http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?Se...77286.92/7/2008 6:00:00 PM


Steven Kopperud, an expert in animal rights assualts on agriculture, describes the many groups that want to run cattle ranchers off the range in a session at the 2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Reno Thursday.
Ranchers urged to be beef activists to counter anti-beef forces
Animal rights session at 2008 NCBA convention focuses on anti-beef war

Bob Krauter
Capital Press

RENO, Nev. - The nation's cattle ranchers face formidable, well-funded anti-beef activists who want to run them off the range, but food coalition groups and ranchers, themselves, can effectively fight back. On Thursday, in a session at the 2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Reno, speakers described the challenges and opportunities in the animal rights battle.

Steven Kopperud, an expert on animal activist assaults on agriculture, said the biggest threat to cattle producers is the Humane Society of the United States, which has backed successful animal rights ballot measures in Florida and Arizona. The organization is currently trying to qualify an initiative on the November ballot in California to regulate animal agriculture and HSUS has threatened to do the same in Colorado.

Kopperud called the Humane Society of the United States a "cash cow" for animal rights initiatives and he deemed the organization "the worst, the biggest and the baddest" of all the groups who aim to eliminate meat from the nation's food supply.

Kopperud cautioned ranchers in the audience to be wary of many animal activist groups. He said the Humane Society of the United States may appear to be a "moderate" animal rights group, but it shares similar messages and goals with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

"It is a very symbiotic relationship between the two groups," Kopperud said. PETA, he said, resorts to extreme measures to gain public attention and to keep its messages and philosophy in front of the public. That allows the Humane Society to come in behind PETA and appear to be more reasonable in promoting changes to how farm animals are raised, he said.

Dan Martosko of the Center for Consumer Freedom, a non-profit coalition of food and restaurant groups, told ranchers that it's not just animal rights activist groups that want to put ranchers out to pasture. Groups like the Center for Science in the Public Interest and environmental and nutrition experts have jumped on the anti-beef bandwagon and advocated vegetarianism.

"There are close to 50 groups out there who are not animal rights organizations, but who have articulated anti-beef campaign messages in the last year," Martosko said. "If they are not completely anti-meat, they are trying to reduce per capita consumption."

To counter the anti-beef forces, he said state and national industry trade associations could be effective, but that "somebody has to be willing to slap back the activists."

Third party groups like the Center for Consumer Freedom can take the fight directly to animal rights activists to diminish their credibility and influence.

"Negative works," he said. "The members of your local associations are the ground troops, the NCBA is the air war from 30,000 feet up and we're the Blackhawk helicopters who do the special ops and beat on the bad guys and then disappear."

Darren Williams, an NCBA executive director for spokesperson development, encouraged members in the audience to become beef activists and to adopt them same approach that anti-beef groups take in using passion to drive home their messages.

"We've got a great story to tell and we need to tell it. You need to tell it. We've got to be willing to stand up for our industry," Williams said. "You need to be an advocate for preserving your way of life or it won't be around a few years from now. We have to be willing to speak out and to be heard."

He encouraged cattle producers to be the "ground troops" in the war to win over consumers about beef by speaking out to community groups, the media and online.

Capital Press California Editor Bob Krauter is based in Sacramento. His e-mail address is bkrauter@capitalpress.com

I just do not understand how one group of people can think they can tell everyone how to live and eat in this country.It is a free country me and many other people fought for that right.

What the heck is a food coalition group???

People fighting for the rights of people wo want to continue to own food?

theres quite a few health nuts that consider red meat the worst thing sense cigeretes . and they are teaching that in our schools .If you look there is probably a a poster promoting a vegetable diet taped to the SODA machine in the cafeteria .

Hoosier Ag Today
Legislators Reject Animal Activists Efforts at Statehouse
by Gary Truitt
02/13/2008
http://www.hoosieragtoday.com/wire/news/...ouse_183824.php

Indiana lawmakers were part of a national lobbying effort by a leading
animal activist group on Wednesday. The Humane Society of the United
States (HSUSA) issued an invitation for their members to join them on
February 13 at one of 23 state capitals across the country for "Humane
Lobby Day." But two Indiana lawmakers rejected the efforts of the
group and issued an open letter condemning their actions and
supporting Indiana livestock farmers. Senator Bob Jackman (R-Milroy)
and Senator. Johnny Nugent (R-Lawrenceburg) said, in a letter directed
at Hoosier consumers, "Whether you realize it or not, agriculture is
under attack and the biggest victims may well be you, the consumer. An
example could be sitting in your refrigerator right now on your milk
carton. This month marked the beginning of a disturbing trend by such
well-known retailers as Kroger and Deans Foods. Both began selling
their store brand milk using a supply more expensive to produce." They
were referring to efforts to ban the use of BST to produce milk.

A bill to prevent retailers from labeling their milk "Hormone Free"
was effectively killed recently by pressure from animal rights
organizations and consumer activists. "This is just one example of how
hard special interest groups are making things for the American
farmer. Economies of scale and the dynamics of trying to make a profit
is what drives modern agriculture today. It's like any other industry
- you've got to get bigger and better if you want to stay in it. We
have to take advantage of all the technology we can. The American
consumer demands it. Grocery shoppers want every piece of meat to look
and taste the same. For us to meet those expectations, technology - at
times the kind special interest groups target as inhumane - is a must
for the American farmer," the two lawmakers said in their letter. They
concluded by saying, "It's sad that the American farmer is perhaps the
only member of our workforce not encouraged to use the technological
advances that are available." They urged Hoosier consumers to support
Indiana farm families and reject the efforts of special interest
groups.

American agriculture needs your support
Farmers are under attack from special interest groups

If you're reading this while you enjoy your breakfast or lunch,
chances are an American farmer had something to do with your meal.
American agriculture continues to produce the most abundant,
affordable and safest food supply in the world. So often we take it
all for granted - from the time we pick it up at the local supermarket
to its being served at our family dinner table.

Likewise, the average Indiana consumer probably doesn't realize how
hard things have become for the American farmer. Animal rights
activists and environmentalists have combined to make things
increasingly difficult for those laboring hard to produce your food.
That's why I authored a resolution in the Indiana Senate earlier this
month asking for support of American agriculture.

Whether you realize it or not, agriculture is under attack and the
biggest victims may well be you, the consumer. An example could be
sitting in your refrigerator right now on your milk carton. This month
marked the beginning of a disturbing trend by such well-known
retailers as Kroger and Deans Foods. Both began selling their store
brand milk using a supply more expensive to produce.

Technology has been a friend to the American farmer - and the consumer
- allowing us to more efficiently produce food products society
demands. One of those breakthroughs involved treating cows with a
synthetic version of the naturally occurring growth hormone.

This does not harm cows in any way, but it does help them produce more
milk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration have found no difference
between the artificial hormone and the naturally occurring one.

But pressure from animal rights activists has led Kroger and Deans to
stop stocking milk made by this production technology. Michael
Schultz, a Purdue extension dairy specialist, was quoted as saying
"the sad thing is, consumers will likely pay more for milk that is no
different than the milk they purchased last month."

Without the use of this production aide, dairy farmers will see
decreased profits and smaller farms will be at greater risk. Farmers
may have to increase the size of their herds in order to replace the
lost milk. Increased herds likely mean increased costs.

This is just one example of how hard special interest groups are
making things for the American farmer. Economies of scale and the
dynamics of trying to make a profit is what drives modern agriculture
today. It's like any other industry - you've got to get bigger and
better if you want to stay in it. We have to take advantage of all the
technology we can. The American consumer demands it. Grocery shoppers
want every piece of meat to look and taste the same. For us to meet
those expectations, technology - at times the kind special interest
groups target as inhumane - is a must for the American farmer.

It's sad that the American farmer is perhaps the only member of our
workforce not encouraged to use the technological advances that are
available. Yet, it could be said America's farmers make it possible
for all others in the workforce to succeed because they are the ones
putting nourishment on the table for everyone.

Back during the Great Depression, approximately 55 percent of the U.S.
population was involved in farming. Today, the statistic is less than
2 percent.

That's why we need to support the modern agriculture community's
efforts to promote choices of farming methods, practices and crops.
That's why we need to be on the offensive when misleading propaganda
occurs and public misconceptions mount.

As you finish reading your newspaper with your meal, I hope you'll
remember our American farmers - and not blame them the next time your
grocery bill goes up.

Sen. Bob Jackman (R-Milroy)
Sen. Johnny Nugent (R-Lawrenceburg)

My question is: If we all stopped eating meat tommorow, and all the cows and pigs, goats and sheep were "set free" (because it would be unethical to kill them *wink*) they'd all invade the crop lands, start eating them all, and deficate in the feilds.

The e-coli spinach outbreak occurred because of 1 herd of pigs loose in a spinach field. How many food poisonings would occur if all the domestic animals were loose?

I bet all the vegetarians would start calling-for-culling once they started dying from e-coli.