Farmers and Ranchers
The byebyebeef.com campaign loves and appreciates the role farmers and ranchers have traditionally played in this country since its earliest days. However, BBB condemns what has evolved in this country to be a non-rancher/farmer culture, pro-agri-business climate with the poster child for this being industrial agriculture and the raising of beef cattle. It is time to honor the profession and eliminate large scale meat operations across the globe.
Previously anonymous to most people, Henry Miller (aka. Heinrich Kreiser) and iconic 20th century character Ted Turner have something in common that is unique and remarkable. Miller, born in Germany on July 21st, 1847 and Turner born in the USA in 1938 are large landholding ranchers/farmers from two different times in our nation’s history. Miller, started cutting in meat in San Francisco as a teenager after immigrating from his native land as a stowaway, and ultimately as an adult was said to be able to ride from the Mexican border to the Oregon border on horseback stopping each evening in one of his ranches to spend the night – this mega-ranch was said to have totaled approximately 1 million acres. A century later Ted Turner, entrepreneur, visionary, and iconoclastic individualist owns several large ranches with a net acreage of approximately 2 million acres; and the largest native bison herd in North America.
These two men are the exception in terms of size of their holdings, but they are representative of the hard working farmers/ranchers of America from our earliest days, a type of person that is a dying breed. Granted it is hard to work the land, but big business has been the culprit and the family farm is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Formerly the back bone of the nation, the individual grower/rancher built the small rural towns and now agri-business is dictating a different landscape across the nation.
Small herds of grass fed roaming cattle have been replaced by 1000’s of head of cattle confided to a small area, fed grain, and fattened quickly on hormones and unnatural diets. Disassembling this monolithic system we call industrial agriculture has been written about by scientific researchers as well as alarmed wisdom keepers, but the problem keeps growing. More and more cattle in less and less space and the consequences mount yearly.
The task is clear. Maintain a steady flow of nutritious food, eliminate the unintended consequences, and ‘break the back’ of an institution that is harming the planet, human health, and the potential of a livable future.
As Howard Lyman said on Earth Talk Today this year, re-affirming a long held position; the fork is the most powerful weapon for change that we possess. What you and I put on the end of our fork or chopstick will determine the future long term health of the planet, as well as us. Chose to eliminate beef and you are really doing something effective for yourself, your children, and the earth.
How this campaign is designed is quite simple. Sign the pledge and begin the process of a meat free diet.
Our focus as a campaign begins with a hierarchy of ‘badness.’
1. Beef from CCAFO’s – colossal confined animal feeding operations
2. beef from CAFO’s – confined animal feeding operations
3. beef from SAFLO’s - Small Animal Feed Lot Operations
4. beef from range fed cattle
5. beef from organically range fed cattle
Our goal is to eventually wean our culture away from beef all together, but we begin with a hierarchical model for one is less damaging than the other.
The bottom line is to eliminate beef consumption, increase the number of family farmers/ranchers, re-educate to a more sustainable lifestyle and livelihood, and celebrate the American patriotic farmer/rancher than has provided food for this nation for generations.
Thanks for caring. Peter
Previously anonymous to most people, Henry Miller (aka. Heinrich Kreiser) and iconic 20th century character Ted Turner have something in common that is unique and remarkable. Miller, born in Germany on July 21st, 1847 and Turner born in the USA in 1938 are large landholding ranchers/farmers from two different times in our nation’s history. Miller, started cutting in meat in San Francisco as a teenager after immigrating from his native land as a stowaway, and ultimately as an adult was said to be able to ride from the Mexican border to the Oregon border on horseback stopping each evening in one of his ranches to spend the night – this mega-ranch was said to have totaled approximately 1 million acres. A century later Ted Turner, entrepreneur, visionary, and iconoclastic individualist owns several large ranches with a net acreage of approximately 2 million acres; and the largest native bison herd in North America.
These two men are the exception in terms of size of their holdings, but they are representative of the hard working farmers/ranchers of America from our earliest days, a type of person that is a dying breed. Granted it is hard to work the land, but big business has been the culprit and the family farm is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Formerly the back bone of the nation, the individual grower/rancher built the small rural towns and now agri-business is dictating a different landscape across the nation.
Small herds of grass fed roaming cattle have been replaced by 1000’s of head of cattle confided to a small area, fed grain, and fattened quickly on hormones and unnatural diets. Disassembling this monolithic system we call industrial agriculture has been written about by scientific researchers as well as alarmed wisdom keepers, but the problem keeps growing. More and more cattle in less and less space and the consequences mount yearly.
The task is clear. Maintain a steady flow of nutritious food, eliminate the unintended consequences, and ‘break the back’ of an institution that is harming the planet, human health, and the potential of a livable future.
As Howard Lyman said on Earth Talk Today this year, re-affirming a long held position; the fork is the most powerful weapon for change that we possess. What you and I put on the end of our fork or chopstick will determine the future long term health of the planet, as well as us. Chose to eliminate beef and you are really doing something effective for yourself, your children, and the earth.
How this campaign is designed is quite simple. Sign the pledge and begin the process of a meat free diet.
Our focus as a campaign begins with a hierarchy of ‘badness.’
1. Beef from CCAFO’s – colossal confined animal feeding operations
2. beef from CAFO’s – confined animal feeding operations
3. beef from SAFLO’s - Small Animal Feed Lot Operations
4. beef from range fed cattle
5. beef from organically range fed cattle
Our goal is to eventually wean our culture away from beef all together, but we begin with a hierarchical model for one is less damaging than the other.
The bottom line is to eliminate beef consumption, increase the number of family farmers/ranchers, re-educate to a more sustainable lifestyle and livelihood, and celebrate the American patriotic farmer/rancher than has provided food for this nation for generations.
Thanks for caring. Peter
Labels: Farmers and Ranchers
posted by Peter Kreitler @ 10:22 AM
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