Down the Dusty Lane
raised in a confined pen, packed in so As you can imagine, the reaction to the
tightly with other swine that their curly article from the agricultural community
Ohio’s Source for Ag Information
tails have been chopped off so they won’t has been less than positive. The beef
Vol. 17; Issue 24; Mid-September 2009
bite one another. To prevent him from get- checkoff program likely sent out the
ting sick in such close quarters, he is harshest criticism. They spelled out specif-
table of Contents
dosed with antibiotics. The waste pro- ically how they had given Walsh sources
duced by the pig and his thousands of pen to contact to tell the real beef side of the
mates on the factory farm where they live story, or at least balance the story, but how
goes into manure lagoons that blanket he ignored their efforts, choosing instead features
neighboring communities with air pollu- to admittedly write the article slanted to
tion and a stomach-churning stench. He’s the bias he had coming into it.
fed on American corn that was grown “The article repeats a wide range of
News
with the help of government subsidies ‘factory farming’ claims, including the
and millions of tons of chemical fertilizer. common myths about modern beef pro-
VILSACk BrINgS Tour TooHIo . . . . . .5
When the pig is slaughtered, at about 5 duction’s over-reliance on corn and antibi-
months of age, he’ll become sausage or otics, the distorting effect of farm subsi-
BuCkeyeBriefs . . . . . . .9
bacon that will sell cheap, feeding an dies, and poor farm animal living condi-
American addiction to meat that has con- tions,” stated a beef checkoff release.
opiNioN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
tributed to an obesity epidemic currently Five interviews were arranged for
afflicting more than two-thirds of the pop- Walsh and the team provided him with
markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
ulation. And when the rains come, the fact sheets and research about beef choic-
excess fertilizer that coaxed so much corn es, beef nutrition and the environment.
Crops
kyle sharp, editor
from the ground will be washed into the Additionally, interviews were set up for
I read something funny the other day
CoVEr STory:
Mississippi River and down into the Gulf Walsh with two feedlot operators: Anne
on meatingplace.com, a meat industry of Mexico, where it will help kill fish for Burkholder of Will Feed, Inc., in Cozad,
CENTury FArM SurVIVES SPrAWL . .1,17
Web site. It wasn’t intentionally funny, but miles and miles around. That’s the state of Neb., and Gary Teague of Teague
fell more along the lines of something so your bacon — circa 2009.” Diversified, Inc., in Fort Morgan, Colo.
LivestoCk
ridiculous, it just makes you naturally OK, now, swallow that juice or any- Out of the expert spokespeople offered
chuckle, even if you don’t really want to. thing else you may have in your mouth up, Walsh included only one quote about
MorroWCouNTyCENTuryFArM . .1,35
In this case, the absurd thing in ques- and go back and read that quote from antibiotic use: “[Resistance] is the result of
tion was a comment from Bryan Walsh, Walsh again. Made you chuckle, didn’t it? human use and not related to veterinary
farmequipmeNt
author of an article in Time magazine last I must admit, the opening of the article use.” In addition, Time’s description of
month that has drawn the ire of most accomplishes a rather impressive feat. In feedlot conditions blatantly disregarded
CouNtryLife
every branch of the U.S agricultural indus- just a few lines, it manages to blame U.S. the great information about the care that
try. In the closing remarks of a question agriculture either blatantly or at least sub- goes into raising cattle that was provided
NurSEry BuSINESS THrIVES . . . . . . .49
and answer session done for the Web site, liminally of animal abuse, overuse of by Teague and Burkholder.
Walsh said, “All I would say is, in no way antibiotics leading to resistance, air pollu- American Meat Institute President
CLassifieds . . . . . . . . . . .53
did I want the story to be seen as anti- tion, chemical pollution, over subsidiza- and CEO J. Patrick Boyle wrote a letter
CaLeNdar . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
farmer or anti-food.” tion contributing to national debt, obesity to Time that said, “In a world of 7 billion
OK, for those of you who have read the among Americans, and finally, water pol- people and expanding, where malnutri-
article, despite your best efforts, you prob- lution and destruction of wildlife. tion, hunger or outright famine are com-
ably just let out a little “ha!” under your My goodness, aren’t we all just a bunch monplace, it’s dumbfounding that Time
CoLumNs
breath. Or, worse yet, blew milk, coffee or of criminal masterminds who should be magazine would take one of the great
some other beverage all over a nearby locked up for our innumerable sins, versus American success stories — the efficient
wall or aghast person in the wrong place
MANAgINg THE MArkET . . . . . . . . .11
praised for providing our countrymen, and agricultural production of an abundant
at the wrong time after taking a drink just millions of others around the globe, with a variety of healthy, safe and affordable
CouNTryCroSSroAdS . . . . . . . . . .29
prior to reading the quotation above. If cheap, abundant, healthy source of food, foods for consumers in the U.S. and
you need a new copy of this issue to required on a daily basis to sustain their throughout the world — and turn it into
APPLIEdENgINEErINg . . . . . . . . . . .46
replace your now beverage-soaked ver- lives. Right about now, you’re probably an unrecognizable story of exploitation,
sion, please accept my apologies and just thinking, I can live my life without ever manipulation and greed.” LEgALLINgo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
give us a call here at the OCJ office. cracking open another issue of Time maga- If you are up for more beverage spew-
For those of you who haven’t seen the zine, but I’m guessing Bryan Walsh would- ing, the entire Walsh article is available at
CouNTryCHAPLAIN . . . . . . . . . . . .50
article, I have included the opening n’t last real long without food on the table. www.time.com/time/health/arti-
extended paragraph below. It is more than Let’s try that experiment and see how it … cle/0,8599,1917458,00.html. I wouldn’t
doC’S TALk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50-51
enough to give you a feel for the tone of oh, sorry, just slipping off into a fun little dare ask you to spend the money to buy
the entire article. Here goes: daydream there. Now, back on task. the actual issue.
BuCkEyE SPorTSMAN . . . . . . . . . . .51
“Somewhere in Iowa, a pig is being
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4News • Ohio’s Country Journal • Mid-September 2009
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