Cage Free: More Complicated Than You Think
Part of the objective of our blog is to encourage educated discussion about farm animal welfare. Here are three recent articles that discuss California's Proposition 2, and some of the issues surrounding it. One article by David Sneed summarizes the debate and its political implications. Another article in the Arizona Republic describes cage free vs. confined, and another in the New York Times speaks to the increasing demand for eggs from cage-free production systems. A "proposition" that is often left…
Animal Welfare Approved Dinner at Slow Food Nation
We are excited to partner with Slow Food Nation in the first-ever American gathering this Labor Day weekend in San Francisco. Slow Food is a vibrant movement of people who advocate food systems that are good, clean and fair-goals we also support in our promotion of high-welfare husbandry. We will be involved in many events throughout the weekend, and will continue to post these on our blog as they develop. Sunday, August 31, 2008: Join us for a fund-raising "Slow…
“Routine” Different From “Humane” Says New Jersey Court
Last Wednesday, a New Jersey court ruled that certain industrial farming practices, such as tail-docking and de-beaking without anesthesia, cannot be considered humane just because they are widely used. This signals another development in the national conversation on the treatment of animals used for food. While many states have strict laws preventing animal cruelty, farm animals are often exempt from this protection. Click here to read the full article.
Is the U.S. Importing Mad Cow Disease?
A recent audit of the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) revealed that cows from Canada have been entering the country without being properly inspected. Consequently, concerns have been raised that mad cow disease may have been imported along with the undocumented cows. And because the Bush Administration does not want meatpackers conducting their own private testing for mad cow disease, this threat to public health/food safety is simply a disaster waiting to happen.* Further complicating matters, the under-funded…
New Study on Grass-Fed Beef
Read about a recent research study confirming that consumers like the taste of 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised beef. Study Shows Consumers Find Grass-Fed Beef Acceptable By Jeff Muhollem PSU Ag Science News July 28, 2008 UNIVERSITY PARK - High feed-grain prices and the growing interest in "natural" foods have spurred both consumers and farmers to consider grass-fed beef, and a recent study done by Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences researchers may reinforce this trend. Read more...
