Animal Agriculture in the Bible
By: Leticia
HSUS and PETA have been busy this summer with some new campaigns to keep people from consuming meat. About one month ago, PETA wrote a letter to the Southern Baptist Convention that they should adopt a vegetarian lifestyle to boost church membership. Simply put, I was stunned by this implication. I was raised in a Southern Baptist home, where my parents have tought me first the love of the Lord and secondly the care and management of His creatures on this world. The claim that both PETA and the HSUS make that animal production “violates core Christian values” is truly an inaccurate statement.
I have spent a great deal of my morning reading through chapters and verses of the Bible to best give you my response to this accusation. Let me begin by first telling you that I am not here to preach to you, but instead, I want to share with you why I believe that farmers and ranchers are not in the wrong. The Bible is written in a language that uses a lot of imagery. In many cases, this imagery is derived from on the farm terms. During a memorable church service at our county fair, the preacher shared a story that used an illustration that anyone involved in animal production would understand. He shared a story with us from Isaiah 53, (which is later repeated in Acts 8). In the story, a man is compared to how ”…a sheep before her shearers is slient, so he did not open his mouth.” Isaiah 53:7 NIV. Now, anyone who has tried to clip pigs, knows just how loud and uncooperative they can be in comparison to sheep, which remain calm, still, and silent. This is just one example of how we can relate to our Creator, who, because of our involvement in agriculture,is able to create a world of imagery and description that we can understand.
The Bible is filled with orders and laws that God wants us to follow. He has given us the responsibility of taking care of the animals on his world. He states this in Genesis 1:29-30. And speaking of orders that He has given us, in Leviticus 11:3, when declaring which food is “clean” and “unclean” to eat, he includes in his orders “…that chews the cud.” (Later, in Acts10:9-16, Jesus declares that all food is clean to eat).
In the New Testament, Jesus shares many parables with his followers and believers. Jesus’ parables use typical, everyday ordinary ideas that we can all associate with. Many of these parables include animals. In the Parable of the Lost Son, a father celebrates the return of his by clothing him in a robe and feasting on a fattened calf. Clearly, Jesus is able to relate to people through agricultural products. Among my favorite parables, the Parable of the Lost Sheep describes the extremes that a shepherd will go through to find just one lost sheep out of one hundred. This provides an example to us as farmers and ranchers how we should take care of our animals.
Most people are familiar with Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want…” I believe that it is no coincidence that so many references, and some of the most recognized scriptures, are made to animal husbandry in the Bible. When PETA and the HSUS say that farmers and ranchers can not be Christians because they fail in their commitment to the environment, the land, and people, I urge you to take a look around at the community of farmers and ranchers. I stress the word community because recently at a New Mexico Cattle Growers meeting, someone pointed out all to often we see ourselves as an industry, when in fact, we are a community of producers, transporters, proccessors, and everything in between working to raise our cattle in the right way. This community is dedicated to animal welfare and the environment. Growing up, I have learned that it takes more than know-how to run a ranch. Whether it’s surving a drought, or waiting for the weather to be just right to harvest the hay, being involved directly in production agriculture has, as my brother puts it, “tested our religion at one point or another.” I also know that sometimes it takes a lot faith and prayer to make it through the year. We have relied and embraced a faith that has led us to be better stewards of our land and our animals.
The Grand Champion of Summer…
By: Michelle
It takes a lot to be a champion and it means different things to different folks. But in Wisconsin, the champions there are the youth that participate in the annual State Fair, as well as their supportive parents who help get them there. For 11 days, the Wisconsin State Fair Park holds its namesake event and thousands of people from across the country flock to West Allis, Wisconsin to partake in the fun and food that this state fair has to offer.
Teish and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend the fair for a few days and help out the Wisconsin Beef Council with their feature booth in the AG Products Building. We served up some delicious steak samples grilled right at the booth and had a huge selection of new recipes for fairgoers to take home and try. We also answered questions and Teish even headed up the Beef Jeopardy game, where some who took the chance came away with extra goodies including hats and pot holders.
Lots of people came by and I think many of them came away a little more informed than when they arrived. I know I had quite a few people who were concerned about their health and wanted to make sure they were putting good stuff into their bodies. While we are promoting our product, the most important thing to remember when it comes to eating right is to keep everything in moderation. And leading a healthy lifestyle is possible by including beef in your diet. Besides being the number one meat source for protein, zinc and vitamin B12, you can find 29 lean cuts in the grocery store that fall under the USDA guidelines for being lean.
I could go on all day about the good stuff that beef can give you, but for a more visual perspective as well as some of those tasty recipes, check out the Beef It’s What’s for Dinner website. The Wisconsin Beef Council also has a site with a few tips of it’s own as well as information about what they’re doing in “America’s Dairyland” to help beef producers in their state.
When I wasn’t sharing the message of beef nutrition in the AG Products building, I was sent on assignment to capture the spirit of the state fair in the eyes of youth beef exhibitors. These kids pour hours of hard work into making their animals look and feel their best, and nothing shows this better than pictures of them in action. Check out some of these hard-working kids in the photostream we’ve setup for our tour of state fairs this month.
Next stop is Minnesota and then we’re off to New York. We’ll keep you posted with piping-hot pictures straight from the scene. Stay tuned!
Summer Photo Contest Update!
By: Michelle
Wow, thank you to those who have sent us photos so far! There’s still time to enter the contest, which ends October 1st, so send those photos to our email address (raisingthesteaks@gmail.com) if you’ve got them!
If you want to see all the entries so far, check out our photostream via Flickr. Let us know what your favorites are!
And if you need the rules and regs on the contest, here’s the link for the Summer Photo Contest Flyer.
Thanks again, and keep ‘em comin’!
Fighting Fire with Fire
By: Michelle
Each time summer comes around, it seems to catch me off-guard. I think to myself that maybe, just maybe I will be able to take it easy and relax during this 3 month siesta from school. But as always I find myself up to my eyeballs with work, sports, and catching up with old friends. While I find my schedule to be crazy enough, it’s nothing compared to that of a firefighter in the height of fire season.
This summer has been especially grueling on the firefighters here in California, and it’s just the beginning. Normally fire season really heats up around the end of July and continues through October. But with one lightning storm sending over 5,000 strikes down to the already drought-stricken foothills that I call home, close to 500 fires sprang to life overnight. These fires have brought in forces in from all over the country and even some from Canada and the National Guard. These guys are using every ounce of energy they have to protect our homes and keep our families safe.
But why is it so bad compared to other fire seasons? Why is it that this year has been the worst fire season in California’s history and it’s only mid-July? There are a number of factors, one of course being the lack of much-needed rain leaving even the greenest of pastures a duller shade of brown. But most of these fires are in mountain forests where tall trees tower over low-lying vegetation that has been dead and dry for years. And with few animals to feed on it, all of this dead grass and dry leaves are just waiting for one little spark to set it ablaze.
So what can be done about this? Obviously the natural wildlife that already lives in these areas are not clearing out this dry forage. Approximately 85% of the U.S. grazing lands are unsuitable for growing crops, and some of this land includes forested areas. Cattle are natural firefighters by doing what they do best: grazing! And as far as the natural wildlife goes, cattle are a huge help in a number of ways. In a California based study by the Conservation Biology magazine (Summer 2005), the results showed that grazing cattle actually helped to maintain natural wetland habitats that are home to several endangered species. Outside of the Golden State, cattle ranching has been shown to play a crucial role in the survival of native species in the Central and Eastern United States.
There’s a difference between preservation and conservation, and many people think this means the same thing. Preservation means to leave the land untouched and let it sort itself out. While this may sound wonderful and “good-natured”, letting forested land go unmanaged is what leads to many of the wildland fires that fills our skies with smoke and keeps our boys away from home. Conservation is different. This means the land is maintained using minimal interference in what’s naturally occuring in order to keep the land healthy and maintain the precious balance needed for everything to survive. Many cattle ranchers are also great conservationalists by doing their part to raise their cattle and take care of mother nature too. Taking care of the land they use is a top priority and many ranchers like to make it better than before.
So while I tip my hat and give thanks to the thousands of firefighters here doing their best to protect our homes and lives, I also thank the cattle ranchers for doing their part to make their land the best it can be. I hope conservation efforts continue in the future and perhaps one of these summers, we’ll all get to relax with clear blue skies and our loved ones with us.
June 2007
By: Leticia
Dear Mrs. Hackler,
Last month was a crazy busy month on Eagle Creek Ranch, and I can’t believe that it is already July! I don’t even know where to start telling you about the month that we had.
June started out just like it always does: hot, dry, and a lot of work to do! We got all the branding done in the last few weeks of May and the beginning of June. Dad decided to do it pasture by pasture, that way it would require less help. Of course, he saved West pasture for last, since it is our biggest pasture. It was great, some of my uncles came down, my brother, Gabriel, took a break from farming to help, and our neighbors Frosty and Will came out, too. The round-up was smooth, and Dad let me ride up to ’normus hill. I love it up there, you can see the whole ranch. I guess the last time I was there was during your memorial service back in November. The cows gave us no troubles. We brought in about 110 cows and branded over 90 calves-we had a pretty good calf crop this year. And of course, mom cooked a wonderful lunch of roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and a cobbler for desert. Everyone had a good time. I love branding, it always feels like Christmas!
The next weekend we went over to one of our neighbor’s to help her mark lambs. It was just a good reminder for me to be thankful that we don’t run sheep on the ranch anymore! We also went over there one day to help out with a coyote drive. She has been having coyote problems down there, but she is still staying strong. It is true ranch women like her that have created the spirit of the American West.
The joint Stockmen’s Convention was held in Ruidoso this year where New Mexico Cattle Grower’s Association and the New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc met together to celebrate father’s day, past accomplishments, and another good year. It was good to see old faces and meet new people.
We also had three wells that were down. On two of them we were able to fix with no problems, but the last one really gave us some problems. We ended up having to pull the pipe just to get to the pump at the bottom. But they are all fixed and water is running out again.
And speaking of water, we finally had some rain! About three weeks the rain started. First one of the year brought us two inches! Since then we’ve had a little over five and the hills are turning green. It was getting pretty dry for a while. There was a fire that burned nearly 40,000 acres just south of Hope. All the forests were closed to camping, too, but with the recent rain they’re back open. The creek even ran for a while, which means we have some water gaps and fencing to fix, but we aren’t complaining.
On the fourth of July we went to Capitan to watch the ranch rodeo, now those are something to watch! The Runyan-Elkin’s Ranch team was doing a pretty good job. It was nice to take a day from work to just relax and celebrate with friends.
Well, I won’t bore you anymore. Sure we did more than just all this, but you wouldn’t want to read everything. Eagle Creek sure does miss you and it isn’t the same without you, but we know you’re there. Hope this update has made it up to you.
Love,
Leticia Varelas
NM Beef IS Great
By: Leticia
My mom and I were driving home from church the other day, and in the other lane coming our way was a single cab, white Ford truck with a flat bed. As he passed, we waved to each other. Mom looked at me and asked, “Did you know him?” I just shook my head and told her no. Then she said, “Well, then why did ya’ll wave at each other like ya’ll did?” The reason: On the front of my truck, just on as on his, there is a red and white liscense plate that boasts, “NM Beef Is Great.”
The men and women who proudly display this message on the front of their vehicle share a common bond. They know how it feels to lose sleep from worrying all night about calving heifers and then take pride in their healthy calves come branding time at the end of another long calving season. They share a passion for the land, the animals, and agriculture as it is today. Anytime I hear someone praise the beef industry or sit down to read the paper with headline news “Downed Cattle Abused at Portales Sale Barn,” I have to stop and think about the people who are working in the pastures to ensure that neither their way of life or public imagine are not harmed.
Last week, the HSUS released a new downer cow video. This time, the attack hit me a little closer to home, if you can imagine that. There target was the Portales Auction Barn, which is located just about two hours from where my family ranches. I agree with Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS when he says that these actions “…turn my stomach.” But I still have faith in the beef industry. We have worked in recent years to encourage proper care and animal husbandry through programs such as the Beef Quality Assurance Program. These programs work to educate producers about best management practices for our cattle herds. It pains me to see people who treat the animals poorly, but these people exist few and far between. John McBride, director of communications for the Livestock Marketing Association stated that, “[These are] unfortunate, but it’s isolated incidents,” Just as there are bad preachers, teachers, and lawyers, there will be those people who ruin the image of good agriculturists. The important thing is to listen and trust the majority who are doing the right thing.
And speaking of those who are moving to make a positive difference, just a few weeks ago, New Mexico Cattle Grower’s and New Mexico Wool Grower’s met in Ruidoso for the 2008 Joint Stockman’s Summer Conference. The theme was “Are You Prepared?” Here, producers learend ways to be proactive in ways to improve and protect the future of our industry. One issue that has spent a lot of time in the forefront is the reintroduction of the Mexican Wolf. Under the way the system is set up, ranchers’ hands will literally be tied behind our backs as our herds will be attacked by the wolves. Several things were discussed to solve the issue, and cattlemen are working hard to make their voice heard. Currently, we have an online petition that gives us a voice about the wolf. For more information, and to see the petition, please click here. This is just one example of how hard we have to work to protect our animals. So I ask you, who cares more for the animals: The undercover HSUS employee who stands by doing nothing as animals are abused so he can shoot a video that isn’t released for months, or the average rancher who puts a lot time and energy into working to make sure the animals under his care are given a fair chance?
I think everybody in America should go visit a CowBelle (or Cattle Women in most other states) meeting once in their lives. If they have no other exposure to the truth behind the agriculture industry, sitting through one meeting they could see first hand the honest, hard working women who work along side the men in our industry to supply them with a product they can trust. So, maybe now you can understand, why I get so excited to see any other vehicle proudly displaying “NM Beef is Great” on the front of their vehicles. It doesn’t even have to be the red one that our state association provides, I’ve seen a white “Eat Kansas Beef” and a few other states as well, and know that the person in that vehicle shares a common bond with me. We face a lot of issues together, and we also are proud to associate ourselves with an amazing industry. So go ahead, Eat Beef, because, you know, Beef IS Great…And so are the people who produce it!
Capture the Moment of County Fair-Summer Photo Contest
By: Leticia
Well it’s summer time again, which in my family means several things: Branding, checking waters, and of course….county fairs! Oh yes, while most kids got to enjoy their summers sleeping in and lounging around the pool, my brother and I spent long hours grooming, training, exercising, and managing our show steers. It’s sad to say that those days are behind me now, but in honor of the showing season and the lessons of good stewardship and animal welfare that kids across the country learn in their beef production projects, we have a summer challenge for you!
Here’s the deal. The plans are a little rough in the making, but bear with us. We want to focus on the idea that your participation in showing cattle really encourages good stewardship of your animal. So, our mission for you is to capture those little moments of you washing your animal, leading him around, or how well you take care of them. Let your photo show how your involvement with the beef cattle production project really encourages you to be aware of animal welfare. So what we want from you is your best photo. Send it in to us at our email, which is raisingthesteaks@gmail.com. Feel free to include a caption about your picture. The contest deadline is October 1st, so you’re sure to have the perfect moment for a picture. Be sure to include an email adress where we can contact you. Photos will be judged, and a winner notified. Check back for more details as we get this contest rolling.
We have decided on prizes and they are as follows:
1st place: Digital Camera
2nd place: Beef shirt
3rd place: Check off hat
Alright….so are we good to go? Great. Get those cameras flashing!
So let the cutest kid and calf win!
South Korea Rejects American Beef: Just one more fight
By: Leticia
December 23, 2003: I remember sitting in the living room, waiting for my dad to give me the day’s orders when the phone rang. On the other end of the line, a fellow rancher had called to tell us that they had found a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or more commonly known was mad cow disease, in a Holstein up in Washington state.
All that I could think was, “What is gonna happen next?” Earlier that morning I had just fed a pen full of bulls that we were getting ready to send to the Santa Teresa Border Crossing. We had started these bulls on a conditioning program to get them up to par so that we could sell them at a sale that would send them to Mexico. These bulls, just like any other cattle in the US headed out, had to be rerouted to a location that would not send them out of the country. In no time at all, or at least it seemed to us, the American Beef Industry had been cut off to trade from the world. At some points in time, I doubted that things would ever be the same. Would we ever recover from this?
Fortunately, we have. Though progress may be slow, it’s still progress. Because of the efforts of the NCBA and several other cattle organizations, we have been able to regain trust in our product. Slowly, but surely, country by country we have been able to export our beef products to them once again. In fact, in late March of this year, the border was re-opened to our Southern neighbor to allow for trade of breeding cattle. On May 7, the Santa Teresa Border Crossing was back in business! For details on how the event went, click here.
But, just as my mom reminds me, the road to success is full of many bumps. After much work, South Korea had opened trade to American beef on April 18 of this year. Before 2003, beef imports in South Korea from American beef totaled $815 million. We were hoping that by reopening their border, this could grow to a $1 billion industry. However, this speculation was short lived. The South Korean public has chosen to reject beef.
The reasons? Well, there is no one specific reason. On one side, you have people who were outraged with their president. They saw this as just one more way of revolting against him. Then, on the other, you have people that really are concerned with the safety of their food. People were, and still remain, in shock and fear of mad cow diesease, when in fact, it presents no risk to public health. The fear of BSE, which has been nicknamed mad cow disease, remains in people’s minds making them more vulnerable to listen to claims made my people attacking the beef industry. Visit the Center for Global Food Issues on the truth about mad cow disease. Still, what ever the cause for South Korea revolting agains US beef, this truth remains: The American beef industy is still fighting to recover from 2003.
So what are we doing to see beef in the meat case at South Korean markets once again? Well, we have worked not only to assure South Korea, but other foreign countries as well, about the safety of our beef. Out industry leaders are working hard to ensure that the name of beef is not tainted.
We have seen a lot over the past years. From rising feed costs to beef recalls, there have been many trials for beef producers. I have no doubt in my mind that we can make it through anything. Our biggest tool we have to keep demand for beef up is diplomatic education. At our work, in the store, or in our day to day lives, it is up to us to spread the word about beef. The more educated we make our consumers, the more they understand our product and what we are about. We have to stand up and tell people about the product that we produce: Good, American beef!
Beef Up Your Health
By: Leticia
Looking back to my days in grade school, I can remember several adults coming in educating us about how important it is to have a healthy diet. Now, more than ever before, it seems that our society has become more health conscious. That’s a good thing. The bad side to this: Everyone seems to have their own opinion on what makes up a healthy diet. One diet that seems to be getting a lot of attention here lately is a vegan diet, which would mean cutting out all products that come from animals. Even Oprah has agreed to try out this vegan diet for 21 days. While I don’t claim to be any health expert, I do believe that we should have a balanced, well rounded diet that includes even beef. Now, just to show you that I am not just making these assumptions, I am here to provide to you some interesting health benefits, which are factual, about beef.
Let’s begin with the basics. The serving size for beef is 3oz, or about the size of a deck of cards. A lot of people would prefer to eat chicken over beef on the basis that chicken is just healthier. But actually, did you know that there are 29 cuts of lean beef? The good news is to be considered lean, beef has to contain less than 10 grams of total fat per serving. These cuts, on average, contain about just one more gram of fat than an equal portion of chicken. See for yourself how these 29 lean cuts of beef compare to chicken.
Still not bought yet? Well consider the role that Zinc, Iron, and Protein, or as we like to call it, ZIP, play in our daily lives. Beef is a good source for all of these nutrients, which, according to the American Dietetic Association, are very important to the functioning of our bodies. Each one of these provide our body with important functions. Zinc helps your body grow and gives you energy while iron helps deliver oxygen throughout your body. The protein in beef is really unique. Not only does it grow muscle, but it also provides you with nine essential amino acids. The essential amino acids can not be made by the body, so we must to turn to sources such as beef to get them. Bieber Red Angus Ranch has provided additional health information about beef.
Some of these nutrients that are provided to us by beef are lacking in American diets. The US health authorities report that 81% of American females and 65% of American males are zinc deficient-And this is just one example! Beef can help you get your body get these requirements. Just one serving size of beef will provide you with up to 39% of the daily requirement of Zinc! To get this same amount of zinc that you get in one serving of beef, you would have to consume 13 3oz servings of tuna! To see how beef stacks up to other foods in providing you with ZIP, click here.
Beef, just like fruits and vegetables, is an important part of our diets that we can not afford to cut out. I insist that you don’t just take my word for it, but to check out some of the links I’ve provided. It’s important that you find out for yourself, and not just listen to what public figures such as Oprah have to say about your diet. I know that tonight when I go home, I will participate in one of my summer events, grilling. The end result will be a healthy steak that I can appreciate. It’s nice to know that we can enjoy beef: Nature’s best tasting multi-vitamin.
Thrown to the Wolves…
By: Michelle
I had the opportunity to sit in on a guest lecture by Gene Baur, co-founder of Farm Sanctuary and hear his viewpoints on animal agriculture. The audience consisted of a mixed group of ag students and faculty with most of them never having the opportunity to hear from someone on the otherside. If one was an average consumer and had little to no education about the livestock industry, then Mr. Baur’s discussion would have been very convincing and seemingly factual. Mr. Baur is a dynamic public speaker when it comes to feeding off of his audience’s emotions and guiding the discussion where he wants it, but that’s the only positive thing I could see, if you can even call it positive.
What Mr. Baur had to say differed completely from what his website had to say about what their organization was all about. The website presents a viewpoint saying that the organization is focused on “raising awareness about the negative consequences of industrialized factory farming and our cheap food system”. Today he discussed his advocacy for going vegan and that the ultimate goal of stamping out animal agriculture completely. While he stands on his soapbox of his own personal beliefs, the foundation of his speech was based on weak, unreliable science. And despite persistant questioning from several members in the audience, he seemed to always find a way to avoid answering the question and going back to his personal agenda.
The few audience members that could see Mr. Baur’s true colors were disappointed and disgusted. What concerned me the most, however, was that there were many ag students sitting in there absolutely confused as to what to think, let alone what to say or ask.
I feel fortunate to have had my experience as a Beef Ambassador and to be able to really see how public relations works on both sides of this particular issue. Also having the training and skills to be able to address people such as Mr. Baur is essential to telling our story.
But what about the rest of the students in that room? Some of these kids haven’t even seen the otherside and don’t have enough of a knowledge base to support their own cause. To have a powerful activist leader such as Mr. Baur come and speak to these students is like throwing these kids to the wolves. While the experience is important and being aware of the other side is essential, I think some preparation and perhaps even a practice session would have been much better than what had happened.
I guess my point out of all of this is don’t bite off more than you can chew, especially when it comes to something you really care about. In this case of defending animal agriculture, where the industry is dependant on consumer tastes and preferences, good speaking skills and research to back it up is key to having a productive discussion with anyone, vegan or not.
