Earlier this week, social media feeds were busy for the Original Muck Boots Company as members of agriculture and hunting communities became very upset at an apparent fundraiser for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS; an animal rights activist organization who continually lobbies against activities in animal agriculture, hunting, trapping, and fishing). On … Continue reading Lessons To Learn From The Muck Boots Blunder
Agriculture must be more proactive on “ag gag” and animal cruelty standards
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity for a great chat with an Associated Press reporter out of Iowa on the subject of "ag gag" bills and laws. I've written about this series of bills earlier on this blog (perspective from Tennessee, on CNN Eatocracy, how they affect farm transparency, and asking if consumers really … Continue reading Agriculture must be more proactive on “ag gag” and animal cruelty standards
Tennessee Animal Cruelty Prevention Act Heating Up
Updated: The bill was vetoed by Tenn. Governor Haslam on Monday, May 13. Story from the Tennessean here. Haslam's statement can be seen in this piece from the Knoxville News Sentinel. A follow-up to a previous post regarding the heated "Ag gag" bills/laws across the country. The controversy over so-called 'Ag gag' bills has heated up in … Continue reading Tennessee Animal Cruelty Prevention Act Heating Up
Conversations.
Val Wagner is a North Dakota farmer, rancher and mother of four boys that talks about all things agriculture and crazy childhood antics over at Wag'n Tales (wagfarms.com). She's made it her mission to make sure that her boys have a future in agriculture, and hopes at least one of them will grow up to … Continue reading Conversations.
In response to HSUS’ “A Pig’s Tail” [Video]
In case you missed it, today was Food Day - an opportunity to focus on our food system and the diversity within. The Humane Society of the United States (read my thoughts on the organization here) took advantage of this event to aim at modern pork production. The HSUS, not affiliated with your local pet … Continue reading In response to HSUS’ “A Pig’s Tail” [Video]
Farmers aren’t evil. Now can we have a civil conversation?
I don't know about you, but I get pretty frustrated when trying to have a civil conversation, but can't wade through all of the mud that is being slung in the process. This happens a lot when trying to talk about food and farming online. These are emotional topics and each side of the table … Continue reading Farmers aren’t evil. Now can we have a civil conversation?
How customers can help farmers with animal care
Here's my latest post on CNN Eatocracy. I'd like to give a big thank you to Kathy Swift, #agchat friend and veterinarian from Florida for helping me with this. Previously Eatocracy featured a post from HSUS food policy director telling consumers how they can improve the lives of farm animals. I felt it was … Continue reading How customers can help farmers with animal care
Conversations with a Balanced Education | AgriTalk Radio Interview
Over the past few weeks I have really enjoyed the feed back from my articles on the CNN Eatocracy page. My first post introduced the topic of searching out food conversations between farmers and customers. Many great questions and points of concern were raised with this one. My second article explained how to find these … Continue reading Conversations with a Balanced Education | AgriTalk Radio Interview
What will you do when HSUS shows up next door?
Thursday morning while checking my messages, a news release from The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS, not to be confused with your local animal shelter) showed up in my Facebook timeline. Their latest move in an escapade to change the face of livestock farms includes Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. The press … Continue reading What will you do when HSUS shows up next door?
Video: Animal Welfare on Ranch
The following video is about real animal welfare on farms and ranches across the country. Response to Mercy for Animals, Animal Cruelty video from a Texas Dairy.