Vegan Discussion
Many of you will never change your mind concerning animal agriculture. If it is based on animal or earth welfare, I hope your decision was made after researching both sides of the issues. Have you visited a dairy farm? Have you talked with a farmer? Those are two important steps to take before making the big decision to become vegan or not.
If you don't believe animals should be "used" by humans including for food or pets, we will never agree about dairy farming and that's ok. If you believe that animals and humans were created equal, again, we will never agree. That's ok too, lets agree to disagree and please, just pass on by. To learn more about what we believe about caring for the earth and the animals, go here - Why We Farm.
Our interaction with vegans have mostly been online and haven't been pretty. However, I know that they are not necessarily representative of all vegans. On this page, I would like to address some of the accusations that have come at us either from vegans or animal rights activist.
If you don't believe animals should be "used" by humans including for food or pets, we will never agree about dairy farming and that's ok. If you believe that animals and humans were created equal, again, we will never agree. That's ok too, lets agree to disagree and please, just pass on by. To learn more about what we believe about caring for the earth and the animals, go here - Why We Farm.
Our interaction with vegans have mostly been online and haven't been pretty. However, I know that they are not necessarily representative of all vegans. On this page, I would like to address some of the accusations that have come at us either from vegans or animal rights activist.
Raping animals
This accusation is typically in reference to AI (Artificial Insemination) breeding. Not all dairy farmers use AI, however, we and many other farmers, choose to use it for multiple reasons. It is completely safe. Here are some facts regarding AI breeding:
1. It's safer than having a bull. Not only for the farmers, their families and employees but for the cows as well. Bulls are big, strong animals and can injure cows during breeding.
2. More control over gender. We use sexed semen for most of our cows, meaning we can choose the sex. Amazing, I know, but it is fairly accurate, especially with jerseys. This way we have less bull calves and more girls.
3. The cows are not injured in any way when breeding via AI. It is a mild discomfort at the most.
4. We only breed when the cow is in heat.
5. Your dates are going to be accurate which makes it easier to better care for the cow and her calf.
1. It's safer than having a bull. Not only for the farmers, their families and employees but for the cows as well. Bulls are big, strong animals and can injure cows during breeding.
2. More control over gender. We use sexed semen for most of our cows, meaning we can choose the sex. Amazing, I know, but it is fairly accurate, especially with jerseys. This way we have less bull calves and more girls.
3. The cows are not injured in any way when breeding via AI. It is a mild discomfort at the most.
4. We only breed when the cow is in heat.
5. Your dates are going to be accurate which makes it easier to better care for the cow and her calf.
Stealing Babies
This is in reference to dairy farmers separating the calves from their mothers. Why do we do this? This can be a hard one, I mean, who in their right mind would ever want to take a baby away from their mom? The only reason I can think of is if the "baby" is safer or able to be better cared for, away from "mom" than with. This is exactly why we separate the calves from their mothers.
1. Not all dairy cows make great moms. They have been known to step on their calves and to not clean or care for them properly.
2. We keep them in a cleaner environment than if they were left with the rest of the cows.
3. We make sure they get enough quality colostrum.
4. We monitor them closely to keep them healthy.
5. Sometimes but not always, a new mom will notice when her calf is taken away. Quite often, they don't even notice. Many times, they're only interested in the food we have out for them. If a cow shows signs of being upset, usually within 24 hrs. they no longer even remember what they were upset about and life returns back to normal.
Qualifier - There are those who do keep the calf and mother together, they choose what is best for their animals. Beef ranchers for example, keep them together but beef cows are a lot different than dairy cows. Even dairy cow temperaments vary between the different breeds.
To watch a video of a calf being separated from it's mother and to learn more about how we care for our calves, go here - Caring for our Calves.
1. Not all dairy cows make great moms. They have been known to step on their calves and to not clean or care for them properly.
2. We keep them in a cleaner environment than if they were left with the rest of the cows.
3. We make sure they get enough quality colostrum.
4. We monitor them closely to keep them healthy.
5. Sometimes but not always, a new mom will notice when her calf is taken away. Quite often, they don't even notice. Many times, they're only interested in the food we have out for them. If a cow shows signs of being upset, usually within 24 hrs. they no longer even remember what they were upset about and life returns back to normal.
Qualifier - There are those who do keep the calf and mother together, they choose what is best for their animals. Beef ranchers for example, keep them together but beef cows are a lot different than dairy cows. Even dairy cow temperaments vary between the different breeds.
To watch a video of a calf being separated from it's mother and to learn more about how we care for our calves, go here - Caring for our Calves.
Stealing milk
All of our calves get colostrum and milk for the first few months until they are weaned. When a cow gives birth, the colostrum and the first milk, gets milked into separate buckets. That milk is reserved for the calves. There are some dairies that use colostrum/milk replacer but really, is that any different than using infant formula for babies? You can bet that the replacer is perfectly nutritional and safe for the calves. No one is stealing anything, the cows want to be milked. It is not torture for them. They willingly come into the parlor to be milked. To learn more about how we care for our cows, go here - Cow Care. (Videos showing the cows being milked and walking to the parlor, coming soon)
Destroying the Planet - Greenhouse-Gas emissions
Accusation - "Dairy Farming is responsible for x amount of all greenhouse gas emissions! It's more than all of transportation put together!" Most of what is out there is based on a study that was later admitted to being seriously flawed, like comparing oranges and apples. More information coming....
In 2006, the United Nations released a news report - "According to a new report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport." This study, however, was flawed.
Pierre Gerber, who's name is on the U.N. report, admitted, "we factored in everything for meat emissions, and we didn't do the same thing with transport" What this means is that when they looked at meat emissions, they did a full life-cycle analysis which would include fertilizer production, land clearance, methane emissions and vehicle use on the farm. Keep in mind, this is also world wide, not just in the U.S. For transportation, they only accounted for the burning of fossil fuels, no auto manufacturing, no road construction. A little bit like comparing apples to oranges.
Other items to note:
The 9% attributed to agriculture in the EPA report is all of agriculture, including crop and livestock production for food.
Livestock give us more benefits than meat. There are numerous other by-products, including but not limited to organic fertilizer (manure) used for all the fruits and veggies we enjoy.
In 2006, the United Nations released a news report - "According to a new report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport." This study, however, was flawed.
Pierre Gerber, who's name is on the U.N. report, admitted, "we factored in everything for meat emissions, and we didn't do the same thing with transport" What this means is that when they looked at meat emissions, they did a full life-cycle analysis which would include fertilizer production, land clearance, methane emissions and vehicle use on the farm. Keep in mind, this is also world wide, not just in the U.S. For transportation, they only accounted for the burning of fossil fuels, no auto manufacturing, no road construction. A little bit like comparing apples to oranges.
Other items to note:
The 9% attributed to agriculture in the EPA report is all of agriculture, including crop and livestock production for food.
Livestock give us more benefits than meat. There are numerous other by-products, including but not limited to organic fertilizer (manure) used for all the fruits and veggies we enjoy.
Destroying the planet - water pollution
There is a touch of truth here but the exaggerations are huge. Farmers have been working on this issue for a long, long time! Huge improvements have been made over the years. This is a big issue in WA state as I'm sure it is in other states as well. I can only speak to our state which I have knowledge of. All dairies are required by law to have a dairy nutrient management plan. In that "plan" are specific, to the dairy, steps that are taken to prevent pollution.
1. All storm-run-off is directed to specific areas so it can be filtered before entering the ground water.
2. We keep our manure in a "lagoon" that has been built to very detailed specifications laid out by the local NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Services).
3. We have strict parameters guiding us to safely spread our manure on the ground so that the plants get the benefit of the nutrients and not the water.
For more info, including a video showing how lagoons are built, go here - Our Environment.
1. All storm-run-off is directed to specific areas so it can be filtered before entering the ground water.
2. We keep our manure in a "lagoon" that has been built to very detailed specifications laid out by the local NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Services).
3. We have strict parameters guiding us to safely spread our manure on the ground so that the plants get the benefit of the nutrients and not the water.
For more info, including a video showing how lagoons are built, go here - Our Environment.
"Sending innocent animals to a horrific death"
Animals being used for meat, goes back to what you base your beliefs on. If you don't believe an animal should be killed so humans can eat meat, that's your decision. I won't argue that with you. As far as the "horrific death" goes - Have you ever watched a National Geographic film about animals in the wild? Have you seen how a lion will take down a gazelle? How wolves will go after buffalo? It is not pretty! That is what I would call a vicious, ugly and horrific death. In order to have meat, an animal is killed. It is done humanely and quickly with the least amount of pain possible.
Dairy Sustainability Made Me ReThink Being Vegan
Click the title for the article
By Kayla Thomas – Utah State University Dietetics Student
Click the title for the article
By Kayla Thomas – Utah State University Dietetics Student
"My decision to become vegan was not taken lightly. It was after much soul searching and research that over two years ago I chose to vote with my fork for sustainable agriculture, health, and animal care. I am currently a dietetics student, finishing up school and preparing to take the dietetics exam. While I don’t preach veganism to my patients/clients, for the last two years, I have personally followed this lifestyle and made those choices."
"... I had the opportunity to visit two dairy farms. Watching the process of milk production on a dairy farm was an eye-opening opportunity."
"... I had the opportunity to visit two dairy farms. Watching the process of milk production on a dairy farm was an eye-opening opportunity."
For those interested in learning how animal-rights activists are influencing public opinion and even our laws, this is a great website - Protect the Harvest!