‘you truly are what you eat’

Alright, so many of you have probably already read the article that was published in the collegian at South Dakota State University. If you have not, here is a link to do so! I encourage you all to read it, as the rest of this blog will make more sense if you do so!

http://www.sdsucollegian.com/opinion/healthy-eating-leads-to-a-healthy-person-you-truly-are-what-you-eat-1.1814581

OK, so onto my opinions of this article.
First off, I love the title! I really do want to be filled with what I eat, which is why I eat beef! Who doesn't want to be filled with Zinc, Iron, Protein, and B12 Vitamins?
So, just as Mr. Kranz did, I am going to get right to the meat issue! He states that "Nearly everyone knows that cruelty almost beyond measure is happening at factory farms where the animals are excluded from many state animal cruelty laws." Alright, I understand his concern for animal cruelty mainly because it is the same concerns I have! I do not approve of unlawful and inappropriate behaviors in meat packing plants. Which is frankly why there are laws and regulations to begin with! The meat sold has to be regulated by the USDA and  without that stamp of approval of the treatment and cleanliness of the meat, it can't be sold! The laws of these plants require you to meet regulations, not only of the meat, but of the plant treatments. If the animal can't walk, the animal can't be slaughtered!

I also completely agree with his comment "It's easy to be negative and easy to not think about it. But it takes effort to CARE. You may have heard the quote, 'nothing worth doing is ever easy'." The agricultural community is struggling to get the truth out! We are trying to promote our industry and articles and stories like this that make us all sound like monsters do not help the cause! And I would argue with his statement that there is no such thing as a happy cow! If you've ever been in my show cattle barn, I would say those heifers are pretty darn happy in the summertime when it's 100 degrees outside and they are in a 60-65 degree barn all day long! They get fed all the food they want, get pampered, brushed and washed everyday, and they get turned loose at night to run around and munch on hay all night long! If I were a cow in that situation, I would be pretty darn happy! Also, if you go out to the Dairy Unit here at K-State, those cows are treated extremely well! The purpose of livestock is to reproduce. They are made to carry a calf and their bodies are made to handle it! If a dairy cow didn't have a calf, she would have absolutely no purpose! So, if we want to turn this whole world vegan and vegetarian, should we just kill all the animals and waste the products we could be creating from them? I am a strong Christian girl and I always have been. I do not support animal pain and suffering, however, I do support the use of animals for their purpose! If we are not going to use the products and by-products of animals, what is their purpose?

The part of his article that hit me the hardest was that he grew up on a dairy farm! He should know that dairy cows are raised well and treated well! If the cows are not treated well, they do not produce milk! If they are not producing milk, they are not a profit for the farmer! So, as Livestock people, we WANT our animals to be treated well...we NEED our animals to be treated well! We don't want to see them harmed any more than any vegetarian or vegan out there! Trust me...

Now, a message to Mr. Kranz...You really should read this blog post by Tasha. She was a vegan and started having MAJOR health problems that her doctors directly linked to her lack of meat consumption! She started eating meat again and her health is back to normal! Being a Vegan is not necessarily a healthy choice! http://voraciouseats.com/2010/11/19/a-vegan-no-more/