Yesterday, a new undercover video was released from a Wisconsin dairy farm; a farm much like one of the many family farms across the country. Actually, after reading so many reports of animal welfare concerns, these revealing scenes from behind closed doors are pretty shocking. Watch the video for yourself.
See the original undercover video on the DairyCarrie blog.
Seriously though, we have Carrie Mess (the leader of the Agriculture Proud Banditas) to thank for this video. And the barn doors were probably closed because it is cold in Wisconsin during the winter.
She has opened up a few doors by playing on the tactics of animal rights activists who regularly use scare tactics, emotion, and narratives to depict scenes of animal cruelty and welfare concerns in animal abuse undercover video. Well played, Carrie! Thank you for showing us that your cows are comfortable and well-taken care of while they are “doing cow things.”
What An Undercover Video Shows Us
I think the important point to be made with this undercover video (originally posted on the DairyCarrie blog) is that we can all make videos, and we can all narrate scenes, but no matter how you play it, a video (or photos, or even a single blog post) is nothing more than a snapshot of the entire story.
Livestock production and farming is not a snapshot affair. A single measurement of anything is not an accurate depiction of the circumstances. It takes an entire dialogue, a relationship, and honest communication to gain an understanding of what happens in farming and food production. Carrie displays this well and follows through with the constant dialogue through her blog posts.
We can always improve
I am not saying things are perfect. Nothing is perfect. There is always something we can improve upon. It’s when we become content or complacent with our circumstances that we lose that desire to improve. There are several farmers and ranchers across the country working to improve and connect with their customers to learn what needs more improvement.
These dialogues cannot take place without a certain amount of civility in conversations. Sensational, emotional, provoking videos are not always the answer, but they do capture our attention.
Learn more about undercover video
You may have been misled by the title of this post, and you may have been let down by cows doing cow things in the video, but it probably caught your attention better than the title of “Cows in a Barn.”
Be sure to stop by Carrie’s Blog, her Facebook page, or tweet her to ask your questions about dairy farming.
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