No. Not tempted to shun read meat or cow products.

There's nothing wrong with red meat or cow products per se. The process shown in the video is atrocious - and that's what I have a beef ( excuse the pun ) with. That's where to direct indignation and demand for change to. It is not the end product in your hand, it is the processes taken to arrive at the end product. Humans are carnivores, like it or not, and require a wide variety of food for good health. Red meat is one of the components of a healthy lifestyle for most people. Not the gorge-on-burgers-and-steaks way, but the moderate, single portion way.

I know a person who tried to stop eating meat and replaced protein intake with soy ( she's a big animal lover ) but unfortunately she couldn't metabolize the soy properly and the accumulation of byproducts from her body's attempts to metabolize soy slowly poisoned her. She's healthy again after switching back to a diet supplying her body's protein needs from meat.

While there are people who subsist on cow-free or meat free diets, it likely isn't an option for all people who want to make a difference.

So, what is?

It is not the eating of red meat or cow products that need shunning, I think. It is the factorized, profit-before-all-else processes that are inserted into the food chain by a few super rich corporations who do not have the best interests of anybody but themselves on their agenda. While you could argue that it is consumer demand that drives this process, that is probably too simplistic. The factorization of farms can also drive the process. In such a case, it can be argued that it is because protein became cheap that burger joints sprang up everywhere and people started gorging themselves on cheap, convenient ( and unhealthy ) food.

Buy whole cuts from local outlets, buy organic cow products, join a consumer pressure group, do something the hard way, the right way. Until the profit-before-all-else portion is culled from the food chain, nothing will change. And goodness knows that simply appealing to a fat cat's human decency won't cut it. They have to be hit in the wallet or they do not listen - but without compromising your own health, if possible.

They still have cows in Chino? I thought they all mooved to Kern County.

We don't all treat our cows like that

Remember I am the one who put up the "steer roping" abuse!

We aren't all like that.

Don't eschew red meat due to some a$$holes in the biz anymore than you will veggies because some farm workers are arbused. K?

Love my Medium rare steaks and will not give them up, nor my bacon and sausage.

I am already eating less meat,it is easy to stay healthy with a vegetarian type diet,costs less too.So I can save that money to buy certified organic, humanely treated cow meat~  I can not give up the occasional fillet or Spencer steak. That link has some actions one can take,and I agree,hit them in the pocket book,it is all they understand. Notice that meat is going to the old, the poor and the school child...groups not known for their "buying power".Take action and stand for these groups.

I think some good points have been made. We shouldn't jump to the conclusion that all beef comes from procedures like the ones shown in the video. Nor should we assume this is just a beef industry thing. (By the way, I'm now onto lunch -- a ham sandwich -- so I'd rather not think what totures pigs may incur.)

However, when thinking about beef, I can't help but think of something my dad said recently. I think he heard it on a radio talk show. He said it won't be bird flu or nuclear war that kills us -- it will be the cow. Consider, he said, the bad fat and cholesterol in the meat, diseases like E. coli and mad cow and the animals' contribution to greenhouse gases. My dad's no liberal either. He's a fan of Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck. But he also grew up on a farm in a rural area of upstate New York. He said as soon as he saw the transition from patures to feedlots, he knew it couldn't be good.

That said, I think Griffon64 is right. There are ways to buy beef that doesn't undergo this sort of process. I'm just not sure they sell it at Albertson's (where I shop) and clearly kids in schools don't have this choice.

On another note, The New York Times yesterday had an interesting story about the growth of beef consumption and the environmental impacts of factory farms. It even featured a picture of a Harris Ranch feedlot in Coalinga.

Your Dad has a point about Feedlots. To be sure.

Don't think you need to be too concerned with BSE (mad cow) here or in relation to human health as we don't re-feed cow parts here like they do in UK and even in Canada (most recent cases of BSE).

But just like many other things, when you get into big production and away from the little guy (farms, ranches, whatever) you will see many kinds of excesses and cost cutting measures that might not inure to the benefit of the consumer.

Lawson's Health Food sells certified organic meats.

I've often wondered about ranching. I had the chance to interview a longtime Kern County rancher this summer and got to visit his ranch. He had thousands and thousands of acres for his cattle to roam. However, it was an extremely dry winter so there was a concern about a shortage of feed on the land. But I left wondering what would cause someone to stay in ranching when we see all these feedlots cropping up. Feedlot seems to be the modern way of raising cattle whereas ranching seems more old-fashioned. Is ranching just a way of life that some prefer to stick with? Anyone know?

As far as your rancher friend, the feed lots aren't a bad thing. They can finish off with grain and hay 400 and 500 pounders where we used to be well advised to take em to at least a thou. This gives us greater flexibility in some ways so when you go to sale you may not have nice homogeneous lots or some stringers you just want to dump. Or maybe even the ones that need finishing. You can run the stringers through at end of sale for instance and the old Rudnicks, or Harris's, etc. will pick them up very cheap but at least you get something to lower your over all cwt costs.

We used to be at Hanford or even WSM every week. With feed lot operations coming in you can save up some of the crap and know that you won't have to bring em home again. At least get something.

In a way, I'm glad I never got big enough to have to condone or even look the other way at the abuse. I have a soft heart (OK Sage, quit laughing) and it just kills me to see some of it.

Ranching ain't like on TV. Its a hot, sh*tty, fly infested, p*ss soaked, knee deep in p*ss soked heifer dust or breathing it when dry and windy existance not fit for man or beast. Like a farmer (you are a cow farmer) you pray for rain and your life is in the fields every year. If you didn't put $$ back on good years and let the ol lady get that caddy or now Lexus, you might not be able to make it through the dry years. And when it does rain (like lately) prices will skyrocket and if you then have to buy (because of damn speculators and grass thats gonna come) you will be in at high cwt on the hoof cost. Then you hope pasture holds out cause if you hafta buy hay you might as well call in the vet cause the bills will kill you just the same.

The good things:

Steppin outside to take a pee

Shooting critters off 'n back porch (after peein')

BBQ'n a sick cow now and then and havin your by now very few "friends" over (remember what Doc Holiday said - most of us are like that)

and

bein able to dodge inheritance tax and let yer grand and great grand kids have some land to sell and buy drugs with.

Ain't it grand?

I have a little sayin'

Kinda sums up life

"When I was in oil bidness we all wanted some cows.

Then I got in cow bidness and we all want an oil well.

Mebbe I better learn to be happy with what I got"

(put another way, the grass is always greener)

Chico. You are a true philosopher and as I am, a true optimist.

Go cows..we kill them and we eat them (=...all yoyu vegetarians are going to die because you have no good meat in your body..(=

I could never understand the cow market

If I own a thousand acres   and have 500 head    why do I need to sell @ a lower price

My 500 head weighing 500 to 700 lbs  has to be worth $ 500.00 each x 500=$25000.00

I mean Rib Eye Steak is $ 7.99 a pound 

Chico I have this feeling     that all these new milk cows have hurt the beef market    why not go out and buy them there milker's and raise them    if beef is beef      who knows the differences

Sorry buddy just a thought.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Why not start your own feed lot       Beef is Beef     If it looks eatable @ a good price I'll    Bar B Q it

Tch my heart bleeds for those animals       I didn't create them      they are here for us     I have to eat     Meat belongs to us to eat

If we ever get to our loved one's       &n bsp;  cat's and dog's      then I quit eating meat      Still I feel sorry for all those animals

In my Heart     I believe God stops pain the minute death comes to these    even before death   I don't believe they suffer

If He says we are allowed to eat them I believe pain to them never comes

I have my little doggie in my lap      if anyone was to hurt her     I would go agaisnt god"s commandments

But in this county   Dogs and cats   are not on the dinner dish

unless you live in Delano or Lamont

Yes. I do know that God said it was OK too eat animals. Yes I know. But ABUSE is ABUSE and intolerable! If a "feedlot" is abusing animals as shown over and over and over to be the case then they should be held accountable and be shut down and be in serious trouble!

We all can't just sit back and say "too bad" and do nothing...

It so has to stop!

For the record I only chuckled, Chico( would not want to ruin your rep as a hard nose). Ranching,farming is a good life,but fraught with trouble. My grandparents,parents ,cousins all were long time ag folks,owned land and operations all over the county. One by one mistakes were made,or the next generation was not interested in ag,which by then was big business not farming or ranching. My Dad lost everything(for various reasons) and I begged my Mother to keep the land she had ..but to no avail. Now it is all ancient history.And houses.

The amount of abuses in this industry dominated by huge subsidized corporate giants is legion. It is no coincidence that the rise of E. Coli has spread so quickly through the food pipeline. These giant feed lots routinely feed animal carcasses to these poor creatures. The amounts of antibiotics used to stem the disease in these beasts, and then ingested into our own blood stream, is one of the primary causes of virulent strains of bacteria being so resistant to antibiotics today.  But don't anybody worry, just cook that fine meat product into charcoal and you won't have to worry about any little bacteria. Make sure you wash your hands in disinfectant before and after dining.

It has never been enough for these huge corporate pirates like ConAgra, which control so much of the food supply and have driven so many small ranchers and farmers out of business. Farm Aid has been around for more than twenty-five years trying to help the small farmer and rancher while trying to raise the public consciousness over the abuses committed by these subsidized conglomerates. I guess only mass disease and infection gets anybody's notice today. 

I know Murphy       is it our Heart or where we live      if where we live thank God       I know people have to eat    if they have dog

or cat I can't judge them    I do know if 30 Million more Mexican's come over the border      cat's and dog's might be on our menu

But I will defend my babies      Chu Chu  Mylie   Kylie   and Bailey

You are smarter than you may purport there Ron

The most money I ever made was raising dairy replacements. They went for a thousand a round no matter what. And that was many moons ago.

Pretty much beef is beef, I mean a Holstein ain't bad eatin but when ya gets inta conversion ratios and all that there college boy stuff, then ya want beef cattle for beef to be really profitable. Beef for beef and milk for milk.

Its like people will tell ya Holsteins are easy handlers because they are handled so much. Don't believe it!

The worst beatin' a truck of mine ever took was from a crazy a$$ Holstein bull.. Had to lead poisen 'im with a 30-30 (Murph gun it was--lever adction model 94) he had caved in the front quarter of that damn Dodge.

OK, so why don't I just raise dairy replacements now (after all there are even more dairies in valley now). Well, there are a lot of other smart fellers a doin' it and I kinda went broke a while back on a buncha raw calves with shippin' fever. Been bryin' to pull myself back up ever since.

But Ron, you got the right idea. Mebbe someday I'll get me some more spotted cows.....  ;=)

And Ron, ever wonder what really makes money for Walmart, Target, etc.??

Sure their volume @ their measly PM of 3% to 5% or whatever makes a lot of cash flow.

But their real $$ is in their RE holdings. Just like Starbucks.

Same with ranchers. Only problemo is, ya gots ta liquidate ta get the $$!

Then ya got no biz.

Like in oil bidness -- you are constantly liquidating (DDA - or Depreciation Depletion and Amortization) your inventory. Unless you find more oil -- yer puttin' yerself outa bidness!

Its a hell of a world, ain't it?

thnks chico     like i said I dont know

These giant feed lots routinely feed animal carcasses to these poor creatures.

Thats not true Adam. Patently false. And its not the E Coli as the reason either. Its due to BSE (as I explained before)

UK and Canada to a lesser extent feed the CNS part of the animals (that carries the BSE) to others. We don't. Thats one thing the Govt controls to a great extent. That and Brucilosis, Anthrax, and some others (you used to see cows at sale with a big B on them as an example-it was for Brucelosis and they had been inspected) are carefully screened and sifted for.

E Coli comes more from the improper cleaning, handling, and heating of the meat than the feeding of even animal parts other than CNS.

Thats funny Murph. Especially given what happened to us a few years back.

We had a charlais and brangus cross bull calf one time that I had castrated and we marveled at its pretty :"mouse" color! One of the boys took a particular shine to him so he kinda treated him special and he was up in the corrals hext to the office.

This other friend of ours who raises race horses for Santa Anita, etc. (quarter race horses not thorobreds) owed us some haulin' fees so he gave us a bunch of this really "hot" race horse feed!

Me an' the boy fed that sucker up to about 800 lbs or so and I forgot about him. We were eating dinner one night and one boy said something about "Rib Eye Dad". I didn't know what they were a talkin' about. But it made me think of that mouse colored steer the boy was a feedin' that hot feed to. So I asked what happened to him.

In unison the entire table shouted "YER EATIN' HIM DAD!"

It was truly the best Rib Eye I've ever had. They had taken him to slaughter hooch without me or that one boy knowin' about it!

He was sure good though. A freezer full of of Rib Eyes and other cuts. So you never know whats gonna make good tastin' meat!

Hardest thing to haul might just be cattle. You have to constantly check on 'em. If they get down they can suffocate. So you stop to check your tires, better check your cargo too. And don't dilly dally. You can pee and get a bite when ya fuel up. Thats about it.

I'd rather haul most anytihing than cows, even sheep. But you can make some damn good $$ especially if you'll help gather 'em. Most dirviers just wanna sit on there ass. They won't even help load 'em like you did Murph!

(even if ya only did it the once {jk}  ;=)

But in this county   Dogs and cats   are not on the dinner dish

unless you live in Delano or Lamont

With the influx of Asians, especially Vietnamese, you can expect a greater usage of pets for table fare. Its just the way it is.

The flips love to gut those pigs while still alive, you never heard so much screamin' (Delano days).

But the vietnamese and Koreans will use dogs and cats for food.

They love chows (thus the derivation of the name? haha) especially with real black tongues.

And my wife has a little foo foo dog that sits in my lap and I feel the same way about him as you do yours.

I had an uncle that was the same way about his little 3 legged poodle "Pierre" or "Pee Air"

he was also missing an ear. He almost called him "Lucky"

Murphy, you kow I know all them Pandol's real well and Kenny Miller too.

Sorry Chico, my statement might be hyperbolic but parts of animals are rountinely fed to cattle through the feed process. This has been reported through a variety of sources readily available to anyone who gives two-hoots about what they put in their mouths to digest. Here is one -They Eat What-

To clarify my position on this thread, I have no gripe with omnivores like human-beings eating meat. I do have a big jones for huge enterprises that engage in the worst forms of slaughter and sanitation on an epic scale, and encourage the ignorant public to make sure they cook the undislosed contaminated goods properly. Allowing giants to dominate the marketplace has had many unintended consequences which have left many people without the wherwithal to compete fairly in the market place and threatens the health of the nation. 

As we find out all the time Adam, natural (or as close to it as we can possibly get) is usually best.  I've branded with operators before who routinely do a round of hormones ($4 to $8 a round) on their steers when castrating, etc. We never did. Too much $$ for one thing. 

This is true for getting fit, putting on muscle, losing fat, any of a myriad of things we engage in.

Range fed beef would probably be a good thing for everyone. I notice they are hawking buffalo meet now as lean, high protein content, etc.

We raised beefalo years ago. All of a sudden the cache' was gone and prices fell, got out of 'em.

One thing I can tell you......... those suckers are WILD (and they were only half bison)........ they'd jump over your corral boards, break them, ram you, crazy crazy..... Maybe thats parly why they went out of favor  ;=)

even the bible/koran talks about the proper way to slaughter animals for food. The means are humane. But what is in the video is distrubing and wrong.