STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann,

 UNL Extension Educator,
 Webster County
May 6, 2011 Edition

I absolutely love this time of year. The cool nights and nice days (when it doesn’t have gale force winds), the greening of the trees, growing grass, cattle branding and trailers heading towards pastures, and I can’t forget the smell of spring rain - all signal a new year, a new beginning. While all this sounds rather “Rockwell”ish, many people are impervious to the daily attacks on agriculture that are building steam and getting stronger. We could look at all of the segments in agriculture that are exposed to this risk, but let us today look at the animal agriculture continuum.

One of the major societal groups that are attacking agriculture and particularly animal agriculture are the “Vegans.” Not to be confused with “vegetarians” who simply choose not to eat meat. For those of you who are not familiar with the term Vegan, here is a simple explanation. Basically, a Vegan subsists on a diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Most vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines. Vegans also avoid the use of all products tested on animals, as well as animal-derived non-food products, such as leather, fur and wool. They not only don’t eat or use animals or animal products – they don’t want anyone else to either and will go to incredible lengths to see that we don’t.

That is fine if they choose to live that way, but my problem is that they are trying to force their ideology on all of us, and in the meantime destroy the livelihoods of many of us involved in the production of high protein food for consumers, who are bombarded with myths, lies, half-truths and large treasure chests that can buy advertisement, create anti-animal ag movies and even pay for lawyers to sue livestock producers, feed yards and packers. It is not a level playing field. I can’t believe the lengths that they go to in order to disrupt if not destroy one of the biggest industries in this state and so important to our nation’s stability. I always thought there was something wrong with these people, and now I find scientific proof. Are you ready for this? Here is the headline “Study Finds Vegens Have Smaller Brains”.

It seems that scientists at the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford, have discovered that going veggie could be bad for your brain – with those on a meat-free diet six times more likely to suffer brain shrinkage. The study involved tests and brain scans on community-dwelling volunteers aged 61 to 87 years without cognitive impairment at enrolment, over a period of five years. When the volunteers were retested five years later the medics found those with the lowest levels of vitamin B12 were also the most likely to have brain shrinkage. It confirms earlier research showing a link between brain atrophy and low levels of B12. Vegans are the most likely to be deficient because the best sources of the vitamin are meat, particularly liver, milk and fish - all on Vegans “will not consume” list.

I have been hollering for quite some time now that we need to really work on advocacy for policies that benefit agribusiness because of the efforts of groups like the Vegan groups, as well as groups like HSUS, PETA, FARM, Farm Sanctuary, ALF and about a hundred other anti-animal ag groups. I am delighted to find that one of our ag oriented universities to our south, Oklahoma State University, is offering a senior-level course entitled “Animal Agriculture Advocacy & Policy.” The course was designed to equip animal science majors at OSU with the information and skills needed to become agriculture advocates and industry spokesman. It's a response to what the originators of the course consider anti-agribusiness advocacy. I have to tell you that I would envision that happening at the University of Nebraska and in our agriculture education classes in our high schools across the state. If we don’t approach this issue and take the bull by the horn, as OSU does, we may someday pay the ultimate price.


To provide a countering view for our continually stronger and bolder detractors, we need every graduate in animal science, we need every agriculture person out there to talk to consumers, and help them understand that animal agriculture is strong, and that we are doing everything we possibly can to keep our animals comfortable. We need to communicate the good things that we do for animal welfare, providing the food for a growing population and how we provide the safest food in the world. We also need to make sure that our producers follow the good production practices and quality assurance for animal welfare. We cannot afford to have those bad apples that seem to be highlighted way too often.

The semester class at OSU featured speakers that included lawmakers, industry spokesmen and academics who are leading the fight against those looking to end traditional animal agriculture in America. The class goes beyond just speakers. Other parts include teaching how you advocate, how to face the detractors effectively, how to keep our own house in order, and how to get the truth out to citizens and consumers.

For generations, farmers have been “telling” their story through their output, and many of my farmer friends think that should be sufficient. What we have accomplished is admirable, if not incredible; however, in the age of social media, that's no longer enough. Fast, well-reasoned responses to criticism are essential and all of us involved in agriculture and especially the young people who will be the agricultural leaders of tomorrow need to have those tools. I compliment OSU animal science for being the first in the nation to take this big, important step. Now if we can all follow suit…Go Pokes!

The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: www.webster.unl.edu/home