Farmers Care: Animal Welfare

What is the first thing most college students do when they wake up in the morning or before they go to bed at night?  Check Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram of course.  While browsing through these various social media sites, conflict concerning one topic or another may arise.  It’s inevitable, actually, one person’s opinion may offend another and so on so forth.  Topics concerning politics, celebrities, or the latest fashion trends can commonly be found flooding social media sites, but one hot topic commonly discussed in the Midwest is agriculture.  With advancements in agriculture technology and practices, the field is constantly changing and growing.  One growing topic within agriculture, in particular, is the issue of Animal Welfare.

First off, what exactly is Animal Welfare and how can it be defined?  Animal Welfare is the “responsible care and treatment of animals that ensures comfort and freedom from unnecessary pain and suffering” (USDA, "Livestock Production Practices").  So naturally, it is assumed that all animals are responsibly treated and cared for in a comfortable environment and do not endure unnecessary suffering.  One question that arises, however, is do all farmers practice good Animal Welfare?  What if farmers were accused of not caring about their livestock anymore?  As previously mentioned, technology and practices within agriculture are constantly growing in order for farmers to increase both production and profits.  Do farmers only care about making a lot of money and making it fast?

My personal response to all the questions mentioned above is “no”.  Being the third generation on my family farm, I have seen the ins and outs of agriculture from day one.  For instance, I have fond memories of helping Dad bottle feed calves and riding along on the Allis Chalmers to feed cows.  Even today I still enjoy halter breaking calves with my brother for the county fair and checking cows out in the pasture with Mom.  Although farming has most definitely changed since the early 90s, I can confidently say that the heart and soul that goes into it has not.  Farmers go above and beyond to ensure their livestock has all freedoms they are entitled to, such as: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury, or disease; freedom to express normal behavior; and freedom from fear and distress (USDA, "Livestock Production Practices”).

For example when it’s 20 below, snowing, and the wind is starting to pick up, farmers don’t simply wait until the weather clears up to feed their livestock.  Instead, they put on their Carhartt’s and brave the cold to ensure the animals have feed and hay.  Also, while feeding, they check for any sick or injured livestock and ensure the barn doors are open for them to take shelter in.  Farmers truly do take pride in both their farm operation, as well as the livestock that they raise on it.  From the day a calf is born, to the moment a heifer has her first calf, or the day the semi takes their load of calves to market, these are the very reasons why farmers do what they do. 

In recent years, however, the number of livestock operations has fallen and production has shifted to larger and more specialized operations.  The changes in livestock production have had important implications for economic efficiency, final product prices, water and air pollution, food safety, and rural development (USDA, “Livestock Production Practices”).  These changes in livestock production can be explained using basic economics.  When the demand for a certain product increases, in this case livestock, the production of the product must also increase.  In order for farmers to keep up with the demands of a fast-paced world, they must efficiently use their resources to keep up with production. However, along with supply and demand come the “good years” and the “bad years”.  Nothing is ever guaranteed in the world of agriculture.  Like my dad once told me, “Farmers don’t raise livestock for the money; they raise them because it’s their passion.”

References:

"USDA ERS - Crop & Livestock Practices: Livestock Production Practices." USDA ERS - Crop & Livestock Practices: Livestock Production Practices. Web. 1 Mar. 2015. <http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/crop-livestock-practices/livestock-production-practices.aspx>.

Sustainability: Is the beef industry up to the challenge?

As a child, I always dreaded the long, hot summer days that my dad spent cleaning out the cattle lots.  And I especially didn't enjoy riding along in the tractor that pulled the manure spreader.  Why did he do this?  All it did was stink up the yard!  Little did I realize he was doing ourselves a favor.  Not only did the cattle lots stay clean, but the fields also got fertilized.  Although I didn't know what this meant as only a five-year-old, my dad was actually practicing sustainability.  

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sustainability as, "able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed; involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources."  Now-a-days, the word sustainability is commonly used within many different fields, especially when focusing on environmental efforts. In particular, this word is heard a lot more in the beef industry these days.  Some of the nation's largest buyers of beef are heavily focused on the topic, and it's one that won't go away anytime soon.  

According an article featured in American Cattlemen, the sustainability effort, as it relates to beef, is "about doing things right, making things more efficient, improving public image, and reducing the cost of doing business" ("Beef Industry Sustainability").  As a result, the beef checkoff agreed to fund the Beef Industry Sustainability Assessment.  Through this assessment, principles and criteria are developed to define sustainable beef for producers around the world ("Beef Industry Sustainability").  Whether it's choosing a new bull with better performance, improving pastures, replacing a piece of equipment with one that is more efficient, all these practices have the ability to impact sustainability. 

However, any time big players within the industry step into the game, things can quickly become confusing and messy.  Beef buyers such as McDonald's plan to source verified sustainable beef by 2016, and Walmart is also developing plans to ensure the sustainability of its beef supply chain ("Beef Industry Sustainability").  Therefore, efforts to assure sustainability within the beef industry are a top priority.  Along with these efforts, however, come negative perceptions about the topic of beef sustainability. 

As a future livestock advocate, it is important to clear up negative perceptions others may have about topics within the industry.  The concept of beef industry sustainability isn't a new one on my farm or most other operations either.  For those of us who've been in the business for generations, the concept of sustainability simply translates as "running our business business in a responsible manner that allows us to pass the operation along to the next generation" ("Beef Industry Sustainability").  We want the best for our future children and to leave the land in a better condition than it was when we took over it. 

To Read the Full Article:

 http://www.americancattlemen.com/articles/beef-industry-sustainability

References:

"Beef Industry Sustainability." American Cattlemen. Heartland Communications Group, INC., 14 July. 2014. Web. 3 Mar. 2015. <http://www.americancattlemen.com/articles/beef-industry-sustainability>.