Foggy!

It's foggy this morning on the Knolltop. Good Morning!

It's another day of getting ready for the fair. I've gotten myself into a painting job simply because I want to have a nice display for our kids at the fair. I was going to go the easy route, but as I thought about it, I figured the our cattle deserve a nice display around them. There's nothing better than seeing nice cows and a clean sharp display. So....after I write two more stories...I'm off to find some old brushes and I will be covered in red paint by the time I get done.

I wrote my column on the meeting that I went to on rBST. Since those of you in far away lands don't get the Farmers' Advance, I will put my column here.

Well, breakfast awaits! And so does the laundry :(

My Column:

So what’s next?
Last week, I attended an interesting meeting about the use of rBST in dairy cattle. It seems the increase in consumer demand for milk from cows not injected with rBST is on the rise.
I feel the need to get some things straight so we are all on the same page. It’s mind boggling how much misinformation is out there.
First of all, the label that we hear so much of: “hormone free milk” is not accurate. All milk whether it’s organic, non organic, hormone free, all of it contains naturally occurring hormones so it is impossible to have “hormone free milk.”
Secondly, there is no difference between milk from cows that have been injected with rBST and milk from cows that haven’t. Milk is milk…end of story. Milk is milk.
The third misconception I’m finding is this increased consumer demand for rBST free milk. I have no scientific data, no studies, no research. The only information is what I’ve gathered on my own. That information indicates that people don’t care about rBST free milk.
For example, here is a conversation that happened just last week. There was a mother of three boys in my barn watching us milk our cows while our children were out playing.
Me: “Hey are you concerned about having bst in your milk?” A curious look comes over her face.
Me: “You know…the milk you can buy in the store that everyone calls hormone free?” Same curious look.
Me: “Do you even know what I’m talking about?”
Her: “No, I have no idea what you are talking about and so I guess it would be a mute issue…in other words, no, I don’t care…I go in, I grab the milk and go home…milk is milk to us…except when the boys come over here and drink your milk and then I have to hear about that for days afterward about how much better it is.”
With all that said, I have to wonder why the push to have rBST free milk?
At the meeting I attended, that was one of the questions asked. Monsanto hosted a meeting for dairy producers, industry people and milk cooperative representatives to come and discuss the recent push by milk cooperatives who are only going to market rBST free milk. Across the country dairymen are being ask to sign an affidavit saying they will not use rBST.
Now, I’m not going to argue whether dairymen should use rBST or not use rBST. What I don’t like is that there are grocery store chains saying their customers want rBST free milk. Because they maintain there is consumer demand, milk cooperatives are wanting to meet that demand. And dairymen are now supposed to follow merrily along.
My question is then, what will be next? What will the consumer be lead into believing next? Or, do consumers really believe this and if they don’t then who is misleading us?
These are questions dairy producers need to be asking. They need to ask their local grocery stores, their neighbors and their milk cooperatives just who is demanding the change in management practices.
In addition, dairy producers need to speak up and be heard. Whether you think we should be able to use rBST, change to all rBST free milk or start producing purple milk….no matter what, if you don’t use your God given voice you will be left on the side of the road wondering how you got there.
There are many unanswered questions with this issue and that disturbs me. When we aren’t in the drivers seat navigating our journey…just who is? If someone else is driving then we’d better know them well enough to place our confidence in them. Otherwise we will be taken for a ride that may lead us to destruction.