..STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann

 UNL Extension Educator,

Webster County

December 21, 2011 Edition

Most everyone is either in the middle of their extended family Christmases…. or done, and looking towards all of the bowl games and most likely planning New Year’s Eve. I suppose several are working on their New Year’s resolutions – overachievers! I just got used to writing 2011, so it may take a while to get that 2012 down. Where did this year go? One think is for certain, there has been a lot that has gone this past year. There has not been a shortage of items to address in this column. In fact a hot topic from the last couple of weeks is a good place to start as we draw this year to a close.
If you are involved in agriculture or have young people involved in your farm operation or business, then there is no doubt that you have been keeping up on the saga of the ill thought-out and controversial changes to child labor laws as they relate to farm youth. I think the ball is rolling on this, so thus I wanted to revisit this topic, because I think it is vitally important to agriculture and especially to our state and our region.
When I first found out about this fiasco, just after the Nebraska State Fair, I found out that a Senator from our good neighbors to the south was being vigilant on this and was holding the Department of Labor on task as they tried to sneak this change in rules affecting our youth. Kansas Senator Jerry Moran is leading the way to hold our ground and keep this group accountable as they make the decision that could have far-reaching consequences on agriculture all across the nation.
The good news is, according to Senator Moran -“We are in fight mode and we’ve got senators that we’re asking to join us to tell the Department of Labor to withdraw this regulation, and our letter that we are circulating among senators, that will go to the Department of Labor, has the American Farm Bureau, National Cattlemen, Ag Retailers, Pork Producers—those kind of groups—supporting it.” Senator Moran went on to say just exactly what yours truly and many rural Americans have been saying as this unfolded – “This is just craziness!” I once again applaud Senator Moran and all of the other Congressmen who have joined forces to stop this “craziness”. I hope you all contacted your Senator and/or Representative to add fuel to this fire. We can make a difference, but you have to take that step.
While Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the Labor Department’s proposed child labor laws will not negatively affect the sons and daughters of America’s farmers, I would simply say --“male bovine excrement!” On his blog last week, Secretary Vilsack said “there is nothing in the proposed rule that affects the ability of parents and families to assign chores and tasks to their children.” I thought he was from farm country and at the very least represents us. He knows full well that the rules would have a negative effect on extended family members who farm. I would think he would know that most family farms are in most cases extended family farms– with nephews, nieces, cousins, and grandchildren and grandparents who don’t fall under the famer exemption. As the proposal stands now, the way America farms will be changed dramatically. It goes way beyond the affect on a farmer’s children. This just smacks of political brownie points to me instead of common sense.
In his address he stated that it was to “simply protect the safety of children hired to work on a farm”. While that is good, I would think he would look a lot deeper into what the new regulations say, and the nuances that they bring, let alone the interpretations debate. Who determines what these new regs really say? Many of the concerns that I, and many other ag proponents, brought up were not even addressed. His response was almost laughable to me. You can read it for yourself at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2011/12/12/clarifying-the-department-of-labor%E2%80%99s-child-labor-proposal/ . I would say that he would better serve his industry by really addressing the item instead of glazing over it with a political brush.
Good News for Beef Eaters: How about some good news on the ag front? It seems that ag has been taking it on the chin on all kinds of areas for the last several years. There has of course been the constant barrage on beef as meat for consumption. Detractors have come out with studies that say beef is the cause of cancer, heart disease, heart attacks, failing kidneys and/or livers, obesity, and why not add impotence and aging to the epitaph. I found out some results of a new study that probably will never make page one, but it is exciting to me. Let’s take a look at the result of a new real scientific study.
This new research shows that eating lean beef every day can be good for heart health by improving cholesterol levels, according to the study called BOLD (Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet). The BOLD clinical study officially entitled “Effects on Lipids, Lipoproteins and Apolipoproteins”, conducted by Pennsylvania State University researchers, evaluated adults with moderately elevated cholesterol levels who followed four diets with varying amounts of beef, for five weeks each, to measure the impact of each diet on measures of heart health, such as total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. What is the good news? Subjects following the BOLD diet experienced a 10 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol from the start of the study. After five weeks, there were significant reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the BOLD diet. If you want to read more about the study you can go to: http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2011/12/13/ajcn.111.016261 .
I might also add a couple of other advantages of eating beef. One 3 oz. serving of lean beef is an excellent source of protein, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorus and a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin. All essential nutrients you need every day. Now when was the last time you heard “Eat some good beef, it is good for your cholesterol?” Maybe this will be an omen of good things to come in 2012. I certainly hope so. Steak sounds good to me!
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: http://www.webster.unl.edu/me