Thought this might be one of those kinder/gentler slaughter house articles, but yeow was I wrong:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/opinion/12kristof.html?em
He cites a recent study here in the US that
“…found that 45 percent of pig farmers she sampled carried MRSA, as did 49 percent of the hogs tested.”
MRSA is flesh eating staph (for those who didn’t read the article). I like bacon as much as the next guy but I’m definitely keeping an eye on that holiday ham next year.
yikes.
We farm.
I can tell you that the current state of American Agriculture is unsustainable. These massive production plants are just a small part of the problem.
The days of cheap food will come to an end at some point.
The days of cheap food will come to an end at some point.
Cheap meat actually.
Have you read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”? If so, as a farmer, I would be interested in your take on the book, and the ideas it espouses.
Spot
Nope, not just cheap meat.
It is my honest belief that we cannot continue to use water at the rate we use it. Yes, most of our meat production (I think, but close enough to most) is corn based, but this will become only the first in a long series of issues.
Our fertilizers are petroleum based. What do we do when this goes away? when you ponder this, please don’t even use the terms organic and natural. Lovely concept, but ain’t gonna work on a large scale.
Nobody ever mentions the basis for virtually every problem the world faces (anymore). I’m old enough to remember when a certain term was in vouge; we were right then, and we should be discussing it now.
anybody???
edit to add…I have not read what I hear to be an interesting book (…Dilema), but understand from my Father in Law that’s he’s right about many things. Ag sucks, organic ain’t and hunting just ain’t that cool either. FIL is a 5th gereration farmer and he’s right about almost everything, from money to ag through women and life.
Nobody ever mentions the basis for virtually every problem the world faces (anymore). I’m old enough to remember when a certain term was in vouge; we were right then, and we should be discussing it now.
Overpopulation?
Kinda gloomy outlook, no? organic, I gotta agree but are the only two choices organic or agri-business??
Shoulda expected a dire outlook from a farmer, always too much rain or not enough 
or as my farming relatives (really, every meat eater should help out dressing a hog) were found of saying, ‘could be worse’
(really, every meat eater should help out dressing a hog)
I helped do that once. It didn’t put me off of meat. Although I have to say I am not a fan of blood pudding.
I grew up on a farm. Love the brains and eggs the morning on hog killing day. Pork fat rules.
pork…mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…lalalalalalalalalala…mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
baby back ribs …MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM…LALALALALALALALALAL…mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Such a tasty animal I love’m!!!