Skip to main content

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.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dairy Christmas Traditions

It's not Christmas without...... Fill in the blank. Traditions are part of what builds a family and Christmas is full of them.  When you open your gifts, the dinner you create, right down to which ornament goes on what side of the tree. It's all a part of holiday traditions.  On the Knolltop, I have managed to carry on a tradition that began in my childhood, on my home farm.  Each Christmas was filled with holiday baking.  My mom and sister would begin baking and end with pretty packages filled with home made goodies to give away to friends and relatives. Among those baked goods were Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls originating from the local church cookbook published in the late 70's. My sister made those one year and we haven't missed a year since.  While the recipe originated to us in 1976, the tattered recipe card is from the late 80s when wrote a copy for myself when I moved out on my own. For 39 years Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls h...

Big bucks spent at Butlerview Sale

Good morning from the Knolltop . It's balmy here! When we went across the road at 4:30 this morning it was 45 out and the temp is climbing...yes it smells and feels like spring and I love it....but I know it won't last. Because no one else on the web has decided to report on it, I will give a tidbit of the Butlerview Parade of Perfection Sale that happened last weekend in Elkhorn Wisconsin. The sale averaged $19,845 on 124 lots and the sale gross was....are you ready.....sit down for this one.....$2,460,800.00! Amazing isn't it? There were buyers from 23 states and Canada and the high seller was Lot 8 at $190,000 purchased by Triple Crown Genetics, Kingsmill Farm & Gene Iager . The next highest consignment was Lot 1 at $155,000 purchased by David Ludwig of Illinois and the third highest was Lot 46 at $96,000 and Mike Garrow & Gerald Todd went home with that bargain. Apparently it was a high intensity sale with well over 800 people in attendance. I just w...
JW is at it again with marketing goodies for his Senior Trip. And this is what he left on my stove after his entrepreneurial chocolate fest! Monday he bought the molds and chocolate and made some samples to take to school. Tuesday he took his pretty packages of goodies and handed them out, took the orders and sold $96 worth of chocolates! With the pretty boxes and bags his Nana sent up from Georgia, he melted his chocolate, put them in molds, stuck them in the freezer, tapped them out of the molds and put them in some fancy boxes and bags. This morning he took a laundry basket full of bags and boxes to deliver at school. I'm amazed at how a little packaging can take ordinary chocolate...and I mean ORDINARY...we're not talking Dove or Cadbury ....ORDINARY chocolate and make it into something people will buy. Just amazing!