too little, too late

Why does it always seem in the fight for agriculture production we are always 10 steps behind the media and their false allegations???  This is a question that has been running through my head ever since I attended the Farm Animal Integrated Research conference in early March.  It was one of the topics brought up in one of the break out sessions I recorded; and after these past 3 weeks it definitely has made me stop and ponder for awhile.  

Yesterday, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad & US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack held a joint press conference on the production of lean finely textured beef in the US.  Beef Products Inc., being an Iowa Based company, and this issue of LFTB in ground beef a national topic, I feel the conference was a necessity, but again may be too little too late.  Follow this link to listen to a recording of the press conference. 

Through the press conference, Gov. Branstad and Secretary Vilsack resound these three main ideas::


LFTB is


1.  safe
2.  a lean product
3. an economical product


Three truths to the production of LFTB.  HyVee, an Iowa based grocery store has announced they will continue to offer ground beef with LFTB. This product will contain a special label of course, and according to my estimates will be roughly $0.40 less per pound when compared to 93:7 ground beef without LFTB.  So not only will the LFTB product be cheaper, but it will also be safer - a result of the microbial inhibition interventions utilized in producing LFTB; whether that be the inclusion of ammonium hydroxide or sodium citrate.  Needless to say, buying product with LFTB has my vote!


In continuing to advocate for our industry, I think it is imperative that producers and consumers alike recognize that roughly 1.5% of Americans are farmers.  On average one farmer feeds 155 people annually and as a result most consumers are 3-5 generations removed from agriculture production systems.  So there is a definite lack of understanding for agriculture.  We as producers know and realize that.  So how can we, as producers and industry leaders, reach out to these confused, mis-lead and uneducated consumers???  There are forms of social media such as blogs, tweets, facebook pages, etc.  But just as many forms that provide accurate information lead consumers astray.  And on top of that most consumers don't want to read or hear about agriculture, they want to see it.  


Fair Oak Farms Adventure Center is a large dairy operation located off of I-80 in Indiana.  It has become a recent hot-spot for Chicago and Indianapolis school field trips (with a live calf being born every 15 minutes, I am sure you can see why!)  Students are given a tour of the facilities from the free stall location, to the milking parlor, even to the observatory for calving!  Did I also mention students get a grilled cheese for lunch?? Heck, now I wanna go!  At the end of this year FOF will be adding a pork operation including observations of gestation stalls, farrowing crates, and nurseries.  I believe this will be a great addition to the farm and will truly show consumers how their food is produced: in safe, clean, and well-managed systems.  


I wish every state had a farm location like Fair Oak Farms.  In fact if I ever win the lottery, I would build one of these in a heart beat!! Now I would just need to think of a name.....