Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Farmers believe in protecting all consumers rights!
Traditional and organic farmers all want their animals and land protected in order to provide wholesome products. Consumers need to choose the right foods combined for their family and help their families to ensure quality well being. Farmers are concerned about stewardship of the land and their animals as they are their greatest assets besides their families. It is extremely important to protect soil, air, water and animals. Farmers make good decisions about their farms, which in turn directly impacts the health of all rural and suburban communities.
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If you cared about consumers' rights you wouldn't have testified against the raw milk bill.
ReplyDeleteIf you chose not to drink raw milk, that is your choice. Others chose to drink it and that is there choice. You do not beleive in consumers' rights.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI care about the consumer's health and what is best for everyone's family. There isn't a farmer in the world that can guarantee their raw milk to be safe, whether they feed grass or grain. Drinking raw milk from my farm or any other isn't healthy and that is a fact. I believe there are consumers that may get sick and sue a farmer and that could be the end of our industry as we know it. That would be my other concern. Look what Oprah did to the beef industry several years ago. As farmers we need to protect ourselves from the consumer that sometimes doesn't look at the whole picture. If you want to drink raw milk, good for you for finding someone who will sell it to you.
It's your choice to care about my health, but it is not your right to take away my choices. I choose to drink raw milk. You may not agree with it and that's fine. But if you truly cared about consumer rights you would agree that the ability to make our own choices is one of the most important right we have.
ReplyDeleteBut, your true feelings came out. Your concerned about liability. It's a valid concern, but it's not justification for trying to take away my ability to choose how to feed my family.
FYI ~ there also isn't a farmer in the world that can guarantee their pastuerized milk is safe....or their spinach...or their eggs. With all fresh foods there is a risk.
ReplyDeleteIt's the consumer's choice to decide what risks are worth taking and which ones are not.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI do believe that the milk that is not pasteurized is not good for anyone. I would love to say that I could guarantee that my product is safe. Well...I can because it is sent to my cooperative and pasteurized and homogenized. Obviously, I can't guarantee my raw milk or anyone other farmers raw milk to be safe. That is the problem that I have. I am all about choices and wouldn't like someone to take away my choices, but when it has a health risk attached to it, I do feel differently. I always try and read and educate myself about the different issues, but if it is out of my realm of expertise I trust others to guide me in the right way.
Ms. Kyle -
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, you completely contradict yourself about choices. You do not support a consumer's choice to consume raw milk because of what you feel are health risks. You have no choice but to defend the status quo because you need to defend how you’ve chosen to farm (self protection). In the past you have discouraged legislation (legalization of raw milk sales) in order to inhibit competition. How is that not taking away someone's choice? "Old fashioned" sustained the planet for 8000 years of agriculture. Your industry has destroyed the planet in 65 years. Good on you, girl, just keep defending the industry that's killing you. How's that for Stockholm Syndrome? You defend the use of rbgh so I assume you use this in your dairy. Tell me, what is the average age of a cow in your dairy? At what age can she no longer keep up to your production standards and you have to cull her?
Did you know that there are cases of people dying from pasteurized milk? I believe the latest incident was 2007 in Massachusetts, where there was a listeria outbreak that killed 2 or 3 people (and was indicated as the cause of a miscarriage). The raw milk issue is fundamentally about choice. I am not some fanatic, but am someone who understands the risks inherent in (raw) foods in general, be it eggs, meat, milk, fish, seafood, and even vegetables. It is my responsibility to choose what I eat, not anyone else's. To assert a guarantee that your milk is safe because it is sent to a cooperative and then pasteurized and homogenized is naïve.
And let’s address the elephant in the room…radiation from Japan. What is the dairy industry doing to protect itself from that? There is no question the fallout is occurring. The problem is that the reporting of it (and measuring of it) is not getting the attention it deserves.
Science may "prove" to you that there are bad bacteria, but that science is entirely limited by human knowledge, or lack thereof. Many reports and studies have been published recently about the gut bacteria present in humans. Scientists had no idea that there were so many different bacteria, and in fact, they have not even been able to classify/identify all of them. There is so much that is yet to be learned, and "science" is just scratching the surface.
By the way, how much does Kylecrest Holsteins get in farm subsidies? Wouldn't want to bite the hand that feeds you.
Gemma,
ReplyDeleteThe cows at Kylecrest Holsteins are extremely healthy.
In fact, the cows have such longevity that we sell cows to other dairy farmers. We have done this for several years.
Our careful management of the herd results in healthier cows than one would find in the 'typical' dairy farm (including certified organic and grass based dairies.
If you want the specific numbers for comparison I could get them for you.
I am curious, where did you learn about dairy cow health and well being?
Is there a reason that you don't reveal your profile?
Thanks. Laurie Kyle
Ms. Kyle,
ReplyDeleteI would love to see specific numbers for comparison. I'm surprised that other dairy farmers would be interested in older cows.
You fail to address most of my questions, however. I still don't understand how you can justify being against raw milk and not admit that takes away a consumer's choice. You are not responsible for the food choices I make. And you have every right to not sell raw milk. But that doesn't mean it is right for you to actively campaign against the sales of raw milk for the reason's you have listed. Campaigning against raw milk, in effect, does limit competition, it protects your industry, and it helps create a monopoly.
I may not agree with the way you have chosen to farm, but I don't have a right to prevent you from doing that. It is your choice to farm the way you do, and if consumers agree with that and want to consume what your farm produces, then so be it. With commodity prices the way they are, I just don't understand how you can be profitable with milk at $16.70/CWT.
Gemma,
ReplyDeleteRaw milk is my milk of choice and it is not as healthy as pasteurized and homogenized. This is not just my opinion, my pediatrician believes that based on studies he doesn't feel comfortable with my kids drinking raw milk.
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