Alright, Mr. Schlosser. Let's get to the bottom of this, once and for all. Every tactic used in this chapter titled, Meat, from "Chew on This", was used to warm hearts, shock, repulse, and create vegetarians out of the entire nation. Well, it's not going to work. Let me tell all of you how we really treat our livestock.
I raise cattle of my own. Each year I have two steers that I feed grain and hay twice a day, I tend to them when they are sick or off feed, I weigh them in to monitor their process, and I show them in 4-H and FFA to compete against other students with the same passion for the beef industry. At the end of every summer, I have to take my beloved steers to the meat locker. Teary-eyed I say my final good-bye to my summertime pals. You might think that sending your pets to their death would make one never eat beef again, but I know that they will be treated well, and I also know that they will be gracing the tables of many in a nutrient-dense meal that is healthy for all. It is simply a fact of life on the farm, and I want all of you to understand why it is okay to let go and accept these methods. Believe me when I say that this isn't just my feeling alone: there are 800,000 cattlemen in the United States who raise 94.9 million cattle in our country, and consumers confidently spend $16 billion dollars each year on beef, the most beloved food in America.
I would like to introduce all of you to the many programs we follow in the beef industry to maintain optimal health of our cattle and ensure a safe, wholesome product for all people to enjoy and love.
- Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)- This program helps cattlemen learn and implement science based practices to provide wholesome, safe beef products for consumers. Basically this is the producer code of cattle care. Why wouldn't we want to take the best of care of our cattle? It's a fact that stress lessens the quality of beef. This is our livelihood, so not only do we want to care for our livestock because we love them but also because it provides a top notch product for the highest profit.
- Humane Slaughter Act- This is a strict animal handling and slaughtering standards for packing plants. Violations result in immediate shutdown of the plant. This means no animal is tortured while still alive or left to die a slow painful death. Workers have to follow strict sanitation standards to ensure a safe, healthy product for the public.
- Good Management Practices (GMP)- This encourages the industry to conduct self-audits and regularily note potential problems in addition to identifying positive progress and improvements on livestock operations.
Other programs include: Animal Well-Being and Stress Control System, Seeking Common Ground, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Environmental Quality Incentive Program, Farm/Ranch Lands Protection Program, Grassland Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Clean Water Act, and Conservation Reserve Program.
These programs prove the point that we do care about our livestock, we are true stewards of the land, and our number one goal is to provide the safest, healthiest, most nutritious product. Beef- It's STILL what's for dinner!
To learn more about these beef programs check out the information (opens a PDF file) we studied to prepare for the National Beef Ambassador Contest.
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