It Was Disturbing

Typically the news makes me angry. Too much is reported for an emotional response. Too much is done to distract from the real issues, but last night was disturbing... on several levels.

The story was about whistle blowers, particularly whistle blowers on Iowa farms. One individual went in and got a job on a "farm" in order to get video footage to file charges of animal torture for ASPCA. The legal side of this is that it is now illegal to do such a thing. Somehow it is now a breach of "ethics" to report such conduct. In Iowa it is also a felony.... now. Actually torturing the animal is only a misdemeanor.

That's disturbing.

The news story was accompanied by the video footage of chicks getting pulled out of boxes. Healthy, beautiful chicks that were getting chucked into an auger device and ground for animal feed. Personally, I have to wonder what sick mind came up with this brilliant idea .... words escape me.

That's disturbing.

Animal feed? What animal on a farm would be needing to be fed ground up chicks? Chickens and pigs are pretty much omnivores but do they feed this to other farm animals as well? I have no doubt that ruminant grazers could possibly be getting it too. After all, in England much of what perpetuated mad cow disease was taking the dead animals to be processed and having it go right back into cattle feed and contaminating the cattle that fed upon it. This practice more then likely isn't healthy for the animal on the receiving end. Keep in mind that after that animal is fed it will be raised out and slaughtered for human consumption. Poor health for the slaughtered creature can equal poor health for the human that is then next in line.

That's disturbing.

Let's consider the farm. I do not for a minute believe that this is a practice typically used by your run of the mill farmer. They might have money for a hired man but don't think that they have so much money to hire gals for chick grinding duty. While no farms were specifically named in the news story and considering the facility shown in the video, I have to believe that this was either an exceptionally large farm or corporate farm. Corporate farms and family farms are two different creatures. The legislation that was passed to protect "Iowa farms" from such video taping won't protect a real farm... it'll protect corporations. And I find another big business let off the hook of being a responsible entity very, very disturbing.

Louie

P. S. Buy local from a grower you can trust and who will let you see and experience their farm. Eat safe.