For Your Safety...

In November, the United States Senate passed a legislation to update food safety regulations, for the first time since 1930's. Why did it take so long to update food safety regulations? In an article I found related to the updated regulations, it said that 1 in 4 people have food illnesses a year. This results in about 5000 deaths per year!! That means 5000 people have died a year because of unsafe food! That is scary stuff. When ever anyone tells you that you have a 1 in 4 chance of something, those are pretty good odds. So the odds are high that you too can become a victim of food related illnesses.

In the legislation there is a section that is new, it sets standards on import foods. Why wasn't that set before? In my thoughts, that means the food we are importing are more likely to be contaminated than the foods we are exporting. Isn't it suppose to be you take care of yourselves and family before you take care of others? So much of our food supply relies on imports so why isn't our nation focused on ourselves first? In order for food to enter our country it should meet the same standards or better than the foods we are sending out.

I do have to say, by implementing the new food safety laws, farmers will have to be inspected more and our own food will be inspected closer. But everyone will be more at ease consuming that hamburger or tomato. Dairy producers are going the have stricter regulations when it comes to their milk being shipped as well. When it comes to dairy, the US was actually behind the rest of the nations in their regulations of somatic cell count. But with the new regulations we are comparable, which can increase our export market for that.

I personally am glad that this new legislation has been passed. It seemed like we were constantly hear about various food recalls.  With this legislation I know that I can eat my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with more ease.

Here is where I found my information.

Layton, L. (2010 , November 30). Senate Passes Sweeping Food Safety Bill. Retrieved February 2, 2011, from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112903881.html

Agriculture Education

I know, I know, "Oh great, here's yet another opinion piece on the effects for Cornell cutting their Ag Education curriculum." Nope, not this time. This time the title means something different. The importance of agriculture education to the future of the dairy industry. No, I'm not talking about the kind of agriculture education that involves someone with their Master's teaching to young agriculture enthusiasts. I'm talking about educating your neighbors, your friends, the general public on what goes on behind those barn doors. It is our jobs as dairy producers to educate those who are uninformed about what it really means to be a dairy producer.

When I was in High School, it was not uncommon for someone to wrinkle their nose when they heard I was a farmer. People still imagine the grungy guy with a pitchfork and overalls, when they hear any mention of farmers. It was never uncommon for a classmate to ask, "If you're a farmer, where's your overalls?" In my opinion dairy producers have done a good job of changing that misconception. But now it's time to focus on something else, educating your neighbors on what it really means to be that farmer. Many farms are thought to be the pillar to their communities, but some community members really do not know what goes on behind those barn doors and the media does not always help.

The media is not always dairy producer friendly. They do not really help in informing the public on what REALLY goes on behind the barn doors. Animal welfare is the first area that pops into my head when you think of the media. So if we want to make any improvements on how the public feels we treat our animals, we really do need to get the media on our side. There are two sides to every story and oftentimes, the side that gets published, is the side of the story that will bring about the most controversy. The media is out to find that next big story. they don't really care that 99.9% of the dairy industry got up this morning and did their daily routine without causing any harm to animals. The media is just concerned with that 0.1% that will bring about talk and interest. The problem with any industry really is how it is portrayed in the media. If you think about it, celebrities are more talked about when they are involve with scandals, in and out of jail/rehab, or have died. Very seldom do you hear about the celebrities and their charity work or how their participation in the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Dairy industry is no different.

The constant negative media has not been good on the dairy industry. Not only has it lowered the morale of many, it has made so many producers really question whether it is worth staying in business. There have been more tears shed from farmers in the past year than I have ever heard. So many farmers are feeling the pressures that stricter regulations will entail. The media is really not helping with farmers morale at all. They want to sell stories, we want to have a good name again.

My solution... invite the media out to your farm. Ask them to help you with chores, help milk the cows, and show them what it really is like. After a little hard work, it's hard to disagree with what the farmers are always saying. The dairy industry is not like any other industry. It's not a job or a career, it's a livelihood. Close down a car dealership and the owner can go next door and work at another. You take the farm and animals away from the farmer and they are left with nothing. It takes a love and passion to be in the dairy industry. A love and passion that really needs to be portrayed to your neighbors.

It is time we take a stand, we need to start fighting for our good name back. Farmers are the backbone of the nation. And we need everyone to realize this. One person at a time, share your story, one person at a time. Educate your friends, your neighbors, your car salesmen on what really goes on behind those barn doors. We can make a difference. It is our future.