You may be asking yourself this very question in the future. "Where has all the meat gone? Why can't I buy it in Michigan or Ohio or California anymore?" Or any of the other states affected by poor legislative actions from people who don't really know the truth but rely on others to tell them the "story".
Do you believe everything you read or hear? I would hope not. But, I would say that sometimes you may hear things are just "amazing", "incredible", or even "inhumane?".
As a dairy farmer, who is truly pro-active in the promotion and education of all of agriculture, it saddens me to think that people would believe anyone who isn't an actual farmer. Would you ask questions of a lawyer if you wanted a diagnosis for an ailment? Probably not. Your best bet is to find a person who really knows their "business".
Animal agriculture in this country is huge. The majority of the population likes meat (and no I don't have numbers to back this statement up). I am one of those people-the ones who enjoy a good steak, chicken salad, and pork loin. I cannot think of a time or place where I have not seen any type of meat (pork, beef, chicken, fish) on a menu or in a store. Obviously, I am not a vegetarian, but I am aware that there is a small population that does not eat meat. And some don't even consume or use products from animals-not even dairy or poultry, these people are called vegans. Each to his own. And, I certainly don't ridicule these people, they have a choice, just like I have a choice to "Eat Meat".
I am no different than most people that I know. I stand up for what I believe in and I tell the truth. I don't make it a habbit to talk negatively about others. But just for this "year", I am having a hard time sticking to that last point. You see, there is a national organization, called the "Humane Society of the United States", HSUS, (led by a smooth talking man named Wayne Pacelle), not to be confused with any state or local Humane Society/Shelter. This organization's purpose is to "eliminate animal agriculture" in the United States. Now that leaves me in a bit of a pickle. My families livelihood depends on animal ag, just like the thousands of farmers and ranchers throughout the U.S. Where will McDonalds and Wendy's and all the other fast food chains be without hamburgers? You guessed it-in another country. And if there's no meat here, then the meat will come to us. Which leads us into another quandry-food safety! America has the safest food supply in the world. Not to mention, the cheapest.
The HSUS uses cute little puppies and kittens as their motive for collecting Millions of dollars a year from unsuspecting people, their annual budget is somewhere around $130 Million dollars. You may think you're helping to save the seals or the lost and abandoned animals, but in actuality you are contributing to their fundraising efforts to pass ballot initiatives in states such as California and Ohio.
My point is that people in the "business" know what they are talking about. To let "outsiders" come into our state and fight for their "beliefs" is just immorally wrong. Talk to a farmer, or someone who is directly connected to agriculture. They are the experts-not people who don't live and breath it every day of their life.
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