I am unable to eat beef since reading this and several others’ articles on the treatment of cows. I watched a short report on how they cut out what looked like their tongues and let them loose to walk away and die. How can we call ourselves “civilized”?

I am a 5th generation cattle rancher from California, and I can assure you that on my ranch my cows are well taken care of. I have helped my dad raise our cattle since I was a little girl, and now I am attending college working towards a degree in Agriculture Science Communications. On my ranch we make sure that our cattle are properly taken care of. If, and only if, they are sick we give them the appropriate amount of medication to help them get healthy. While they are sick, they are put in a separate pen to ensure the safety of the rest of the herd. Although I only have ten cows, they graze on 84 acres of well vegetated pasture all year round. We feed them hay in the winter when the vegetation is down, but otherwise they always have fresh, clean water from our natural springs. Every Spring, my cows do me and my family the service of having calves that we raise to market weight (usually about 700lbs over the course of 10-12 months) and sell them for a safe, wholesome, and nutritious product. I eat beef, because it gives me zinc, iron, protein, and vitamins B12 and B6, plus much more. 97% of the cattle ranches in the US are family owned and operated. I know many ranchers who run their cattle ranches like mine, and I rest easy at night knowing that these fellow cattlemen care about their cattle. Thank you.

My family raised beef, and there is nothing in this article that happens on our farm. I suggest you get the facts, and not just sorta tell the whole story here.

At our farm, as every farmer I know, we all take excellent care of our cattle, work hard to make sure the pens and barns are clean. We do regular vet inspections, and our animals are fed, watered and made comfortable before we take care of ourselves. This is an insult to farmers everywhere.

This is article is totally bogus! Cattle have a four chambered stomach that is designed to digest high cellulose feeds such as CORN! We do not contain them in little pens, standing in there own feces and urine, force feeding them bio engineered corn! This is so absolutely ridiculous! I do agree that you should always be aware of where your food comes from but this article is way off base. I also agree with Horse pro that our animals are cared for very well as they are a source of income and the healthier they are, the better they sell! This article is posted and written by someone that doesn’t have a clue as to the real goings on of cattle production and is certainly invalid and wrong. Sane people won’t give a second thought to this crap.

And to Bill, I suggest that he read Mad Cow USA and the 1997 and 2002 USDA reports on the spread of mad cow disease and learn a little about how this mad cow disease problem got started.

In regard to the faux argument that “There is a “zero tolerance” policy in place by the USDA for antibiotics in meat and milk,” you must think we all fell off the turnip truck. The FDA and USDA are impotent as a result of high paid lobbyists and close ties to the executive branch.

Why are there so many recalls? Because the FDA and USDA admit that the are not governing the industry. See: admissions in the Wright County of IA recall. We could provide hundreds of references that prove your statement false.

It is common for factory farms to slaughter sick animals. Again, try reading Omnivore’s Dilemma and watch Food, Inc. Read our books.

The blog says, “Along with the livestock, employees of factory farms are becoming ill with many different diseases contracted from the cattle. And that includes cancer.”

Has it occurred to you that the practices of using chemicals on factory farms is causing operators to have a higher cancer rate. This is also true of chicken farms. Perhaps Bill missed the 60 Minutes episode on factory farms? Many interviewed were afraid to have their pictures used in the segment for fear of retaliation.

The threat of a lawsuit exposes your industry connections. Please remember that the truth is an absolute defense. A lawsuit by the industry would also require releasing all of their confidential documents to be published in the media. Their practices cannot stand the light of day.

We are not against eating meat, nor are we members of PETA or any other animal rights group. We just want our hamburger to be hamburger not a chemical dump site for the food industry.

Bill, thank you for your efforts to correct me but you have still espoused the industry “rank and file” mantra that is mostly smoke and mirrors. I have not attacked anyone’s livelihood anymore than someone who attacks Monsanto for genetically engineered food attacks “organic” farmers.

If you were truly an open range or organic cattle producer, you would be agreeing with me because the factory farming of cattle is repulsive to any traditional cattle rancher. Americans want open range beef, chicken and poultry. If meat were labeled as coming from a factory farm, Americans would reject it. You know it. I know it. And the industry knows it.

Consider this:

1. You took my bait on CAFOs which makes it clear that you understood the differences between raising open range cattle and the dangers of factory farming. Every rancher I have spoken to in California knows and understands CAFOs and factory farms. Please remember that California passed a law banning many of the abusive practices conducted on factory farms starting January 2012. Certainly, you knew that when you wrote your posts.

2. Your statement about chickens is either naive or intentionally misleading. Try looking “factory farmed chickens” on Google and look at the photos. Try reading the Encyclopedia Britannia’s take on factory farmed chickens – http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2007/05/the-difficult-lives-and-deaths-of-factory-farmed-chickens/.

The issue here is the quality of food sold in fast food restaurants and sold in markets. Watch Foster Farms ads and read their anti-factory farming literature. You are trying to make this sound like we are the only one printing these facts despite countless books, articles and experts that ridicule your position. We all can’t be wrong.

3. no one said salt brine is used on live chickens. The fact is that Tyson and others pump up the chickens with salt brine and MSG before shipping them. Certainly, you have heard the term “plumping”. Plumping increases the weight of chickens by 15% which, in turn, increase the amounts paid for chicken by 15%. Tyson’s representatives openly admit that they add the brine because they know more about making chicken taste good than consumers.

Do you think the industry is fooling Americans with this? Also, do you think Americans would buy Tyson chickens if they put salt brine and MSG on their labels? The answers are “No!”

4. Your statement that “There is no MSG listed anywhere,” on Tyson chickens is a conscious misstatement. You are certainly aware that MSG is hidden under more than 140 different ingredient names under an industry trick called “clean labeling”. The FDA does not require food manufacturers to disclose that yeast extract, soy extract, maltodextrin, artificial and natural food flavorings (to name just a few) contain MSG. Your argument is an old fashioned “red herring”.

5. Also not true. Cattle on factory farms are locked into small cells and force fed GMO corn. How many photos, documentaries and videos do you have to see to accept this industry standard. You know the truth. Stop trying to pull the wool over our readers eyes.

6. You have accurately stated the cause and effect of genetically modified corn feed. Watch Food, Inc. and other documentaries and watch the cattle being fed and listen to industry insiders explain this is good for Americans. GMO corn, which is not edible to humans, is the cheapest form of food available to factory farms. You can’t be serious when you say that it is “cost prohibitive”.

Everyone in the industry agrees that “… by force-feeding GMO corn to the cattle, the steers are ready for market on an average of 140 to 150 days, significantly reducing the cost of feeding and housing them.”

The reason GMO corn is fed to cattle is because it causes rapid growth and weight gain when combined with synthetic hormones. For example, cattle raised on a traditional ranch will require many years of range feeding before being sent to the slaughterhouse. The facts are undisputed that cattle fed GMO corn will die within 180 days if not slaughtered sooner.

7, 8 and 9. Do you know what GMO corn is? I snuggest you read one of Jeffrey M. Smith’s books such as Seeds of Deception. A study conducted by the Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology stated:

“All genetically engineered crops contain bacterial DNA. This DNA contains a genetic element (the so called ‘CpG motif’) that stimulates the immune system to start a sequence of reactions leading to inflammation. Exposure to these genetic elements may lead to promotion of inflammation, arthritis and lymphoma (a malignant blood disease). Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that DNA is not broken down in the gastro-intestinal tract to the extent formerly believed. Ingested DNA sequences large enough to contain whole genes have remained intact and entered the blood and tissues. This means that eating GE foods may increase the risk of said disorders.”

The scientific information regarding the dangers of genetically engineered corn are legion. Even the FDA scientists consider it dangerous despite its political leaders, such as Monsanto’s Michael Taylor who are appointed to the FDA, efforts to obscure the truth. Do you know that Europe and Japan have banned genetically modified foods? Do you know that Mexico will not permit the importation of American beef for the reasons in the blog and these comments?

I like your Brittany Spears joke. It is a shame that the same number of Americans haven’t investigated Monsanto’s business practices (labeled the foremost “corporate criminal” in the world) or the dangers of factory farming our meats.

Factory farms retain vets who do little other than give antibiotics and rGBH to cows and cattle. Recently, the FDA refused to issue guidelines to factory farms on antibiotics preferring to encourage their vets to do the “right thing”. They, of course, follow the bidding of the person signing their checks or they would be black-balled in the industry.

11. The FDA and USDA only discover problems when people fall over and die in fast food restaurants or suffer the public embarrassment such as the egg and peanut butter recalls. Soybeans and cottonseed are also genetically modified with the same dangers to animals and humans.

In a small village in India, buffalo grazed on cotton plants for eight years without incident. On January 3rd, 2008, the buffalo grazed on Bt cotton plants for the first time. All 13 were sick the next day; all died within 3 days. Bt corn was also implicated in the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses, water buffaloes, and chickens in the Philippines.

12, 13, 14 and 15. Can you explain the alarming results of the USDA’s National Residue Program Data for 2007 found 120 veterinary drugs and pesticides and another 42 chemical residues in beef, chicken, pork, veal, eggs and other products analyzed.

In 2002 the USDA discovered that 35% of the samples of meat recovery products collected from US meat processing facilities contained unacceptable quantities of nervous tissue, posing a high risk to consumers because of its ability to transmit vCJD, the human form of mad cow disease. I could go on for pages with the scientific data that supports what we said.

The increase in cancer is caused by GMO feed, pesticides and other chemicals used on factory farms. This is neither a secret nor rocket science.

16. It may surprise you but 60 Minutes is not always wrong. In this case, the show was backed up by dozens of other operators, experts and lots of film.

I am pleased you are concerned about our food system. If you were truly concerned, you would be campaigning against the practices you advocate in your response. This generation is becoming obese and ill from factory farmed meats and their life expectancy will be lower than their parents’ and grandparents’ generations.

This generation is becoming obese because of overeating, lack of exercise, and being off of the farm. It is not becoming obese due to factory farmed meats.

Corn is a grass. Cattle are gentically programmed to eat grasses. Animals in CAFOs are not force fed anything. The diets are formulated by a nutritionist to gradually introduce high-energy grains to avoid acidosis.

I believe you are confusing dairy rBGH and growth promotants used in beef production. The rBGH is used to increase milk production, something that is not favorable when feeding animals for harvest.

Manni,

Your comment that GMO fed corn to cattle and they would be dead in 180 days is such a huge lie it just blows my mind you would even right such a statement. My show cattle receive a ration which most likely contains GMO corn. Let’s see two of my senior bulls have been on a grain ration along with plenty of forage when the are not out with cows since they were calves. Seems they should be dead according to you since they are now both five years old. My junior show bulls spend their 24 months after weaning on the same ration, at a rate greater then the senior bulls because they are growing. Three of them right now should be dead, but instead they stand at the gate at feeding time looking for me to come with their halters and the great back scratches they get from me as the halter goes on.

Further more Bill was telling you the truth and all of your readers.

By the way how many is “many years” for range fed beef. That term in itself is wrong for “grass fed” beef. If you knew the time frame you would have typed it. I am a purebred breeder raising a breed designed for finishing on grass. I have see more undernourished sickly looking cattle because of the lack of knowledge of these grass fed producers. That alone makes me SICK!

Seems you need to visit farms, ranches and feed lots for yourself before you type such an attack on me and my fellow beef producers.

I would like to invite anyone to visit my CAFO, or my livelihood. Our feed yard is on our homeplace, where we raise our 4 year old and almost 2 year old. I guarantee you, our cattle are quite comfortable, and in the evenings you can see them play in their “cages”. I also can gaurantee you we do not force feed them corn. That would take way too long. We feed a ration of distillered grains, (which cats love as well), corn gluten, a milo stalk silage, and hay. Yes, hay. They like the ration so much, they come running up to the feedbunks. We don’t randomly inject calves with antibiotics, nor do we provide free choice antibiotics to eat. We treat calves for specific ailments, and if we feed antibiotics, its ususally for the first 7 days, of their 45 to 70 day stay. As for the ankle deep manure, that is unheard of. We scrap our pens on a regular basis. If this abomination were true, the calves wouldn’t be able to make it to the feedbunks to eat. As for workers getting sick. Its just my husband and I, and our kids on this operation. My husband is hardly ever sick. And my children are extremely healthy, and just for the record, not obese from eating this meat, or other “corn infused” foods. I know Mr. Schlosser and Mr. Pollan would like you to think they are fat little toads who have a third eye. We aren’t a factory farm. We are a family farm. We care for these animals like our lives depended on it, because they do. Raising these animals is our sole income. My husband spends more time with the cattle than with his children, because it is so labor intense and we make sure our cattle are properly cared for. We are proud of what we do. We provide a well cared for, safe, and nutritious meal for our family, our neighbors, and the country.

I have visited factory farms and seen much of the abuse for myself. I have also interviewed many farmers and ranchers regarding the appalling conditions. You can listen to one such interview from our podcast on January 29, 2011 wherein we interviewed Francis Thicke who is an Iowa farmer who also has a M.S. in soil science and a Ph.D. in agronomy, with a soil fertility specialty.

Dr. Thicke is the former National Program Leader for Soil Science for the USDA; served on the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission, the Iowa Food Policy Council and the Iowa Organic Standards Boards; as well as the USDA State Technical Committee; the Scientific Congress on Organic Agriculture Research; the Iowa State University Extension Advisory Committee; the Organic Farming Research Foundation Board of Directors; the Governing Council of the Consortium for Sustainable Agriculture Research; and the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Board of Directors. He agreed with all of the comments in our blog.

But we appreciate all of the offers to visit CAFOs or factory farms. If all of you will be kind enough to provide us your contact information, we will make arrangements to visit your cattle farms and learn more about your prospective on factory farms. If you don’t mind, we will bring along our camera crew, along with someone like Michael Pollan or Eric Schlosser, to film your cattle farm and point of view.

Every statement in our blogs is supported by a mountain of references cited in our books. There are more than 1,500 references (about 29 pages) in one of our books and more than 1,800 (about 39 pages) in another. If you do not wish to buy and read our books, may I suggest that you read Michael Pollan’s best-selling book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (named one of the five best nonfiction books of 2006 by the New York Times). He teaches journalism at UC Berkeley.

May I also suggest reading Eric Schlosser’s seminal book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal and the works of noted scientist, Russell L. Blaylock, MD such as Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kill. Dr. Blaylock serves on the editorial staff of the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association and is on the editorial staff of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons while writing the Blaylock Wellness Report.

You can also read or watch videos from noted expert, Jeffrey M. Smith, author of the Number 1 GMO bestseller, Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette. These books present shocking evidence why genetically modified crops may lead to health and environmental catastrophes, and what we can do about it.

If you prefer to watch a DVD, I suggest the Oscar nominated documentary, Food, Inc. and King Corn.

Sadly, these letters read much like the ones employed by The Bivings Group for Monsanto when they defamed such noted experts as Dr. Alpad Pusztai, Doctors David Quist and Ignacio Chapela – who also espouse the views in this blog.

Efforts to discredit Dr. Pusztai were linked by the British press to a $230,000 Monsanto-funded grant to the Rowett Institute. After being cornered The Bivings Group admitted they were paid to slam Monsanto opponents on the Internet using false names. In light of Monsanto’s business practices, I cannot help but wonder out loud if you are paid by them. If we do not receive information about where your CAFOs are operating, we are left to believe that this is just another industry funded attack.

We are just two of the many critics of GMO foods, factory farmed animals and the food industries’ deceptions. We are legion and we will not stop exposing the truth. The health of the American people depends upon knowing the truth about the foods they eat.

Wow thank you for this article. Its time for people to wake up. These big companys don’t care about anything but making a buck. I just watched Food Inc and I am going to have to agree with the Virginia farmer. The big corps are treating no one with respect . Not the livestock not the workers and most of all not the consumers.
Another good one to watch is Super size me . No more Mickey Dees for me or my kids.