The Humane Society wants The Humane Slaughter Act enforced.

The Humane Society wants dairy cows free from abuse and neglect.

The Humane Society wants veal calves to be unconscoius when they are being sliced up.

And for that they are being attacked.

I read the story about your speech in Modesto. You are correct. The dairy industry does have something to fear about being targeted by the U.S. Humane Society. Just look at the 2008 election and the targeting of egg farmers. And, it worked! Why? Because “city folks” have become so removed from their food supply that they will believe anything. Happy chickens? Happy cows?

No doubt dairy farmers’ reflex response is to recoil and hide. Keep people out. Don’t attract any attention. Great, but that allows others—including the U.S. Humane Society—to establish the industry’s “image.”

What the industry needs to do is open its doors. Invite the public in. Let “city folks” see what a modern dairy looks like and how they make cows “happy”—or at least healthy and highly productive. How can you tell if a cow is “happy?” Some would like to ascribe human emotions, such as happiness, to cows.

Check out the video about Fair Oaks Farm in Indiana. http://tinyurl.com/FairOaksFarmIndiana This “factory farm” has more than thrown open its doors. It created an educational/information center that has become a tourist attraction.

Rather than hide and hope no one notices you—yeah, right, a big, sometimes smelly dairy on the outskirts of town—California dairy farmers need to pull together to create a center along the line of Fair Oaks’.

Of course, I think that center should be in Bakersfield, where some of the state’s newest and innovative dairies are located, and close to a huge urban center—Southern California.

John Hardisty
Bakersfield, Calif.
http://www.svs2help.com

Great job in California, David.  While you were away, you missed the March 11th Oprah show, with guest Michael Pollan - “Food Rules”.  Check it out: http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Food-101-with-Michael-Pollan

I would love to hear what you have to say about it.  I missed almost the entire show, and will have to find some time to look at the web re-run, but I did catch the last couple of minutes, when Mr. Pollan makes the most outrageous statements when Oprah asked about the effects these “new” farming rules will have on struggling nations with starving people, the third world and other areas where they depend on the affordable and healthy food exports from U.S. farmers and ranchers. He basically said “So what?”! “So we have to eat less protein and pay a little more for food, we will all be better off in the long run (sound familiar?). He said, last line before cut to theme music - “‘WE eat an obscene amount of meat.” I didn’t know Michael Pollan was God Himself.  What an arrogant, self-righteous and heartless individual, who has plenty of money to pay three times as much for his organic and artisinal food products.

Hey I’m so glad I found this article that points this out. I Show dairy cattle at my state fair in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This year during the meeting with the group i go with we were told that there is a chance we may be harassed by local humane society people, because they’ve just built a new building for themselves. I’m actually kind of scared. Every year at state fair i strive to talk to “city people” about farming and educate them about where their food comes from. I don’t know how I’ll react to someone telling me I’m wrong for training and showing cattle.

Good for you, Maighdlin. I have probably talked to you myself (I live less than 2 miles away) . I spend at least two days at the Wisconsin State Fair each year.  One day with the Dog Fair, where we do training demonstrations, Search and Rescue, agility, competition obedience, and so forth, and another day just for fun. We go early and go through every barn. If more uneducated animal lovers, HSUS supporters and vegans went through the barns to see how farming looks these days, they might not be so quick to claim that animal agriculture is cruel. I think anyone would be impressed by the cows on Waterbeds, myself, don’t you?

I have heard David’s presentation. I have never know anyone who enjoyed his work as much as David does. He tells the truth about the animal rights groups. They are tied together like burmuda grass. All the roots are underground and hard to eradicate. Animal rights is their religion and they are trying to convert the masses to their religion.