (Alton Brown).  Remove the steak to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 2 minutes.

Buy healthy foods directly from your farmer and fight for your right to keep traditional view and values.. be a Food Renegade!

Natural Resource Defense Council Awards

From: “Michael Pollan Inquiries” <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 7:01 PM
Subject: [Pollan Events] Sustainable food awards; Nominations requested by Feb 6

Friends: I’m helping the Natural Resource Defense Council give an
award to farmers and others doing exemplary work in sustainable food
production. If you have ideas for people who deserve this recognition
I hope you’ll nominate them. The criteria and nominations forms appear
below. Thanks for your help. Best, Michael

Announcement.pdf Application.pdf