A Glance at Ag #3
JUNE 16, 2019
Here are some resources I’ve found recently to help us digest what’s going on in the agriculture industry. Consider each resource as “food for thought” in our own journeys of understanding food, and let’s ask questions to allow us to continually learn and grow.
This edition of “A Glance at Ag” highlights the dairy industry in honor of National Dairy Month
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what a dairy farm in the 21st century looks like…a story told by dairy farmers for those seeking to understand the truth in food production. This 20-minute video by Undeniably Dairy is great for teachers, parents, and anyone who wants to know how milk gets from the cow to your fridge.
With the recent conversation around undercover videos on farms, here is an article by BEEF Magazine explaining why these methods of disruption aren’t truthful or effective. We must understand if the videos are being created out of trying to actually protect animals as claimed, or if they’re deceitful trickery to damage the industry. I really like the four summary points at the end of this, so I hope you get a chance to read those.
Here’s how I’d encourage you to think about the recent events: trust the source of the people who live this out every day, not the story that other people try to create. Understand that the farmers know the truth behind the footage, and undercover videos do not show reality.
This piece by Animal Ag Engage helps us understand the undercover agendas of activists groups and why they aren’t the answer to showing the truth or solving any potential situations of animal abuse in the industry. The five quick bullet points prove that these video campaigns are far from the truth and that we need to understand that when discussing this recent uproar.
Dairy farmers are some of the hardest working people in the world. Despite the negative rumors about the community, Lancaster Farmer proves that our country still believes in the work that dairy farmers do and the products that come from dairy cows. Check out this post to learn why people around the Mid-Atlantic still believe in dairy.
There often is a negative connotation around the words “big” or “large” in agriculture when talking about a farming operation. This is especially true when discussing animal agriculture, as people assume that larger farms are unable to give their animals the same love and care as smaller farms. The reality is that larger farms are actually able to give more care than some smaller farms because of things like being able to employ more people to take care of the animals and utilizing the newest technology in cow care and comfort. Take a look at this Dairy Herd Management piece that explains why large farms are resilient and something we can all believe in and support.
For National Dairy Month, here’s a American Farm Bureau Federation piece that explains how milk and dairy products are priced in the United States. It can be a complex system to understand, but breaking it down by commodity (butter, cheese, etc.), component (butterfat, protein, etc.), and class (what group the milk is sold to), paints a clearer picture of how dairy farmers are actually paid. Please note that the American dairy industry is in its 5th year of historically low prices, so this concept is important for us all to comprehend what’s going on the industry. This brings out the ag economics nerd in me, but I hope that at least you can glance at a couple of the diagrams or the summary and understand that farmers sell their milk to a certain class of milk, which eventually turns into a specific product, based on what qualities or components are in the milk.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has decided to relocate two of its research agencies to Kansas City. Moving the Economic Research Service and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture to the Kansas and Missouri city will save the USDA about $300 million over 15 years. This is an important move, not only because of budget savings, but because two major arms of the USDA that collectively employ about 700 people is bringing part of our federal government closer to the people it works with and impacts every day. There are a lot of questions about how the move will go for the employees and how this logistically will work, but overall, the USDA seems optimistic about what can come from this big move out of DC.
If you have any thoughts on the above links, or if you find any helpful or insightful resources in your internet searching, please send them to me on social media (below) or on my contact page.
Thanks for reading!
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